28.02.2014 – Fulham will welcome the London rivals Chelsea FC to the Craven Cottage on Saturday 1st March in a fixture that will have implications at both ends of the Premier League table.
With 11 games left of the season, Fulham find themselves in serious danger of being relegated as the Cottagers currently lie at the foot of the table with four points separating them from safety. Fulham owner Shahid Khan has turned to experienced German manager Felix Magath who he hopes can steer the club clear of relegation after disposing of the services of Rene Meulensteen and Martin Jol earlier in the campaign.
Magath’s reign as Fulham manager almost started perfectly with a win over fellow relegation candidates West Bromwich Albion, however, a late equaliser denied the Cottagers three points and ensured they remained bottom of the pile. One of Magath’s first decisions as Fulham boss was to reinstate striker Hugo Rodallega into the starting 11 after falling out of favour with previous managers, which could prove to be a key decision should the Colombian start scoring goals as he has shown he is capable of doing in the past.
The German faces a tough task in his first home game in charge as Chelsea visit Craven Cottage however Magath will be hoping for a positive result which could fill the squad with confidence and set the standard for the remaining games of the season.
Chelsea FC go into Saturday’s contest knowing a win would see them remain at the top of the table for at least another week. The Blues short trip to Fulham is also a chance to move six points ahead of title chasing Manchester City who are not in League action this week due to the Capital One Cup.
Chelsea’s impressive form has seen the Blues go unbeaten in the league since December 7th which has been largely contributed to by the form of Belgian winger Eden Hazard who has scored six times since defeat at Stoke. Also aiding Chelsea’s fine form is their solid defence which, since being beaten 3-2 at the Britannia Stadium, has kept eight clean sheets and only conceded four goals in 12 games.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea’s midweek trip to Galatasaray will have an impact on their performance at Craven Cottage however Jose Mourinho will be expecting his side to collect all three points and remain at the summit of the Premier League.
