EPL: Fulham vs. Chelsea [1.1.2008] - TalkSoccer

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

New Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is without defender Aaron Hughes (calf).
Defender Moritz Volz returns from a one-match suspension but winger Hameur Bouazza is suspended.
Chelsea will have Ashley Cole available after suspension but Ricardo Carvalho is still banned and Andriy Shevchenko (leg) is set to miss out again.
John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Florent Malouda, Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini are all still out.

Fulham (from): Niemi, Volz, Stefanovic, Bocanegra, Konchesky, Davies, Murphy, Davis, Dempsey, Healy, Kuqi, Warner, Kamara, Leijer, Omozusi, Smertin, Seol, Christanval.

Chelsea (from): Hilario, Belletti, Alex, Ben-Haim, Bridge, Essien, Mikel, Ballack, Sinclair, Wright-Phillips, Sidwell, J Cole, Pizarro, Kalou, Taylor, Ferreira, A Cole.

Chelsea boss Avram Grant:
"It was a very tough against them in September, which ended 0-0.
"That was my second league game. We didn't have time to prepare ourselves so we didn't play so well. "But we had a lot of chances and then the red card for Didier Drogba. They did well and fought back and I think it will be the same tomorrow."

before this match I was praying that Sheva would be fit...never thought that I would say that.

Injuries are killing us and in this south london derby it will be tough to win.
Fulham always go all out against us to make sure that we don't win...and tbh I'm a bit worried before against Newcastle we got really lucky.....I mean we created loads of chances and we couldn't finish any of them (only the offside one)

I think that we can still win...hopefully we can start strong and dominate from the beginning but this will be a tough hard fought battle....Hopefully Essien, Ballack and Mikel are up for it because we will beed to dominate midfield if we want to win.

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 12:22 PM

Only Chelsea change from the team that played against Newcastle (last matchday)...sidwell on for Mikel

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Fulham

29 Niemi
02 Volz
03 Bocanegra
06 Stefanovic
04 Konchesky
10 Davis
25 Davies
27 Murphy
22 Omozusi
23 Dempsey
11 Kamara

Substitutes
12 Warner, 07 Ki-Hyeon, 08 Smertin, 09 Healy, 14 Kuqi

Chelsea

40 Hilario
35 Belletti
33 Alex
22 Ben-Haim
18 Bridge
24 Wright-Phillips
09 Sidwell
05 Essien
13 Ballack
10 Cole
21 Kalou

Substitutes

30 Taylor, 12 Obi, 14 Pizarro, 17 Sinclair, 20 Ferreira

Ref: Mark Halsey

No Ashley Cole....

I personally would play Mikel as he will leave for the ACN and we should get as much from him as we still can.

**Trim** · 01-01-2008, 01:28 PM

Chelsea are 1-0 down since 10th minutes.

Murphy scored from penalty spot to give Fulham the lead.

My bro is watching it, and he says that was never a penalty.

**Trim** · 01-01-2008, 01:35 PM

Half time! Fulham 1, Chelsea 0.

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 01:40 PM

J.cole comes back to try and defend and runs into Volz...definite pen tho I hate to admit. Joe didn't stick out a leg but there was a collision and Volz went over...so pen

Kalou has been gd but against 2 big cb's they are pushing him around and he is finding it hard.

swp missed such a gd chance...where he should have passed to j.cole

Kalou had a penalty claim (which would have been a pen) but apparently he was offside...I didn't think it was offside...

ref has been poor tbh he has been a bit biased imo...some clear decisions and he hasn't given them to us.

the biggest shame is that Fulham haven't created anything they only challenged Hilario with the pen.

we had chances before the pen but we seems a bit slow after the pen...

lets hope Grant can TRY to motivate the players

btw sidwell is so shite

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 01:41 PM

worst performance this season so far by Chelsea.

TAKE OFF SIDWELL

please bring on Pizarro if he plays a lot better because he has been so bad this season.

**Trim** · 01-01-2008, 01:43 PM

Just checked the replay, Dellas it was suspicious.

Sky Sports lads think it was not.

Looks like Joey didn't touch him at all.

NJ10 · 01-01-2008, 01:43 PM

Kalou as a lone striker is a problem, he isnt good enough and his end product is shite. Same goes for SWP, whats happened to his deadly finishing from his City days? Joe Cole is looking the most likely to do something.

Btw Danny Murphy is having a stormer.

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJ10

Kalou as a lone striker is a problem, he isnt good enough and his end product is shite. Same goes for SWP, whats happened to his deadly finishing from his City days? Joe Cole is looking the most likely to do something.

Btw Danny Murphy is having a stormer.

Kalou is gd but doesn't have the physique to play the Drogba role...he is up against 2 big cb's he just cannot get any joy.

don't get me started on SWP.

J.Cole needs to get his game going as well..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trim

Just checked the replay, Dellas it was suspicious.

Sky Sports lads think it was not.

Looks like Joey didn't touch him at all.

i haven't seen the replays but I think (from real time) it looks like a pen.

Podolski · 01-01-2008, 01:51 PM

I feel sorry for you the amount of injuries you have.. you can get a win in the 2nd half if you're up it just with the quality of ballack, j. cole, essien and get something from a set piece.

**Trim** · 01-01-2008, 02:01 PM

54th minutes, Kalou with a header, 1-1.

**Trim** · 01-01-2008, 02:08 PM

Penalty for Chelsea!

Ballack to take it.

**Trim** · 01-01-2008, 02:08 PM

Balle scores! 2-1 for Chelsea now.

NJ10 · 01-01-2008, 02:08 PM

Definite penalty.

Ballack is back!