Chelsea are 1st with 46 points and their highest achievable position after Match Day 18 is 12 points clear while the lowest could be 6 points clear.
- CHELSEA aim to make near neighbours Fulham their sixth successive victims as they press interminably on towards a club record second successive Premiership title. They start the day nine points clear at the top, with 15 wins from 17 League games and without a goal conceded in seven matches in all competitions and in 509 minutes (eight hours 29 minutes) of Premiership football, since Darren Fletcher scored Manchester United's winner at Old Trafford on 6 November. It was Boxing Day two years ago when Chelsea last lost a Premiership match by more than a single goal.
- The Blues have won 44 of 55 Premiership matches under Jose Mourinho, and are looking to extend their unbeaten home League run to 35, with a 12th successive League victory at Stamford Bridge. They're unbeaten in 16 London Premiership derbies, winning 13 and drawing three since losing home to Arsenal on 21 February 2004. They've won their last six all-London League clashes, four of which are in this season when they've not conceded a goal.
- Chelsea are defending an unbeaten Premiership record against Fulham of five wins and three draws. Four of the last eight meetings have been won, including last season's corresponding fixture by three goals to one. The Stamford Bridge club have actually won the last five in all competitions against the Cottagers, with victory in the Carling Cup last season as well.
- Claimed 46 of a possible 51 League points this season.
- Won 19 of 25 in all competitions this season.
- Not conceded in seven League and Cup games, or 689 minutes (11 hours 29 minutes) since Darren Fletcher scored Manchester United's winner at Old Trafford on 6 November.
- Won four more games than any other club in the Premiership.
- Lost fewer matches in the top grade (one).
- Boast the strongest attack in the highest echelon (37 in 17) and the tightest defence (just seven conceded).
- Scored every 41 minutes of Premiership football played on average, and conceded one goal every 219 minutes (three hours 39 minutes).
- Played 509 minutes (six hours 59 minutes) of Premiership football without conceding a goal.
- Lost one of 46 Premiership matches.
- Experienced only two defeats in 55 Premiership games under Mourinho, winning 44.
- Conceded two goals in a Premiership match in one of the last 38 (4-2, home win over Blackburn on 29 October).
- Conceded two goals only three times in League games under Mourinho.
- Gone 22 top tier contests since a no score draw (home to Arsenal on 20 April).
- Opponents kept Chelsea at bay in one of 17 Premiership matches this term (at Old Trafford).
- Failed to score in one of 22 Premiership fixtures, and in three of the last 29 top flight clashes.
- One of two clubs to have missed the target in only one Premiership fixture this term. The other is Manchester United.
100% record when a clean sheet has been kept in the top tier (11 of 11).
- This is the first season Chelsea have accrued in excess of 40 points after the first 17 games of a Premiership season. They are six points better off than at this identical stage last season.
- The club's previous highest after the first 18 games in this League was 44 points last season. They already have 46.
- Gone 75 League clashes since losing by more than a single goal (4-2, away to Charlton on Boxing Day 2003).
- Ahead at half time in only five of their Premiership matches so far, drawing in nine, and losing in three.
- Aston Villa, Bolton, Everton and Manchester United have all scored first against Chelsea in the League this season.
- Kept clean sheets in 16 of their 25 League and Cup matches this season.
- Registered 11 Premiership shut-outs. Only Liverpool can beat it (12).
- Opened the scoring in 13 of their 17 top League engagements, winning all 13 games.
- Third in the Premiership's "Last Six Current Form" table with 15 points out of 18 - three points behind Liverpool, and one behind Manchester United.
- Challenging for a 12th successive home Premiership victory.
- Defending a 100% home League record this season, with 23 goals scored and just four conceded in nine victories.
- Undefeated in 34 home League clashes. Won 27 and drawn seven since the 1-2 loss to Arsenal on 21 February 2004.
- Won 23 and drawn five of the 28 home League encounters played under Mourinho, failing to score three times, with 20 clean sheets.
- Conceded two goals in home League games under Mourinho only twice (v Bolton and Blackburn).
- Failed to score in one of 15 League matches on home soil - the goalless draw with Arsenal over seven months ago. Won all 11 matches since.
- Should he figure, Frank LAMPARD will extend the Premiership's record for consecutive appearances to 164.
- LAMPARD has scored 12 goals for his club this season.
- LAMPARD is two goals behind VAN NISTELROOY in the Golden Boot standings, with 11 Premiership goals.
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Fulham are 14th with 19 points and their highest achievable position after Match Day 18 is 10th while the lowest could be 17th.
- FULHAM are coming off a 2-1 home victory over Blackburn, and make the short journey up the Kings Road in search of back-to-back victories for the first time in 17 Premiership outings this season, since Blackburn (a) and Norwich (h) were beaten in the last two matches of last term. Indeed the Cottagers are yet to win a League game away from home, claiming just three points from draws at Newcastle, Charlton and West Brom. The Baggies are the only other club still without an away victory in the highest League, and the pair lie jointly at the foot of the Premiership's "away" table. Fulham need to score once to bring their tally of goals all-time in the Premiership to 200.
- The point at the Valley is the Cottagers' only return from four London Premiership derbies so far this season. They've not won an all-London League encounter since eclipsing Crystal Palace on New Years Day.
- Fulham have won exactly a third of their Premiership matches since Chris Coleman took permanent charge (31 of 93 - an identical record to David O'Leary at Aston Villa). The Londoners' have home fixtures against Villa and Sunderland, separated by a journey south to Portsmouth over the rest of the festive period.
- The Cottagers have not won at Stamford Bridge since a 0-2 triumph on 27 October 1979 in the old Second Division (second level). Their last top flight victory on their near neighbours' patch was 1-2 on 7 March 1964 - 41 years ago.
- Won one of the last three League games.
- Lost one of the last four Premiership matches.
- Won three of the last six top flight engagements.
- The last three matches resulted in a draw, a loss and a win in that order.
- Managed just four shut-outs in 17 attempts this League season.
- Failed to score in five League games this term.
- Completed 14 Premiership matches since losing by more than a single goal (1-4, away to Arsenal on 24 August).
- Effectively dropped more points from winning positions than any other club in the Premiership this season, with the two exceptions. Drawn two and lost three matches in which they were leading, meaning that 13 points had fallen by the wayside. Sunderland and Portsmouth have also dropped 13 points.
- Lost the lead seven times in top tier games - more than any other club.
- Scored more goals in the first quarter of Premiership matches than any other club, with the exception of Manchester City. Both have netted seven times inside the first 22 and a half minutes.
- The Cottagers' previous lowest points total after the first 17 matches of a Premiership season was 18. That was last season, when they had pocketed 18 points after 18 games and eventually finished the season in 13th place.
- Failed to score in three of the last seven Premiership matches, and netted two goals in each of the other four games.
- Gone seven League games since winning by more than a single goal (2-0, home to Liverpool on 22 October).
- Completed 14 top flight duels since losing by more than a solitary goal (4-1, away to Arsenal on 24 August).
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- layed nine League games away from Craven Cottage since a victory.
- Won only one of the last 16 Premiership matches on the road (1-3 at Blackburn on 7 May).
- Lost on their Premiership travels 11 times in the last 16 trips.
- Scored more than a single goal once in nine away top tier contests (the 3-2 loss at Blackburn on 20 November).
- On the longest winless sequence away from home in the Premiership this season.
- Ian PEARCE started his professional career at Chelsea.
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| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
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Chelsea |
Draw |
Fulham |
| League |
31 |
15 |
6 |
| Premier |
5 |
3 |
0 |
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| HEAD TO HEAD at FULHAM BROADWAY |
| |
Chelsea |
Draw |
Fulham |
| League |
15 |
9 |
2 |
| Premier |
4 |
1 |
0 |
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LAST CORRESPONDING GAME -
23 April 2005
Chelsea 3-1 Fulham |
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