Fulham and Luton Town will be desperate for all three points when they go head-to-head at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The dreaded international break is finally over, with club football resuming this weekend. The Premier League will see Gameweek 5 kicking off with the match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool. The action will then continue with five simultaneous fixtures, one of which will see Fulham hosting Luton Town at Craven Cottage.
Fulham began the 2023/24 Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Everton. But the Cottagers have struggled since then, conceding ten goals while managing only one more point in the three fixtures that have followed. And, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s departure is seemingly hitting them hard, with goals coming at a premium.
On the other hand, Luton Town would have hoped for a better start to life in the Premier League for the first time. The Hatters have endured a trial by fire, falling to defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, and West Ham United. But the EFL Cup brought some respite for Rob Edwards’s men, as they beat Gillingham FC 3-2 in the second round.
Fulham cruised to a 7-0 win the last time they clashed with Luton Town in the EFL Championship in May 2022. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
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"I'm just focused on my work in Fulham. I always have 100% commitment with this club." pic.twitter.com/OYWe30f2xq
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 14, 2023
Marco Silva has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Luton Town on Saturday, the Fulham manager will be without only two first-team players, with two others returning.
Deadline-day signing Alex Iwobi has recovered from a hamstring injury to be available. In addition, Joao Palhinha, fresh from signing a new contract with Fulham, will also be at Silva’s disposal this weekend. But Sasa Lukic and Tom Cairney might miss out on Saturday.
Bernd Leno is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation. Tim Ream and Issa Diop should retain the central defensive partnership, with Silva easing Calvin Bassey into the thick of the action. Meanwhile, Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be the two full-backs.
Palhinha will line up alongside Harrison Reed, who also signed a new contract during the international break, in the double pivot. The Portuguese international’s return is crucial for Fulham to shore up things in the middle of the park.
But goals are a problem for the hosts, with Raul Jimenez struggling to fill Aleksandar Mitrovic’s void. But the Mexican international should retain his spot as the central striker, with Harry Wilson, Bobby Decordova-Reid, and Andreas Pereira joining him in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Pereira, Decordova-Reid; Jimenez
Luton Town
Like his counterpart in the Fulham dugout, Rob Edwards has two players returning from a layoff ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage. The Luton Town manager will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
The good news is that Tom Lockyer (thigh) and Alfie Doughty (Achilles) are fit and available. The duo’s return has left only Dan Potts (ankle), Gabriel Osho (knee), and Jordan Clark (ankle) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Teden Mengi and Albert Sambi Lokonga are in line to make their debuts for Luton Town.
#PL away days return tomorrow! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mPu3vK3HUr
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) September 15, 2023
Edwards has preferred a back-three/back-five system in front of Thomas Kaminski. And the visitors should line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation on Saturday, with the setup morphing into a 5-3-2 during the defensive phases. Mads Andersen, Reece Burke, and the fit-again Lockyer should form the central defensive trifecta.
Issa Kabore and Amari’i Bell will likely start as the wing-backs, with the duo often dropping back to cut off the passing lanes. But they will flank Marvelous Nakamba and the debuting Lokonga in the middle of the park.
Tahith Chong will have a free role in the centre of the pitch, with the former Manchester United man being the creative supremo for the away side. Finally, Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris will be the two strikers for Luton against Fulham.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Kaminski; Andersen, Burke, Lockyer; Kabore, Nakamba, Lokonga, Bell; Chong; Morris, Adebayo
Key Stats
- Fulham are unbeaten in their last five league meetings with Luton Town, winning both home games in that run (W3 D2).
- Fulham have only lost one of their last eight Premier League games against newly-promoted opposition at Craven Cottage (W3 D4).
- Luton Town are without a win in 28 top-flight away fixtures since a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa in March 1991 (D6 L22). The Hatters are yet to score in the first half of a Premier League game.
- Fulham have conceded 16 goals in their eight most recent home league games, failing to keep a clean sheet in any of them. The Cottagers have conceded 10 Premier League goals this season, the second-worst record in the division behind Burnley. Marco Silva’s men have faced 33 shots on target in this season’s top flight, more than any other team.
- Carlton Morris has been involved in both of Luton’s Premier League goals so far, managing a goal and an assist.
- Raul Jimenez has failed to score in his last 27 Premier League appearances, but he got three goals for Mexico during the recent international break.
Player to Watch
Joao Palhinha
The summer transfer window was forgettable for Fulham, as they lost Aleksandar Mitrovic to the Saudi Arabian juggernaut. And the Deadline Day almost ended with Joao Palhinha joining Bayern Munich, only for the move to collapse in the eleventh hour.
But after succeeding in keeping hold of the Portuguese international, Fulham will be hopeful of a positive run of form. Palhinha, who remains popular in the market, is a vital cog in Marco Silva’s team. So, the 28-year-old will be raring to go and set Fulham up for success in the coming weeks.
Prediction
Fulham 2-1 Luton Town
The match pits two teams that have been porous at the back thus far this season. So neither side will succeed in keeping a clean sheet on Saturday, with Luton Town exploiting Fulham’s weaknesses at the back.
However, the visitors have struggled to contain their opponents thus far. And with Raul Jimenez showing good form during the international break, he should end his goal drought in the Premier League. The Hard Tackle predicts a crucial 2-1 win for Marco Silva and his charges.
