Chelsea host Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with both sides needing a win. The Blues are heavy favourites for the clash, but will need to be firing on all cylinders to beat a rejuvenated Fulham side under new manager Claudio Ranieri.

Question marks have been raised over whether Maurizio Sarri has a Plan B after Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Spurs last weekend. Likewise, The Blues' midfield maestro Jorginho will be hoping for an easier time on the pitch after he was sufficiently smothered out of the game.

Fulham, now led by former Blues boss Ranieri, go into the game on the back of a 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Southampton, in a match where summer transfer target, Aleksandar Mitrovic looked particularly dangerous, grabbing two goals.

The cottagers have conceded 33 goals in 13 games, the most in the league. So, Chelsea can expect to create plenty of chances in what could be seen as a golden opportunity for Alvaro Morata to get back on the score sheet as he looks to slowly overturn his indifferent form.

Sarri has in no way underestimated his Italian counter-part and, in fact, he spoke of how much The Tinkerman had inspired him when he visited Ranieri during his time at Fiorentina:

He told Sky Sports: “I visited him in Florence 20 years ago. I think he doesn't remember this meeting but it was very important for me. He is very able in the defensive phase and very dangerous on the counter-attack. So, it will not be easy to play a Ranieri team."

Ranieri, though, may just have a trick or two up his sleeve ahead of this clash. Having visited Chelsea and Sarri during a training session in August, he’s seen first-hand the inner workings of Chelsea’s system and might have spotted potential flaws in the system. Sarri denied it would give him any advantage though.

"He only saw two of my training sessions. 20 years ago, I saw 40-45, so I have the advantage,” he laughed.

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A source of further concern for Blues fans is that Ranieri knows exactly how N’Golo Kante plays, having signed him from Caen for a mere £5.6million during his days as Leicester City manager. This season, Kante has struggled to replicate the form that has won him so many plaudits over the past three seasons as he gets to grips with a more attacking role deployed on the right-hand side of holding midfielder Jorginho.

If Ranieri's players are able put constant pressure on the midfield duo, much like Spurs did, then an upset could be on the cards.

Chelsea fans will be happy to hear that Eden Hazard is set to return to action after his recent ankle injury. Whether he starts or not is another question, but there’s no doubt that Hazard has been in dazzling form this year and will be looking to add to his seven Premier League goals already.

If Chelsea play to their strengths it's difficult to look any further than a convincing win for the Blues, who will be looking to strengthen their top 4 position.

However, they can’t risk complacency. If history has taught us anything, it's that Ranieri is a manager who loves to defy the odds.