Fulham will host Everton at Craven Cottage on Tuesday evening, looking to bounce back from a series of poor results in recent outings.
Fulham are winless in their last four matches across all competitions, picking up three defeats ahead of the visit of Everton. The 13th-placed Cottagers will be hoping to push for a top-half finish this season, and they need to grind out a positive result in these games.
On the other hand, Everton are currently 17th in the league table, and they will be hoping to preserve their status as a Premier League club next season. They need to pick up important points at this stage of the season to ensure their safety. It is all the more important amid the looming threat of further Financial Fair Play sanctions.
The Toffees are winless in their last four league matches, and they have lost three of those outings. Both teams will be desperate for a win here, and this should be a thrilling contest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Fulham will be without the services of Adama Traore, who has picked up a hamstring injury. Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Fode Ballo-Toure are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. The hosts are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal.
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be deployed in the full-back positions, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Tosin Adarabioyo will start alongside Issa Diop at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will start alongside Tom Cairney. The two players will look to add defensive cover to the side and break up opposition attacks. Andreas Pereira will reprise the number ten role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third and link up with the attackers.
Willian and Bobby De Cordova-Reid will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. Finally, Raul Jimenez will lead the line for Fulham against Everton on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop, Robinson; Palhinha, Cairney; Reid, Pereira, Willian; Jimenez
Everton
Dele Alli and Abdoulaye Doucoure are sidelined with injuries for the away side. Idrissa Gueye is away on international duty due to the Africa Cup of Nations, and he will miss out as well. Everton will shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal.
Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs, and they will look to protect the central defenders and help out during counter-attacks. James Tarkowski will start at the heart of the defence alongside Jarrad Branthwaite.
In the middle of the park, James Garner will feature alongside Amadou Onana. While the Belgian will look to break up opposition attacks and protect the backline, Garner will add work rate and drive to the side.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will add pace and flair from the wide areas. The two players will look to help open up the Fulham defence with their creativity and unpredictability. Arnaut Danjuma will start in the free role behind the striker, and he will look to join up in the attack and drop down to help create opportunities as well. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for Everton.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Garner, Onana, McNeil; Danjuma; Calvert-Lewin
Key Stats
- Fulham are undefeated in their last five matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Fulham are winless in four of the last six matches across all competitions.
- Everton are winless in five of the last six matches across all competitions.
- 14 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
Player to Watch
Willian
The Brazilian attacker has done quite well for Fulham this season, and he has five goals and an assist to his name across all competitions. He has been quite impressive in his recent outings, especially against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.
Willian will look to continue in his rich vein of form and help the home team open up the Everton defence with his passing and vision. He will look to add to his goal tally for the season as well this midweek.
Prediction
Fulham 1-1 Everton
Both teams will be desperate for all three points, and they cannot afford to keep dropping points at this stage of the season. They are in similar form right now. This is likely to be a close contest, and it will be difficult to separate the two teams. They are likely to cancel each other out and share the spoils. A goalscoring draw is on the cards this week.
