Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion find themselves in a sensitive position with regard to their European ambitions as the two teams meet at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
In football, good things often come to a swift end, and that is precisely what happened with Fulham’s tremendous six-game unbeaten run as they look to get back on track against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.
The Cottagers had picked up good form and momentum during the festive period, in which they had some of their notable stars missing owing to the AFCON. As they went away to Leeds United, the Cottagers were very close to extending their unbeaten run to seven games, only for a late Lukas Nmecha winner to end that run.
The defeat saw Daniel Farke’s men gather momentum in their bid to climb further away from the relegation zone, but for Fulham it was a blow to their European ambitions. The Cottagers will look to get that defeat out of their minds as they return to home comforts, where they have had a good record all season.
Fulham have won six of their 11 games at Craven Cottage this term, while they have also been unbeaten against Brighton in their last five home games in the league. Meanwhile, Fabian Hurzeler has a big task on his hands to revive Brighton’s European dreams.
The Seagulls have stitched together a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions since their defeat to Arsenal, including a stellar FA Cup win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. However, they have only one victory in their last nine Premier League games to show for their cause, which needs great improvement.
Brighton & Hove Albion have also drawn three of their last four games in the league, including stalemates against West Ham United, Manchester City and Bournemouth. The most recent game was last weekend, when it took a late overhead kick led equaliser from teenager Charalampos Kostoulas to salvage a point.
Brighton have European ambitions, and heading into the weekend, they are only five points behind fifth-placed Manchester United. There is a big chance for Brighton to break into one of those continental positions, and they must target a win over Fulham away from home to begin a good run of games.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
To begin the Fulham update, Marco Silva has been boosted by the returns of his AFCON stars, including Alex Iwobi, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Calvin Bassey. However, Sasa Lukic was forced off with a muscle problem in the loss to Leeds United, as he has joined Rodrigo Muniz in the treatment room.
There are further doubts with Kenny Tete and Emile Smith Rowe, with the duo set to be assessed before the game to determine their participation. Then there are those pushing to get involved in the team from the start, with the likes of Chukwueze, Kevin, Ryan Sessegnon and Adama Traore all vying for a place. However, one player who is expected to start is star attacker Harry Wilson, while Raul Jimenez will certainly lead the line for the Cottagers.
Bassey might return to the defensive setup alongside Joachim Andersen, while Timothy Castagne might start at right-back in place of Tete. Sander Berge might have Iwobi for company in the central areas, while Wilson might operate in the No.10 role. Sessegnon and Chukwueze might start in the wide areas with Jimenez leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi; Sessegnon, Wilson, Chukwueze; Jimenez
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton have their injury woes too, with Mats Wieffer, Solly March, Adam Webster, and Stefanos Tzimas all sidelined. There are further doubts with Maxim De Cuyper, and he will be assessed before the game to determine his participation.
There is also the chance for Fabian Hurzeler to start with Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari as his midfield duo for the weekend. However, Jack Hinshelwood and Pascal Gross are also in contention for the roles.
Yankuba Minteh could occupy the wide role with Kaoru Mitoma on the left wing, while Danny Welbeck could lead the line once again for Brighton against Fulham this weekend. Georginio Rutter could be an option on the bench for Hurzeler.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Gomez, Mitoma; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Fulham have won five of their last six home matches against Brighton & Hove Albion in all competitions.
- Fulham have lost just one of their last even games.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have one win in their last nine Premier League games. However, the Seagulls are unbeaten in their last 5 games across all competitions.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won just two of their last 18 Premier League away games against London sides (D7 L9), with those wins coming at Spurs in May last season, and Chelsea in September.
- Only Aston Villa (180) and Tottenham (178) have had more high turnovers against them than Fulham (162) in the Premier League this season, while at the other end of the pitch the Cottagers have forced fewer high turnovers than any other side (91).
Player to Watch
Harry Wilson
The attacker continues to be in the centre of his contractual situation as there are doubts whether he would leave at the end of the season when his deal with Fulham expires in the summer. However, on the field, he remains a key man for Marco Silva, and the manager would want his attacker in top form.
With Fulham eager to get back into the European places, the gap is still too short for them to recover. However, for Silva’s side to get back into the running, they must forget the painful late loss against Leeds United and have top players like Wilson in top form. That is also why he is a top candidate to be a budget buy in FPL in Gameweek 23.
Prediction
Fulham 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion are in a decent vein of form, but they have shown plenty of inconsistencies over the last many games. One win in their last nine Premier League games is a big indicator that they are not guaranteed to win any game, and that might be the case with the upcoming trip to Fulham.
The Cottagers, on the other hand, have been in a good run of form until their loss last weekend. Given how strong they have been at Craven Cottage, it is only logical to expect them to win this one against Brighton at the weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 victory for Marco Silva and his charges.
