Paul Merson has backed Chelsea to beat Fulham in the Premier League this weekend, albeit narrowly.

The Blues are set to face their local rivals after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup disappointment to Middlesbrough.

Chelsea lost 1-0 to Boro, while Fulham were edged out 2-1 by Liverpool in the first leg of the other semi-final clash.

The two sides are also separated by just four points on the Premier League table, which makes it an even more interesting tie.

Paul Merson told Sportskeeda: “This is a big London derby and the two sides are right next to each other on the table, so I expect a fiercely contested game at Stamford Bridge. On their day, Fulham are a really good side and I like them, but you saw what happened against Liverpool yesterday.

“They played really well to take the lead and had one or two glorious chances to add to their advantage, but when it really mattered, they lacked the killer instinct to put the game to bed as the Reds staged a second-half comeback to win 2-1.

“If Chelsea win by two clear goals, they could go up to seventh on the table. I can’t see them winning so comfortably, but something tells me the Blues will show up and secure all three points.”