Chelsea vs Fulham LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Blues held to goalless draw

Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea debut ended in anti-climax as Fulham earned a worthy 0-0 draw against Graham Potter’s side at Stamford Bridge.

The hosts’ £106.5million deadline day signing was kept largely subdued as Potter’s team failed to substantially improve upon their mid-table Premier League position and saw their indifferent form extend to one win in six in the competition.

Fulham proved it is not necessary to spend in excess of £500m to sit in the upper reaches of the top flight, with Marco Silva’s well-drilled team making the hosts look toothless at times at the end of a week in which they broke the British transfer record to land World Cup-winner Fernandez.

It leaves Chelsea stranded in ninth and already struggling to hold on to the optimism generated by owner Todd Boehly’s whirlwind £315m investment during the January transfer window.

Follow all the action as Chelsea host Fulham at Stamford Bridge:

Chelsea vs Fulham

  • FT! Chelsea 0-0 Fulham - Back-to-back goalless draws for Potter’s side

  • 80’ OFF THE LINE! - Fofana’s effort is cleared by Ream on the line (CHE 0-0 FUL)

  • 71’ CHANCE! - Enzo Fernandez blasts one wide from range (CHE 0-0 FUL)

  • 68’ CHANCE! - De Cordova-Reid can’t finish off a good counter attack (CHE 0-0 FUL)

  • 44’ POST! - Havertz’s chip hits the post just before half-time (CHE 0-0 FUL)

  • 33’ CLOSE! - Havertz lifts one over the top after a Chelsea break (CHE 0-0 FUL)

  • 27’ SAVE! - Kepa forced into action to deny Andreas (CHE 0-0 FUL)

Chelsea FC 0 - 0 Fulham FC

How Enzo Fernandez debut reveals extent of Chelsea’s rebuild

22:19 , Michael Jones

Chelsea remain a work in progress and the return on their lavish spree may take a while yet, but Enzo Fernandez offers immense promise and a start.

Graham Potter’s grin at his shiny new toy gradually turned to a grimace as Fulham frustrated the Blues in a goalless stalemate.

Yet Fernandez, immediately flung into the line-up after Tuesday’s late night drama, represented an immediate upgrade as the Blues endure this frustrating transition.

It has been a staggering rise for Fernandez, from Benfica’s speculative £8.8 million outlay last summer, a pivotal role in Argentina’s World Cup glory in December and now this week’s £107 million move to spearhead Chelsea’s revival.

How Enzo Fernandez debut reveals extent of Chelsea’s rebuild

Chelsea held by Fulham as record spending fails to ignite attacking spark

22:15 , Michael Jones

If the argument from Chelsea is that this is all a long-term investment, this game against Fulham certainly made it feel like it. Over £300m worth of January investment still offered up another 0-0 draw, that tested attention levels more than Financial Fair Play regulations. Enzo Fernandez, who came straight into the starting XI after his British record deadline day signing, admittedly looked tidy. But £106m warrants more than tidy.

That is perhaps the most generous description of Graham Potter’s football right now. It is occasionally nice, and you can see a nascent idea taking shape, but it doesn’t exactly get you off your feet. It barely forces goalkeepers to dive, so few shots on target have Chelsea had.

As with his Brighton, it still looks like Potter could do with a striker. That is all the more pointed given Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was on the same day left out of the Champions League squad, left out of the matchday squad, and now looks like his time at Chelsea will instead be very short-term.

There was a starting place for Hakim Ziyech, however, even though he was seconds away from being a Paris Saint-Germain player on Tuesday.

Chelsea held by Fulham as record spending fails to ignite attacking spark

FT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

22:11 , Michael Jones

Post-match reaction from Fulham’s Willian who said: “It was a big night. We performed well with and without the ball. We deserved a bit more maybe but a point is good. It’s hard to come here and play against Chelsea. They have a very good team.

“It was a special night to be back at the Bridge. I spent seven years here, I was very happy. I’m very happy at Fulham. We have to keep going the same way.

“We have so much to improve. It was a good reception from the Chelsea fans. I respect them a lot. It was amazing.”

FT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

22:07 , Michael Jones

Fulham captain Tim Ream spoke to Sky Sports after the game and was really pleased with how his team performed tonight: “It’s a team game. We work on it every week.

“Defend from the front and attack from back. It takes all 11 guys and the ones coming on. Fantastic team performance. We can be very proud of coming away with a point and maybe a bit disappointed not to get more.

“I’m happy to keep a clean sheet and be in the right place at the right time. To preserve a point and a clean sheet makes it even better.”

FT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

22:04 , Michael Jones

FT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

22:00 , Michael Jones

 (Action Images via Reuters)
(Action Images via Reuters)
 (Action Images via Reuters)
(Action Images via Reuters)
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Full-time: Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:53 , Michael Jones

90+5 mins: The points are shared at Stamford Bridge! A spirited defensive performance from Fulham sees them take a point away from Chelsea and they move up to sixth in the table.

It’s back-to-back goalless draws for Graham Potter’s men who follow up their draw at Anfield with one here. The Blues now move above Liverpool but have played two games more than Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:49 , Michael Jones

90+2 mins: Fulham work the ball into the penalty area from the right. It bobbles and bounces around before popping up for Joao Palhinha who fires one at goal and pushes it just wide of the far post!

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:48 , Michael Jones

90 mins: Five minutes of added time to play. Can someone get a winning goal?

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:46 , Michael Jones

87 mins: Noni Madueke is the latest Chelsea player to knock the ball into the penalty area but there’s nobody about and Fulham come away with the ball.

As time ticks on it looks ever more likely that this game will finish in a draw.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:40 , Michael Jones

83 mins: Into the last 10 minutes now and everything is still to play for. Fulham are trying to regroup and take the game to Chelsea. The Blues are just looking for another opportunity to nick all three points.

Harrison Reed thinks he’s won a corner for Fulham when coming down the left wing but the referee signals for a goal kick much to his confusion.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:38 , Michael Jones

80 mins: Off the line! Chelsea should be in front!

Conor Gallagher floats the ball up the pitch and picks out David Fofana. Bernd Leno comes flying off his line but Fofana takes the ball around the goalkeeper then cuts inside of a sliding Issa Diop.

He guides the ball towards goal but Tim Ream goes to ground and slides in front off the shoot, parrying it away from the line! Brilliant defending.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:35 , Michael Jones

77 mins: Chelsea’s biggest issue tonight has been finding the target. They’ve had eight shots but only one of them was hitting the target.

In contrast Fulham have brought Kepa Arrizabalaga into play four times out of their seven attempts.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:33 , Michael Jones

74 mins: Harry Wilson and Manor Solomon are brought on to replace Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Willian.

For Chelsea David Fofana is introduced for his first Premier League appearance replacing Mason Mount.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:29 , Michael Jones

71 mins: Bobby De Cordova-Reid fouls Raheem Sterling and is the latest man to go in the book.

Close! That would have had Stamford Bridge rocking. Fulham work a cross out of the area but it comes out to Enzo Fernandez. He smokes a curling effort from range and sends it mere inches wide of the far post!

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:27 , Michael Jones

68 mins: Danger! Thiago Silva pushes up the pitch but doesn’t find Madueke who a thread pass. Instead Fulham intercept and flick the ball over the top for Willian.

He drives into the box before squaring it across to De Cordova-Reid who scuffs his shot straight to Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:23 , Michael Jones

65 mins: Cesar Azpilicueta sweeps down the right wing and wins a corner for Chelsea when his cross gets deflected behind.

Conor Gallagher whips the ball into the middle and finds Thiago Silva but his header lands safely in the hands of Bernd Leno.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:19 , Michael Jones

62 mins: Graham Potter makes another couple of changes. Raheem Sterling and Cesar Azpilicueta are brought on to replace Reece James and Hakim Ziyech.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:17 , Michael Jones

60 mins: Willian drives directly into the box from the left wing. He pulls the ball back to Pereira who drills a shot at goal but sees the effort blocked by Cucurella.

The ball flies out to Palhinha who blazes a long-ranged effort well over the crossbar!

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:15 , Michael Jones

57 mins: Hakim Ziyech whips another cross into the box for Chelsea but Diop jumps high and nods the ball clear. It bounces into midfield and comes to Mitrovic.

The forward tries to hold it up but Mount tackles him and pokes the ball into the path of Gallagher. Chelsea look to break but the referee brings the play back for a foul on Mitrovic.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:13 , Michael Jones

54 mins: Fulham have started the second half as the better team. They look more composed, more aggressive and more determined.

Chelsea are a bit erratic at the back now. Fulham are putting them under more pressure than the first half for sure.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:09 , Michael Jones

51 mins: Andreas Pereira gets booked for a flying tackle on Marc Cucurella. He took out the man and VAR took a look to see whether he’d committed a possible red card foul.

He didn’t.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:07 , Michael Jones

48 mins: There’s now word on why Mykhailo Mudryk was taken off at half-time. He didn’t look injured in any way so it’s probably a tactical change from Graham Potter.

Issa Diop plays the ball up to Bobby De Cordova-Reid who brings it down the right side and swings a cross into the middle. He’s looking for Aleksandar Mitrovic but Thiago Silva gets there once again and nods it away.

Second half: Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:03 , Michael Jones

Kick off: Noni Madueke comes on to replace Mykhailo Mudryk for Chelsea at the break. Fulham get the match restarted and work it over to the right wing.

They feed the ball to Willian who weaves through three defenders and blitzes a low drive towards goal but Kepa Arrizabalaga leaps over to smother the effort.

HT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

21:00 , Michael Jones

The first half of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this season have seen just 18 goals scored (nine for, nine against), the joint fewest of any team.

HT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:53 , Michael Jones

 (PA)
(PA)
 (Action Images via Reuters)
(Action Images via Reuters)
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Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:49 , Michael Jones

45+1 mins: The whistle goes for half-time with the teams all square. Fulham have put in a decent performance and have created a few good chances.

Chelsea have dominated possession and every now and then their individual quality has shone through to put the Cottagers under real pressure.

No breakthroughs though. All the play for in the second half.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:46 , Michael Jones

44 mins: Off the post! Brilliant play from Chelsea here. Hakim Ziyech - who hasn’t had the best night - receives the ball in the middle of the pitch and flicks it over the top.

Kai Havertz sprints in behind Kenny Tete and carries the ball into the box. Bernd Leno comes out to close him down and Havertz chips the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

The ball looks to be dropping into the back of the night but hits the left-hand post and bounces away!

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:43 , Michael Jones

40 mins: Chelsea have had a lot of possession but they’ve not done much with it. The best chances of the half have come to Fulham with Andreas Pereira forcing Kepa into a save and Willian picking the wrong option with a header.

Marco Silva will be pleased with his team’s effort.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:38 , Michael Jones

36 mins: Oh no! Kenny Tete makes fabulous run down the right wing and breezes past Enzo Fernandez. Marc Cucurella is nowhere to be seen which allows Tete to hook the ball into the far side of the penalty area.

Willian arrives and is wide open. He’s got a free header but instead of going for goal knocks it back across to Aleksandar Mitrovic. Mitrovic isn’t expecting the ball and has his back to goal.

He tries to force it in but gets swarmed ad Chelsea clear the danger.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:33 , Michael Jones

33 mins: Close! Chelsea break and pick out Mason Mount in space. He carries the ball into the left side of the box and quickly squares it over towards Kai Havertz.

Tim Ream sticks out a leg and gets a slight deflection which moves the ball away from Havertz and causes him to lift it over the crossbar!

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:32 , Michael Jones

30 mins: Some of the pre-match talk was about how Thiago Silva would deal with crosses coming in towards Aleksandar Mitrovic. Fulham have had more success - and have scored more goals - than any other team in the Premier League from crosses this season.

So far, Thiago Silva has won every ball. He’s just a top quality centre-back isn’t he?

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:26 , Michael Jones

27 mins: Save! Fulham sweep down the right and get the ball to Joao Palhinha. He spins and slips the ball inside to Andreas Pereira just inside the penalty area.

He controls the ball and shoots on the turn, striking a wonderful effort at goal. Kepa Arrizabalaga spies it early and leaps to his right, getting a strong hand to the ball and pushing it wide of the post.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:25 , Michael Jones

24 mins: Hakim Ziyech swings a corner ball into the middle of the box for Chelsea but Tim Ream gets up early and nods the ball away.

It drops to Conor Gallagher who guides it back over to Ziyech but he’s flagged offside.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:22 , Michael Jones

21 mins: Close! Fulham almost find a way through with a finely weighted pass up to Aleksandar Mitrovic. The forward doesn’t gather the ball correctly though and can’t kick on in behind the Chelsea defence.

Instead Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile close him down and recover the ball for the home side.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:21 , Michael Jones

18 mins: Fulham are nicely drilled in defensive and are keeping their shape compact moving across the pitch as one unit. It’s tricky for Chelsea to break down.

They resort to giving the ball to Thiago Silva. He flicks a long ball over the top and picks out Kai Havertz who turns it towards goal only to be denied by Bernd Leno.

The offside flag goes up so it wouldn’t have counted anyway.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:18 , Michael Jones

15 mins: Chelsea can’t find an easy path through the centre of the pitch with Enzo Fernandez well marked by Fulham. They switch the play out to Hakim Ziyech on the right and the winger whips the ball into the penalty area.

Myhailo Mudryk is hovering on the far side of the box but Bernd Leno sprints out and plucks the ball off his nose.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:14 , Michael Jones

12 mins: Aleksandar Mitrovic and Enzo Fernandez have a bit of a tussle in the box as Fulham play a free kick short. Mitrovic isn’t happy about all the grappling but the cross never comes into the box as it gets charged down but the Blues.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:10 , Michael Jones

9 mins: Close! Chelsea intercept the ball in midfield and Mason Mount sends it up to Kai Havertz who shifts it back to Mount it a swift one-two.

Mount threads a pass up to Mudryk but Kenny Tete leaps across and pokes the ball away with a perfectly timed lunge. Fulham were in trouble if he missed the ball there.

Chelsea are moving it around nicely. They’re growing into the game well.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:08 , Michael Jones

6 mins: Antonee Robinson gets his first opportunity to get forward down the wing for Fulham. He receives the ball out wide and puts on a spurt to take it past Hakim Ziyech’s half-hearted attempt at a tackle.

Robinson then cuts inside of Reece James but overhits the ball and can’t stop it from crossing the byline. Decent run from the left-back though.

Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:05 , Michael Jones

3 mins: Chelsea thread the ball into midfield where it comes to Conor Gallagher. He slips it quickly across to Mason Mount who carries the ball to the edge of the box before feeding Myhailo Mudryk on the left.

Mudryk checks to the left and shoots but sends the effort wide. Was there a deflection off Issa Diop? Perhaps but the referee awards a goal kick.

Kick off: Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

20:01 , Michael Jones

Chelsea get the game underway and send the ball back to Thiago Silva. The defender knocks the ball into midfield before floating a diagonal ball over to Kai Havertz on the left wing.

Havertz looks to win it under pressure but can’t bring the ball down and knocks it out for a Fulham throw in.

Chelsea vs Fulham

19:56 , Michael Jones

Here come the teams.

Enzo Fernandez makes his debut appearance and Mykhailo Mudryk earns his first start for Chelsea tonight. Will they help the Blues pick up three points at Stamford Bridge?

Kick off is up next.

Fulham’s key man?

19:53 , Michael Jones

Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored in all three of his London derby away appearances in the current campaign.

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Chelsea vs Fulham

19:50 , Michael Jones

Graham Potter is winless in all four Premier League matches as a manager versus Fulham with two draws and two losses.

Fulham boss, Marco Silva, is winless in all four away matches as a manager versus Chelsea in all competitions. Those games all came with four different clubs.

Chelsea vs Fulham

19:46 , Michael Jones

Fulham have scored a league-high 11 goals from crosses this season, while Chelsea have conceded six of their 21 goals from wide deliveries.

Is that the best area for Fulham to target the Blues tonight?

Enzo Fernandez details reasons for joining Chelsea in record transfer

19:42 , Michael Jones

Enzo Fernandez has revealed the lure of winning trophies and playing in “the best league in the world” convinced him to join Chelsea in a record £106 million deal.

The Argentine midfielder, now the most expensive Premier League signing in history after joining from Benfica, adds more quality to Graham Potter’s squad.

Fernandez, who will wear the No 5 shirt, vacated by Jorginho and his move to London rivals Arsenal, could make his debut on Friday against Fulham.

Enzo Fernandez details reasons for joining Chelsea in record transfer

A Friday night victory?

19:38 , Michael Jones

This is Chelsea’s first Friday fixture in the league since a 1-0 win at West Brom in May 2017. Will they get themselves another victory tonight?

Chelsea vs Fulham

19:35 , Michael Jones

Six of Fulham’s eight league defeats this season have been by a single-goal margin, including each the last four. The Cottagers have managed to keep themselves in games and now just need to get themselves over the line more often.

Will Chelsea keep a clean sheet?

19:30 , Michael Jones

Chelsea are the only side yet to concede a first-half goal at home in the Premier League this season. Can they convert that defensive stability into the second half and keep a clean sheet tonight?

Graham Potter reveals Chelsea ‘ambition’ after record transfer window

19:25 , Michael Jones

Graham Potter has described circumstances at Chelsea so far this season as “sub-optimal” but says it is now an “exciting” time for the club after an expenditure of over £300m in the January transfer window.

The Stamford Bridge boss said he does not think Chelsea’s record-breaking spending “will continue as it has” - but the caveat to that is he felt similar before the British record signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.

Potter did admit that he has been faced with “tough decisions” in selecting the 25-man squad for the Champions League squad, but described the club’s general policy as a “regeneration” that is also aimed to deliver results now.

It does increase the pressure on a group that finds itself 10th in the Premier League table despite Chelsea’s transfer business, amid a series of injuries and changes as Potter himself has adjusted to a new club.

Graham Potter reveals Chelsea ‘ambition’ after record transfer window

Fulham’s fantastic start

19:20 , Michael Jones

Fulham are one short of equalling the club Premier League record of five away victories in a season, set in 2003/04.

They are vying to win a fourth top-flight London derby for the first time in a single campaign.

Can Potter turn around Chelsea’s fortunes?

19:15 , Michael Jones

Chelsea have only won two of their last 11 league games under Graham Potter, earning 10 points and scoring just seven goals.

They are winless in all nine Premier League matches this season against the teams currently above them in the table. Fulham are seventh, two points above the Blues.

Chelsea spending a show of ‘power and ambition’ to Premier League rivals, says Marco Silva

19:10 , Michael Jones

Marco Silva believes Chelsea’s flurry of signings in the January transfer window shows their “power” and “ambition” as a force within English football.

The Blues were the biggest spenders during the January transfer window, as Todd Boehly’s consortium shelled out in excess of £300million including a British record deal for Enzo Fernandez.

Graham Potter has bolstered his options with the arrival of £106.8m Fernandez from Benfica as well as Mykhailo Mudryk, who arrived for £88.5m from Shakhtar Donetsk, and Joao Felix among others.

Silva believes the amount of money spent by Fulham’s local rivals, ahead of the meeting between the two sides at Stamford Bridge on Friday, is not a new phenomenon.

Chelsea spending a show of ‘power and ambition’ to Premier League rivals

Chelsea vs Fulham team changes

19:05 , Michael Jones

Graham Potter makes three changes to the Chelsea team that drew 0-0 with Liverpool in their previous outing. Trevoh Chalobah and Lewis Hall drop out and Jorginho has joined Arsenal in the January transfer window.

In come Reece James, Mykhailo Mudryk and new signing Enzo Fernandez makes his debut.

Marco Silva meanwhile names an unchanged Fulham team to the one that lost to Tottenham last time out.

Chelsea vs Fulham line-ups

19:01 , Michael Jones

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, James, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella, Gallagher, Fernanez, Mount, Ziyech, Havertz, Mudryk

Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson, Palhinha, Reed, Pereira, De Cordova-Reid, Mitrovic, Willian

Chelsea vs Fulham

18:55 , Michael Jones

Chelsea are unbeaten in all 15 Premier League home matches against Fulham, winning 2-0 in each of the three most recent encounters.

Is tonight a formality or can Fulham pull off a shock win?

Football’s landmark moment and how white paper can change game forever

18:51 , Michael Jones

In the discussions to inform next week’s white paper on football, many stakeholders were attempting to get the government to understand this is much more than a “once a generation” moment.

They described it as possibly the only opportunity to properly assess the English game and where it’s going, since nothing like this has ever been done before. It is quite a thought, that illustrates the “enormity” of what this government are taking on. In 160 years of codified English football, there has never been anything like an attempt at a holistic assessment of the sport and what it should look like.

Even events since the Super League, like Chelsea’s spending, illustrate it is now more important than ever. There are reservations within the game over whether Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Michelle Donelan gets this, as eyebrows were raised over recent statements and questions.

The landmark moment that can change football forever

Chelsea vs Fulham

18:47 , Michael Jones

Fulham won the reverse fixture 2-1 at Craven Cottage on 12th January and can do the double over Chelsea for the first time. This is the 38th season they have been in the same division.

The Cottagers have only managed two victories in 37 away league games against Chelsea: 2-1 in the top flight in March 1964 and 2-0 in the second tier in October 1979.

Potter’s big decisions

18:43 , Michael Jones

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been left out of Chelsea’s squad for the Champions League knockout stages with new signings Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix all included.

Aubameyang started all the Blues’ six group matches, scoring two goals, but Chelsea’s January spend meant that the Blues had to cut some members of their large squad to abide by Champions League rules.

France defender Benoit Badiashile, a £35m January signing, also misses out as does England Under-21s winger Noni Madueke and fellow new arrivals Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana.

That’s a lot of money spent on players who won’t feature in Europe this season. Will the decision to leave them out help or hinder Graham Potter?

Will Enzo Fernandez play?

18:40 , Michael Jones

Chelsea have arrived at Stamford Bridge with new signing Enzo Fernandez in tow. The Blues were waiting for confirmation that he would be able to play tonight after signing for the club on deadline day and it seems he’s being included in the squad.

Graham Potter explains how he plans to keep Chelsea’s new-look squad happy

18:35 , Michael Jones

Graham Potter accepted there will be frustration amongst some of his players as he begins the task of integrating Chelsea’s new signings following a whirlwind January transfer window.

The deadline-day arrival of Enzo Fernandez for a British-record fee took the club’s signings during the window to eight, and Potter must decide by 11pm on Thursday which three of those he will include in his Champions League squad.

Potter admitted there will be “awkward conversations” to be had, with problems over selection from his bloated squad inevitably spilling over into the club’s Premier League campaign, with 33 first-team players on the books.

Graham Potter explains how he plans to keep Chelsea’s new-look squad happy

Graham Potter on Enzo Fernandez

18:30 , Michael Jones

Chelsea boss, Graham Potter, spoke about the Blues’ new British transfer record signing Enzo Fernandez and what he will bring to Stamford Bridge.

“He’s still young, coming to this country you have to adapt, you have adapt to the club, so it doesn’t matter what the fee is, that still has to happen, but we will help him with that,” said Potter.

“And his personality is one that makes you think you have no concerns with him. He’s a fighter. He understands how fortunate he is. He fights for the team, he’s not afraid, he’s got courage, he’s open-minded, he wants to improve.

“If you can play in the six for Argentina, and play in the big games he has, at his age, and with the quality he has shown, it’s not straightforward.”

Marco Silva on facing Chelsea again

18:25 , Michael Jones

Fulham defeated Chelsea three weeks ago in the Premier League and defeated them 2-1 at Craven Cottage. The Cottagers boss was asked whether his team can repeat that performance or if he expects tonight’s match to be different.

“If you ask me if it’s a different, but more difficult, challenge for us – definitely. We played three weeks ago, and after that result of course it will be more difficult for us,” said Silva,

“Not just because we are playing away from home, but we know the quality they have. It’s a moment for them to adjust things and to prepare the game against us, and we know that they are going to be stronger in that game.

“And, for that reason, we have to be stronger than the game we played against them at home. Of course it will be different in certain areas of the pitch, with a different profile of players as well.”

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp baffled by scale of Chelsea spending

18:20 , Michael Jones

Rival managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have expressed their bafflement over Chelsea’s recent levels of spending.

The London club took their outlay since the summer past £500million with their British record £106.8m signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica on deadline day.

This spending, all since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover at Stamford Bridge last year, has raised questions over how the club will meet Financial Fair Play requirements.

Manchester City manager Guardiola has suggested his club, given their past issues with FFP, would have faced considerable criticism and scrutiny had they done the same.

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp baffled by scale of Chelsea spending

Chelsea vs Fulham prediction

18:15 , Michael Jones

Graham Potter is still trying to find the right combination of players to make Chelsea a formidable force once again and his job has gotten harder following a number of expensive January signings.

The Blues have underperformed this season and come up against a surging Fulham side who - despite two recent defeats - are in fine form and full of confidence. Marco Silva’s men will believe they can get something out of this match and things may just turn out that way.

Chelsea 1-1 Fulham.

Chelsea vs Fulham predicted line-ups

18:10 , Michael Jones

Chelsea XI: Kepa; Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Badiashile; Azpilicueta, Hall, Gallagher, Cucurella; Mount, Mudryk, Havertz

Fulham XI: Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed, Andreas Pereira; Decordova-Reid, Mitrovic, Willian

What is the early team news?

18:05 , Michael Jones

Chelsea are waiting to hear whether deadline-day record signing Enzo Fernandez will receive clearance in time to play against Fulham, which could leave Chelsea short in midfield with Jorginho having joined Arsenal on deadline day.

Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Raheem Sterling and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are available to return to the bench but are not yet ready to play 90 minutes, while Wesley Fofana is training with the rest of the squad.

Fulham manager Marco Silva will have his two new signings Cedric Soares and Sasa Lukic available to face their local rivals.

However, with Lukic only arriving at the club 24 hours before the match, he may not be in contention for a starting spot. Neeskens Kebano remains on Fulham’s long-term injury list.

How to watch Chelsea vs Fulham

18:00 , Michael Jones

The match will kick-off at 8pm GMT on Friday 3 February.

It will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, with coverage beginning at 7pm. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Chelsea vs Fulham

17:16 , Michael Jones

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Premier League action as Chelsea take on Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are languishing 10th in the table and need to string together a run of positive performances if they hope to challenge for the Champions League spot come the end of the season. They’ve been given a boost by some ungodly spending from owner Todd Boehly who has brought in over £300m worth of players in January alone.

New signings such as Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and Enzo Fernandez may help get Chelsea out of their slump but Graham Potter is faced with a tricky task of fitting all the new players into the team as well as dealing with the egos of such a large squad.

In contrast Fulham are thriving under Marco Silva. They come into the match two points ahead of Chelsea and seventh in the table which is an incredibly impressive effort for the newly promoted side. However, they have lost their last two league games - to Tottenham and Newcastle - so will be keen to get more points on the board tonight.

Their last victory was against Chelsea a couple of weeks ago. Joao Felix shone on his debut for the Blues but got sent off at Craven Cottage allowing Fulham the impetous they needed to go on and seal a famous 2-1 victory. Can the Cottagers repeat that performance at Stamford Bridge tonight?

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