A West London derby will take place in the Premier League tonight when Fulham host Chelsea at Craven Cottage. Fulham surprisingly find themselves three places and three points better off than their tonight's competitors albeit having played a game more. In recent times, very rarely have Fulham fans been able to proudly say that their beloved team occupies a higher position in the English football pyramid than Chelsea, but Fulham are firmly in the European mix after a wonderful streak of festive form. Ever since returning back from the World Cup break; Crystal Palace, Southampton, and Leicester City have all fallen victim to Fulham's superiority. 

Fulham is gearing up for a demanding stretch of January games against Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham before traveling to Stamford Bridge for another match against the Blues in early February, as they attempt to win four straight top-flight games for the first time since 1965–66 campaign.  Despite posting just two home defeats all season long so far, Fulham have hardly defined consistency at Craven Cottage - winning just two of their last six in front of their own fans - but their situation is certainly a more favorable one than their out-of-sorts opponents. Graham Potter, the under-fire Chelsea manager, doesn't appear to be in immediate danger of losing his job, but although the Englishman's project is still trying to gain traction, angry Blues fans made their opinions known after their FA Cup defeat at the hands of Manchester City. 

Three days prior, Chelsea had given the English champions a good run for their money in a 1-0 Premier League defeat at Stamford Bridge, but City simply tore the Blues to shreds on Sunday. While Potter's downward spiral continues, those who made the arduous trip to the Etihad Stadium and stuck around until the very end yelled out Thomas Tuchel and Roman Abramovich's names. This shows how little significance can be placed on the early January transfer activity. Chelsea is now in 10th place in the Premier League standings, 10 points off the top four and 10 points above the relegation zone. The team is fighting to even salvage their European status let alone a place in the Champions League. They now have five defeats on their record from their last seven competitive games in all competitions. On a brighter note, the Blues have a seven-game winning run against Fulham to protect tonight as well as a 21-game unbeaten run.