Fulham and Leicester City will be desperate for all three points when they clash at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Gameweek 35 of the 2022/23 Premier League season will end on Monday with three matches. All three games will have massive stakes involved, with Nottingham Forest and Southampton clashing in a relegation six-pointer. But the action will begin at Craven Cottage, where Fulham will host Leicester City.
Fulham will finally stop ping-ponging between the Premier League and the EFL Championship this season. The Cottagers tend to go down the very season they return to the top flight before returning immediately. But Marco Silva has masterminded a mildly successful season that can end with a top-half finish. But three successive defeats have sapped the momentum at Craven Cottage.
On the other hand, Leicester City have been mired in the relegation dogfight for much of the 2022/23 season. The dreadful performances cost Brendan Rodgers his job at the helm at the King Power Stadium. But a run of three games without a defeat has lifted the Foxes out of the drop zone. That said, they are not out of the woods yet, with 19th-placed Everton only a point behind them.
The reverse fixture saw Fulham eke out a narrow 1-0 win over Leicester City, with Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring the game’s only goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Match the energy. 🔋
Marco gives us the lowdown ahead of #FULLEI: ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/yM9Uxss2iz
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) May 7, 2023
Marco Silva does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Leicester City on Monday, the Fulham manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
But there is some good news, as Aleksandar Mitrovic’s long spell on the sidelines will finally end this weekend. The Serbian striker has been serving a suspension for several weeks. But while Mitrovic will return later this week, he is not available for the game against Leicester City.
Andreas Pereira is another notable absentee for Fulham due to a long-term ankle injury. The Brazilian international will undergo surgery on his ankle and will only return ahead of the 2023/24 season. Tim Ream (arm) and Layvin Kurzawa (knee) are the other absentees for Fulham.
Bernd Leno is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. And in Ream’s continued absence, Issa Diop and Tosin Adarabioyo should form the central defensive partnership. Meanwhile, Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be the two full-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Harrison Reed and Joao Palhinha will pair up in the double pivot, the strong suit for Fulham this season. And Palhinha, in particular, will look to dictate the game’s tempo while hoping to see the attackers fare better in the final third.
Meanwhile, Tom Cairney will be the most advanced midfielder for the hosts, with the Fulham captain deputising for Pereira. Carlos Vinicius will spearhead the attack in Mitrovic’s absence. And finally, Harry Wilson and Willian will be the two wide attackers for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Adarabioyo, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Cairney, Willian; Vinicius
Leicester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Fulham dugout, Dean Smith has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage. The Leicester City manager will be without four first-team players on Monday.
The good news is that Ricardo Pereira and Jonny Evans have recovered from their respective thigh injuries. And both players might be fit enough to at least make the matchday squad on Monday. In addition, Smith had a positive update on Kelechi Iheanacho during his pre-match press conference.
The Nigerian striker has stepped up his recovery from a groin injury and should return before the season ends. But the game against Fulham has come too soon for Iheanacho. Meanwhile, James Justin (Achilles), Jannik Vestergaard (calf), and Ryan Bertrand (match fitness) remain on the sidelines.
"I think you can see confidence within the players now." – Dean Smith 🎥 pic.twitter.com/OgkjTWiujA
— Leicester City (@LCFC) May 4, 2023
There is no looking past Daniel Iversen between the sticks for Leicester City, who should line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. And Luke Thomas will continue on the left flank despite the possibility of Ricardo Pereira returning. Thomas will join Timothy Castagne, Wout Faes, and Caglar Soyuncu in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, Boubakary Soumare has usurped Wilfred Ndidi. And the Frenchman will likely line up alongside Youri Tielemans in the double pivot. The duo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park. But Tielemans will also look to pull the strings from deeper positions.
James Maddison will be the pivotal figure for Leicester as he looks to set up the chances for the attackers. Meanwhile, Harvey Barnes and Tete should be the two wide attackers. And finally, Jamie Vardy will spearhead the Leicester City attack against Fulham on Monday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Iversen; Castagne, Faes, Soyuncu, Thomas; Soumare, Tielemans; Tete, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy
Key Stats
- Following the 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium in January, Fulham will look to complete the Premier League double over Leicester City for the second time, previously doing so in 2003/04. Meanwhile, Leicester won 2-0 in the last Premier League meeting between the teams at Craven Cottage. But they have never won consecutive away league games against the Cottagers before.
- Leicester City have won just two of their last 14 Premier League away games against London sides (D3 L9), beating Brentford 2-1 in October 2021 and West Ham United 2-0 in November this season.
- Leicester City won three consecutive Premier League away games without conceding a goal before the World Cup break. But since the resumption, they have managed just one victory in their nine on the road (D2 L6), failing to keep a single clean sheet.
- Fulham have lost three of their last four Premier League home games (W1), as many as they had in their first 13 at Craven Cottage this season (W6 D4).
- Only Southampton (24) have conceded the first goal in more different Premier League games than Leicester City this season (21). The Foxes have let in first in 16 of their last 17, losing the only game in which they opened the scoring in this run (1-2 vs Crystal Palace).
Player to Watch
James Maddison
Leicester City’s hopes this season have been hugely dependent on James Maddison’s output in the final third. The Englishman has been a rare bright spot in a horrendous campaign for the Foxes. And the visitors will again look toward him for inspiration as they look to remain clear of the drop zone.
Maddison has more Premier League goal involvements than any other Leicester player this season (17 – nine goals, eight assists). He has assisted a strike in his last two appearances, with Riyad Mahrez the last Foxes player to do so in three in a row in February 2016. Expect the 26-year-old to rise to the occasion again.
Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Leicester City
Leicester City’s form on the road has been dreadful, especially since the World Cup break ended. But Fulham’s recent record should give the Foxes some hope despite their horrible run away from home. In addition, Jamie Vardy should be the trump card for the visitors on Monday.
The veteran striker has scored in his last two Premier League outings, having netted just once in his first 31 games this term. Vardy last scored in more games consecutively in September/October 2021 (4). And with the hosts missing their two best players, Leicester will not have a better chance to record three points. The Hard Tackle thus predicts Dean Smith’s charges to record a 2-1 win on Monday.
Can someone tell me how many shots on target did both teams have and who made the shot thanks