Predictions for Chelsea at Fulham: Confidence is such a pleasant surprise

The second London derby of the weekend better be much less tightly contested than the first. Chelsea head down the road to Fulham for what should be three points as easily as they come.

The clouds seem to have parted a bit above Chelsea FC and Maurizio Sarri. Sarri no longer leads the sack race, the Blues seem to have taken strength from the goalkeeper situation and they have as their next opponent the 19th place team. Everything is looking Blue, in the good way, for once.

Scott Brant: Fulham 0 – 2 Chelsea. I fully expect the momentum to continue. If not, and Chelsea slip up or underperform, it will surely mean the end of Sarri. Both his tactics and substitutions have improved slightly. Chelsea will dominate the match, easily dismissing any new manager bounce from Fulham. Eden Hazard to continue his excellent form with a goal and an assist. Chelsea could use a goal from Gonzalo Higuain in future matches, and this would be a good place for him to get started.

Rupert Meadows: 1 – 3. Fulham will start the game with loads of energy as they start fresh under a new manager. They will get a goal at some point over the 90, but as Chelsea put two or three by them their heads will drop and it will finish uneventfully. I hope.

Gabe Henderson: 0 – 4. For the first time in a long time, I’m confident Chelsea will thrash an opponent. The team has high spirits after relative success to end February. Everything is looking good for Maurizio Sarri and the boys. Fulham are poor. Really, really poor. The Blues’ attack will be too much to handle. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the youth. Emphasis on the maybe.

Kevin Peacock: 0 – 2. Sarri may well have tuned a corner and his chances of dismissal have vanished for now. But with Claudio Ranieri confined to Fulham’s history books let’s hope Chelsea avoid the boost a team get from a new manager.

Even allowing for that, Sarri’s side ought to be strong enough to overcome a poor Fulham side. Ex-Blue Scott Parker will set Fulham up to not lose, but they’ll concede a goal in each half, coming from Gonzalo Higuain and Ross Barkley.

Abhishek Pancholi: 1 – 1. If there’s anything Maurizio Sarri has learned over the past couple of weeks, it must be that a little flexibility goes a long way. His tactical tweaks have seen Chelsea put in two distinctly “proper Chels” performances, including one where they came within a whisker of winning a trophy. Those two games also seem to have delayed Sarri’s sacking.

Unfortunately for the Blues, Fulham went ahead and sacked their manager, so the Cottagers will be looking for that new manager bounce in this West London derby. Higuain will put the visitors ahead in the second half, but former Blue Andre Schurrle, will equalize with a long ranger.

Barrett Rouen: 1 – 2. Higuain and Hazard to score. David Luiz to do a David Luiz.  The game will be harder because of the new manager bump at Fulham. I think Scott Parker will turn out to be an excellent manager, but Chelsea will just get through it.