Fulham will host Southampton at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon, looking to get back to winning ways.
Fulham are eighth in the Premier League standings, and they will hope to push for European qualification this season, with the game vs Southampton presenting them with an eye-catching fixture to grab three points.
Meanwhile, Southampton are at the bottom of the Premier League table, and they are coming into this game on the back of three consecutive defeats in the top flight. The poor run of results has cost Russell Martin his job.
It will be interesting to see if Southampton can bounce back strongly with a positive performance away from home. The Saints are in dreadful form this season with just one win from 16 league matches. They have lost five of the last six league games, and it seems highly unlikely that they will be able to produce a strong performance here.
Fulham will certainly fancy their chances of getting all three points against the worst team in the division this weekend. 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 Harrison Reed due to a knee injury. Joachim Andersen has a calf strain, while Reiss Nelson is recovering from a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Andreas Pereira will serve a suspension this weekend.
The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal. Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Issa Diop will start alongside Calvin Bassey at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Sasa Lukic and Tom Cairney will pair up in the double pivot, and they will add defensive cover and control from the deep. Emile Smith Rowe will reprise the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Adama Traore will start alongside Alex Iwobi on the flanks, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Raul Jimenez will lead the line for Fulham vs Southampton at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Cairney; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Southampton
Southampton will be without Gavin Bazunu due to an Achilles injury, Ross Stewart due to a calf injury/ William Smallbone will miss out due to a thigh injury, while Jack Stephens continues his suspension.
The away side will shape up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Aaron Ramsdale in goal. Taylor Harwood-Bellis will start alongside Jan Bednarek and Nathan Wood in the back three. Yukinari Sugawara and Kyle Walker-Peters will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Fulham on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Joe Aribo will start alongside Flynn Downes and Lesley Ugochukwu in the middle of the park. They will look to protect the side defensively. Adam Armstrong will start alongside Ben Brereton Diaz in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Wood; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Downes, Walker-Peters; Armstrong, Diaz
Key Stats
- Southampton have lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Southampton have conceded 17 goals in the last six outings.
- Fulham are unbeaten in five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- 12 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Southampton are unbeaten in four of the last six meetings against Fulham.
Player to Watch
Alex Iwobi
The Fulham winger is our key player to watch out for. Iwobi has done quite well in recent weeks, and he will look to punish the Southampton defence with his pace, flair and creativity. He will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and get on the score sheet himself. Fulham will need him to step up and deliver in the final third if they want to grind out a positive result. It will be interesting to see if he can continue his impressive run of form.
Prediction
Fulham 3-1 Southampton
Fulham will be the favourites to pick up all three points here, and they should be able to grind out a comfortable victory at home. The Cottagers are coming into this game on the back of a valuable draw at Anfield last week, and it will have given them a huge confidence boost.
Fulham will feel that they are a cut above the opposition and that they should be able to grind out a home win. Southampton have been quite poor defensively, and their defensive unit is likely to let them down here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Marco Silva and his charges.
