PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: FULHAM V CHELSEA

From the longest away trip to the shortest. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton prepare for derby Sunday.

TALKING POINTS
Since Fulham's elevation to the upper tier in 2001 Chelsea have failed to score just twice against our SW6 neighbours.

Yet the issue the Blues have with scoring goals at the moment is not so much whether, but when.

Chelsea have ceded first strike to opponents in the last four matches and gone on to win three, beginning with last season's FA Cup final, and draw one: the Community Shield clash with Manchester United, won on penalties.

That is a turnaround from the period of management under Luiz Felipe Scolari. Up to mid-January 2009 under the Brazilian, Chelsea had only conceded goals in seven Barclays Premier League games. In all but two of those (Spurs and Arsenal) the opposition scored first. More tellingly, on only one occasion did Chelsea recover to win the game. That sequence ended with a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage in which Fulham led and then came from behind to grab an ill-deserved point.

There was no such trend under Scolari's temporary replacement, Guus Hiddink, and the same ability to respond to adversity has shown itself under Carlo Ancelotti's new system.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce was as impressed by the Blues' organisation as he was by the at-times mesmerising passing and movement.

'They have very good players and the system they played - there has been much talk about it,' he said. 'We found it very, very difficult to play against.

'It seemed at times as if we'd had a man sent off, we found it that difficult.'

The beauty of the diamond when it functions correctly is that it allows such fluid movement that there always seems an extra man available.  

KEY STAT Frank Lampard needs one goal to become our clear fifth all-time scorer ahead of Jimmy Greaves's. They both have scored 132 goals.

A small sideshow of the Sunderland game was Frank Lampard equalling the prolific but too-short-lived Greaves. It seems amazing that a midfielder now has the 150 of legends Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood in his sights. Stamford Bridge immortality awaits.

Fulham's midweek business was a step towards qualification for the Europa League at home to Russian side Amkar. Chelsea's two extra days rest might have counted for more had this weekend's match been a Saturday kick-off.

Two Chelsea old boys may be involved on Sunday: new signing Damien Duff - twice a champion, with warm memories of the Blues and the affection of Stamford Bridge supporters; and first team coach Ray Lewington, who was the diligent fetcher-and-carrier for fellow midfielder Ray Wilkins after the pair broke through the Chelsea junior ranks in the mid-Seventies.

There are some intriguing other matches this weekend, not least the visit of Tottenham, who have, undeniably, started brightly (and whom Chelsea face in three weeks' time) to West Ham.

Don't expect much from Wigan, whose chairman Dave Whelan is renowned as part of the Fergie fan club: all four of United's visits has ended in an away win. Meanwhile, Portsmouth have not beaten Arsenal for 51 years, and rapidly-imploding Villa have beaten Liverpool just twice in ten years.

Barclays Premier League fixtures
Saturday (all 3pm)
Arsenal v Portsmouth
Birmingham v Stoke
Hull v Bolton
Man City v Wolves
Sunderland v Blackburn
Wigan v Man Utd
Sunday
West Ham v Tottenham 1.30pm - ESPN
Burnley v Everton 3pm
Fulham v Chelsea 4pm - Sky Sports
Monday
Liverpool v Aston Villa 8pm - ESPN


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