Chelsea versus Fulham is the quietest of trap games

Lost in the noise of Chelsea finally being in a Champions League semifinal again has been the simple fact that all eyes can’t remain on Real Madrid. The 1-1 is done, and while everyone wants to war game scenarios for the second leg and a potential final, there is the matter of a London Derby no one is paying attention to right now.

Chelsea should beat Fulham and the Cottagers should probably expect to drop. But in the Real Madrid distraction, they can set their trap for the Blues. Should this be a trap game? No, but the lack of attention being paid to it means it very well could be a quiet one.

As already mentioned, Chelsea has eyes on Real Madrid. They’ll surely have eyes on keeping pace on top four, but with a team like Fulham it is easy to make assumptions on that one. That is what Fulham will be hoping for anyways. They are pretty much at the point now where they have to win out to have a chance of survival. Crazier great escapes have happened and they almost always start with a big, unexpected scalp to galvanize the side.

This is a London derby after all, though a particularly one sided one. The current Fulham side is a far cry from the Fulham sides that used to push Chelsea to the edge no matter where either was in the table. Now, they pretty much try to stall Chelsea out and that might be where the Blues falter.

Thomas Tuchel will have a choice to make. Option one is rotate, because really Fulham is his last chance to do so in mass. That, on paper, shouldn’t risk the result versus the Cottagers but it should make getting one against Real Madrid more likely. Option two is to keep a similar side with minimal rotation if any, and try to keep pace in all competitions. That may not harm Chelsea versus Real Madrid, but fitness is a very thin margin right now.

Either way, Tuchel may run into the same issue: a Fulham side that shells up in a way his Blues can’t solve. Tuchel’s Chelsea has been many things but free scoring has not been one of them. Overall, the creation and chances have improved from his first few matches but they still lack a true edge to strike fear into opponents. Defensively and in possession, Chelsea can get enough of a hold on a game that the one or two goals from the blue get them through. That has proven more sustainable than expected, but Brighton showed the Blues can still be held to a 0-0 without anything particularly spectacular.

That is what Fulham will be hoping for. They’ll want Chelsea to be distracted and/or fatigued by Real Madrid. They’ll want to find their way into that space and pull off the upset they desperately need. Chelsea can’t afford to drop points, but it is hard to deal with Fulham with Real Madrid either side and the tie far from settled.

Tuchel has had many “cup finals” or “most important match yet” moments in his brief tenure. Fulham needs to be treated the same. Otherwise, the lack of attention to them is going to sneak up on Chelsea.