Chelsea will clash heads with their local rivals, Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon looking to build on their 2-0 success over Tottenham Hotspur in midweek. Maurizio Sarri is a man under pressure and, so he desperately needs his side to take care of business this weekend. Anything other than a win will be considered a disappointment for the Pensioners as they will lose ground to Arsenal and Manchester United in the top 4 race.
However, the Cottagers are currently fighting for their Premier League lives, and so it won’t be easy for the visitors to get a result against them. Sarri might opt for a 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make a few changes to his first-team.
4-3-3 Chelsea Predicted Lineup To Face Fulham
Defence
Only time will tell whether Sarri decides to start Kepa Arrizabalaga in the West London derby versus Fulham this weekend. Otherwise, it will be up to Willy Caballero to defend the Chelsea goal.
Both David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger should resume their roles at the centre of the Pensioners defence. They put in a commanding display against Spurs on Wednesday night which would give them a lot of confidence heading into this West London derby.
Cesar Azpilicueta will retain his right-back spot while Marcos Alonso, who finally has managed to impress with his performance in midweek, will lineup as the left-back.
Emerson Palmieri could find himself on the bench once again as Sarri looks to use him as an impact substitute.
Midfield
The strong midfield three of Ross Barkley, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante should operate in midfield as they look to dictate proceedings at the centre of the park. Jorginho will once again act as a defensive midfielder which would be much to the annoyance of the Chelsea supporters as they want Kante to play in his natural position.
Attack
Sarri might choose to unleash Eden Hazard and Willian down the wide areas as they look to create some decent openings for Gonzalo Higuain up top. The Argentine forward has struggled to score goals consistency since his loan move to Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window. He has found the back of the net twice in six appearances for the Pensioners thus far.
