Chelsea play their first game in 13 days when they face west London rivals Fulham in the Premier League.
A 0-0 draw against Liverpool in their last outing saw Chelsea keep their second consecutive clean sheet in an improved performance on recent weeks. Since the draw, the Blues ended the January transfer window on a high, signing Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £106m, and the Argentine could be available for the clash with Fulham.
Graham Potter has been handed a major boost ahead of the clash at Stamford Bridge, with Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all set to return to the squad. Chelsea's last meeting with Fulham came just three games ago, with Joao Felix still serving his three-match suspension after picking up a red card in the 2-1 defeat to the Cottagers.
READ MORE: Graham Potter waits for crucial Enzo Fernandez confirmation ahead of Chelsea vs Fulham
So, who will come out on top in Friday's clash between Chelsea and Fulham? We simulated the game to get a score prediction and this is what happened.
Chelsea vs Fulham simulated to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions
We predict that the Blues could line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Badiashile; James, Fernandez, Loftus-Cheek, Cucurella; Mount, Havertz, Mudryk.
We predict that Fulham could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Paulinha; Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Mitrovic.
New signings Fernandez, Benoit Badiashile and Mykhailo Mudryk are all predicted to start on start on Friday, with a few more January arrivals set to be named on the bench. Chelsea kicked off the game at Stamford Bridge, but a major error by one of the new boys saw the Cottagers take the lead after 57 seconds.
As Fulham pressed high, Paulinha caught Fernandez in possession deep in the Chelsea half, with the loose ball running through to Andreas Pereira. A few strides ahead of Fernandez and any other Blue shirt, the Brazilian was through on goal, and a powerful strike from the edge of the box sent the ball past Kepa and into the net.
It was the worst start possible for Potter's side, but they almost found an equaliser minutes later when Mason Mount struck the post from a narrow angle. The Blues took a while to get going, but they managed to pull a goal back just before half time through Kai Havertz.
A switch of play from Loftus-Cheek saw Reece James roar down the right, and after skipping past Antonee Robinson, the defender fizzed the ball into the path of Havertz. The German ran onto the pass and drilled a powerful strike across goal, evading Bernd Leno and finding the bottom corner.
It was a much better second half from Chelsea, with Fernandez pulling the strings in midfield as his early error failed to impact his performance. And, in the 68th minute, the Argentine set up Havertz for his and Chelsea's second of the night.
A nice one-two with Loftus-Cheek saw the midfielder break past the visitors' middle line and press towards goal, with plenty of options in support. Rather than playing it out wide, a curling through ball spun into the path of Havertz in behind the Fulham defence, and another powerful finish sent the ball past the 'keeper and into the far corner for 2-1.
David Datro Fofana had the chance to make it 3-1 late on when he broke through on goal and rounded the 'keeper, but off balance, the striker could only find the side netting. It didn't prove costly though as Potter's side held out a vital three points.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Chelsea 2-1 Fulham
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Chelsea could pass a tough test against their west London rivals, with the Blues coming from a goal behind to win 2-1. Enzo Fernandez and Reece James both impressed, showing that the Blues could start getting back to their best with their new signings and injured players returning.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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