Marco Silva spoke to the press ahead of the first SW6 derby of the season at Craven Cottage on Thursday evening.
“As always, tough match,” Marco started. “We know the type of opposition that we’re playing and we know the quality of the opposition side, even if they are not achieving the results that they wanted.
“We know for sure it will be a tough match for us.”
Despite Chelsea’s recent form, Marco acknowledged the quality that Chelsea possess and the danger they will pose against his side.
“It will be the same approach, the same ambition from us,” he said. “When you analyse them, we are not analysing the last eight results, we are analysing Chelsea as a whole, as a team, what they can do or not.
“More than that we are focused on ourselves, which we are doing from the first day.
“Even with some injuries as well, and even without a full squad as well, they are always Chelsea. That is clear.
“They are a team two seasons ago that won the Champions League. This season they spent more than £300 million, talking about all these things, they have high, high quality in their squad for me, no doubts about it.”
We go into the fixture against Chelsea having won our last four games (Crystal Palace, Southampton, Leicester City and Hull City in the FA Cup), and Marco shared how his team have so far had a successful season:
“Keep the same mentality, keep the same idea,” were the words he shared. “Don’t change what made us to be so strong last season, even if we knew before the season started that it’s a completely different competition and different challenge for us.
“Top quality teams. We knew we were going to play the best and most difficult competition in the world but the main thing for us was to keep building on from last season and create a mentality inside this football club and the way we play won’t change, that was the main reason for us to keep believing in ourselves and keep playing the way we are playing.
“Of course, after the work from our players, the behaviour, the mindset, they are always open to learn and we as a group here are ready to learn.”
Tickets for the SW6 derby can be purchased by those with a booking history here.
