Chelsea v Fulham: Saturday January 13th 2024 12:30

We can’t think of a better way to get rid of those post-Christmas blues than by enjoying a VIP visit to Stamford Bridge to see the West London Blues! On January 13th it’s derby day in SW6, as Marco Silva brings his Fulham side a mile and a half up the road to play Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea. We have a range of wonderful Stamford Bridge hospitality packages on offer, which will guarantee to provide you with memories to last a lifetime.

Chelsea Dominance

Apart from a period in the late 1970s when they won five out of eight meetings, Fulham have had to live in the shadow of their London neighbour. Bankrolled by Roman Abramovich, Chelsea won the Premier League title on five occasions, while Fulham have bounced between the Championship and the top flight over recent years. The club does seem to have found a style and identity under Silva’s effervescent leadership – he guided them back to the Premier League in
2022 at the first try, and to a tenth-place finish in the first season back at the top table – a season that included Fulham’s first win over Chelsea since 2006, a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage.

But winning at Stamford Bridge is another matter altogether… the last time it happened for the Cottagers was in 1979, in a Division Two clash during the final season at Chelsea for their legendary defender Ron “Chopper” Harris. And although Chelsea are going through a period of flux, searching for some consistency and continuity under the leadership of Pochettino, the expectation of success remains extremely high. But perhaps Fulham can take advantage of their neighbour’s instability and make the short journey home a pleasant one for their fans.

January’s game will be the 101st meeting between the two sides, Chelsea winning 51 of these contests, Fulham just 12. But one of the best encounters finished in a draw. On a cold day between Christmas and the New Year in December 2008, Fulham entertained Chelsea at Craven Cottage. The home side got off to the perfect start, with American striker Clint Dempsey scrappily hooking the ball into the net. They held on to the lead until just after half time, when a defensive mix up at the other end let Frank Lampard in to prod the ball home. Lampard then looked to have secured victory with a long range free kick past Mark Schwarzer. But Dempsey had other ideas and rose to head home a corner in the last minute to salvage a point.

Chelsea will be hoping to do the double over their local rivals, having won 2-0 in the away fixture in October – a match which saw two goals in just 82 seconds, the first of which was big money Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk’s first goal for the club, in his 24th appearance.

It may not have been the ideal start to the 2023/24 season for Chelsea, and its new management team, but Pochettino knew that it wouldn’t be a quick fix given the mood of the camp he inherited, and the sheer number of players on the books when he took over. Finishing in the top 4 this year already looks like a mammoth task, but qualifying for some European football isn’t out of the question with a strong second half to the season.

Stamford Bridge Hospitality

If you would like to enjoy the wonderful Chelsea FC hospitality at Stamford Bridge on this Derby day, we can make this happen. Check out the range of Chelsea hospitality packages we have here, or give us a call on 01454 201210 to discuss your requirements and we’ll find you the best option.

CONTACT THE TEAM

Give Us a call on 01454 201210 or email enquiries@circuithospitality.com to see how we can help you.