The History of the West London Derby
The Birth of the West London Rivalry
West London Derbies is comprised of four teams: Chelsea, Fulham, Brentford, and Queens Park Rangers, all of whom are located within a 20-minute drive of each other. While these particular derbies are less prominent than those seen in the North of the capital, it still carries huge significance for fans and players alike, owing to the bragging rights that come with being the most successful club in the West.
Chelsea versus Fulham is head-and-shoulders the biggest of the matches across the history of the derby and has been contested a total of 82 times, far fewer than other rivalries in the English top flight, such as the North London or Merseyside derbies. This is largely due to the fact that these two sides have spent the majority of the recent past in different divisions, competing in the same league competition only five times between 1968 and 2001.
Separated just 1.6 miles apart, the geographical proximity is the basis of this rivalry, and while Chelsea have been the more successful side over the years, it was Fulham who won the first-ever match between the clubs 1-0 in front of a packed Stamford Bridge way back in 1910. The Cottagers had to wait 26 years from then on for their second win over the Blues, but it came in some style during the FA Cup - in what is still considered one of the most exciting matches in the history of the West London Rivalry.
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Bet on the Premier LeagueThe Premier League Era and Rise of Fulham
Chelsea were one of the initial 22 teams that contested the inaugural Premier League campaign in 1992-93, a period during which Fulham were still competing in Division 2. It took the Cottagers nine years to book their spot in the English top flight, winning the Championship in 2000-01, earning them the right to compete among the country’s elite clubs from 2001-02 onward.
By then, Chelsea had firmly established itself as a genuine Premier League contender, going on to attract the investment of wealthy owners such as Roman Abramovich, who skyrocketed the Blues into stardom by assembling a team made up of some of the greatest players in league history, such as Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Claude Makelele, Hernan Crespo, and club icon Frank Lampard.
However, despite the significant difference in financial resources, Fulham have never been a pushover for Chelsea, and in the 2005-06 campaign, the plucky Cottagers finally got their time in the spotlight, beating the Blues thanks to a Luis Boa Morte wonder strike that remains one of the most iconic goals in the club’s history to this day. It was their first victory over their West London rival since 1979, but since then, they have only managed to repeat the feat once.
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Bet on the West London DerbyBoxing Day Festive Fireworks Expected
Fast forward to 2018 when Fulham returned to the Premier League following relegation, the Cottagers barely laid a glove on the Blues, losing both league matches 2-0. Chelsea’s dominance in the fixture continued until January 2023 when the Cottagers recorded a shock 2-1 victory, with former Blues midfielder Willian netting the opener for his new employers before Carlos Vinicius bagged the winner inside the final quarter of the match.
Now, though, these two have been pitted against each other on the biggest football day of the calendar, and Chelsea are overwhelming favourites heading into this contest, priced at 1.50 with Betway to emerge victorious, buoyed by the resurgence brought to the club by new ownership and a new head coach in Enzo Maresca, who has implemented an incredibly attacking style of play that has already delivered 37 goals this season - the second-most in the division.
The cornerstone of the Blues' success this season has been 2023-24 Premier League Young Player of the Season, Cole Palmer, who has already notched up 17 goal involvements in the top flight, netting 11 himself, while setting up a further six for his teammates. The England international is currently priced at 2.10 to score anytime in the West London Derby on Boxing Day with Bet365.
Our experts' Chelsea vs Fulham predictions are now available to help you structure your bets for this blockbuster fixture, while you can also check out the rest of our Premier League predictions for all the matches over this festive season right here on SportyTrader!
