Fulham will host Bournemouth at Craven Cottage this weekend, looking to get back to winning ways with a positive result at home.
Fulham have failed to win five of the last six league matches, and the home fans will be expecting a strong reaction from the players when they lock horns with Bournemouth at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are winless in the last four league matches, and they will be eager to get their season back on track. Both teams will be desperate for a win here, so we can expect a fiery encounter.
The two sides will feel that they are good enough to finish in the top half, and they cannot keep dropping points if they want to secure a respectable finish in the Premier League this season. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
The home team are without the services of Adama Traore, Harry Wilson, Raul Jimenez, and Issa Diop due to their respective hamstring injuries. Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi are still away on international duty at to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Fulham are likely to shape up in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal. Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson will start as the full-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and help out in the attack. Tosin Adarabioyo will form the central defensive unit alongside Tim Ream.
In the midfield pivot, Joao Palhinha will start alongside Harrison Reed. The two players will look to break up the opposition attacks and win the ball back for their side.
Willian and Bobby De Cordova-Reid will be deployed in the wide areas. They will look to open up the opposition defence with their pace, flair and creativity. Andreas Pereira will start as the central attacking midfielder behind striker Armando Broja. The Albanian international joined Fulham on loan from Chelsea and will look to make his mark with regular football with Fulham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed; Reid, Pereira, Willian; Broja
Bournemouth
The away side will be without the services of Tyler Adams (hamstring), Ryan Fredericks (calf), and Max Aarons (thigh) because of their respective injuries. Philip Billing picked up a red card against Nottingham Forest last weekend, and he will miss out this weekend.
Bournemouth will start in a 4-2-3-1 formation as well, with Neto in goal. Adam Smith and Lloyd Kelly will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Illia Zabarnyi will start alongside Marcos Senesi at the heart of the defence.
In the midfield pivot, Lewis Cook will start alongside Ryan Christie. The two players will look to protect the backline and break down opposition attacking moves. Alex Scott will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create goalscoring opportunities in the final third.
Marcus Tavernier and Luis Sinisterra will be deployed as the wingers here. The two players will look to break down the opposition defence with their pace and trickery. Dominic Solanke will lead the line for the Cherries.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kelly; Cook, Christie; Tavernier, Scott, Sinisterra; Solanke
Key Stats
- Bournemouth are undefeated in ten of their last 11 matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Bournemouth have scored at least two goals in their last three matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Three of the last five matches between these two teams have ended in a draw.
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in eight league matches away to the Cottagers (W4 D4).
- Fulham have not scored in ten Premier League matches this season, more than any other side.
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
The 26-year-old Premier League striker has been in splendid from this season, scoring 15 goals across all competitions. He will look to add to his goalscoring tally here and help the Cherries get back to winning ways. The visitors will need him to step up and deliver to grind out all three points away from home.
Prediction
Fulham 1-1 Bournemouth
Both teams will be desperate for a win here, and this is likely to be a close contest. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they ended up cancelling each other out and sharing the spoils here. Neither side are in impressive form right now, and they might take a cautious approach. Three of the last five matches between these two teams have ended in a draw, and this one is unlikely to be any different.
