You may still be fuming about decisions that went against Chelsea on Sunday, and perhaps disappointed that the performance of the last 30 minutes didn't start an hour earlier. But there's no time for regret. As the Barclays Premier League campaign returns to loom large, disappointment must be quickly dispensed with and the players now have the chance to bring six points back from Fulham tonight and Liverpool on Sunday.

Tonight's game is the one the champions of Europe have in hand over fellow third-fourth place aspirants Tottenham (level on points). Arsenal's home stalemate against Everton was probably the best outcome, Chelsea now lying two points equidistant between the pair with six points more to play for.

Over the previous three seasons tonight's opponents have finished eighth then ninth; they currently lie 10th. They are unbeaten in six matches, three of them wins. Chelsea have not won away since Boro in the FA Cup at the end of February.

This is the Whites' second successive local skirmish at Craven Cottage. On 1 April they beat QPR 3-2, having led 3-0. Former Blue Steve Sidwell was sent off with 11 minutes go but the score remained unchanged.

Another Fulham win tonight would inflict three defeats in succession on Chelsea for the first time since May and August 2006 when, having already won the title, we lost the last two league games against Blackburn and Newcastle and the Community Shield against Liverpool.

The last hat-trick of defeats when it mattered was in September/October 2002 when reverse at Viking Stavanger in the UEFA Cup was sandwiched between domestic losses at home to West Ham and away to Liverpool.

A draw has been the result in our last five encounters in all competitions. You have to go back to the start of the Double-winning 2009/10 season for a Chelsea win, a goal in either half for Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. If selected, Frank Lampard will make tonight his 600th appearance for Chelsea tonight.

By a slight quirk, going into last weekend's matches, west London's less senior club, Queens Park Rangers, had exactly the same league record as Fulham in 2007/08 - won four, drawn 12, lost 16. Back then Roy Hodgson's team won four of their last six matches to survive. On Saturday QPR lost 0-2 at Everton.


- Match preview by Chelseafc.com (Rick Glanvill and Paul Dutton)