Fulham will face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the next three rounds of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Marco Silva said Chelsea is a strong team and he hopes Fulham can make the match more balanced.

Fulham drew 1-1 with Manchester United in the last round of the league thanks to a goal from Smith Rowe. Earlier in the second round of the English League Cup, Fulham eliminated Bristol City 2-0 after a goal from Raul Jimenez, setting up their match against Chelsea.

In last season's encounter, Fulham was two goals behind against Chelsea away from home, but after Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz scored, they finally beat Chelsea 2-1. However, in the home game, Fulham was reversed by Chelsea 1-2.

Fulham manager Marco Silva said: "This will be a big game, a special derby and a special moment for our fans. When you really feel this atmosphere, it will also give the players extra motivation. In every game in the Premier League, there is an opportunity to show your strength. This game is no exception. The points are also 3 points, but there is always a special meaning behind it."

"Since joining the club, we have changed our record against them. We have shown great competitiveness, been able to match them and have a good balance on the field."

Marco Silva also said, "This team performed very well last season, winning the UEFA European Association League as a favorite, winning the Club World Cup, and continuing to strengthen the squad. In attack, there are Esteban Willian, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, and there may be more, which is enough to show their strength and the ability of their players."

"They are capable of things off the pitch that we can't do and our aim is to balance things out on the pitch and compete with them for 95 to 100 minutes, just like we did last season."

Talking about last season's match, Marco Silva said, "Those two games were really exciting, evenly matched and intense. We scored a goal in the last minute of the game at Stamford Bridge, but we were defeated by Chelsea at home. But the way we faced them and competed with them is what we want to do again."