Fulham will host Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on Saturday, looking to bounce back from last week’s disappointing defeat to Liverpool.
Fulham are currently 13th in the league table, and they will be pushing for a top-half finish as they get set to welcome Crystal Palace to Craven Cottage. The Cottagers will feel that this is a winnable game at home, and the home fans will expect a strong performance as well.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are on an impressive run, and they have won their last three league matches. The Eagles will look to continue their impressive round of form and grind out all three points here.
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in five of their last six meetings against Fulham, and the away side will be reasonably confident heading into this game. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Willian is a doubt for the home team due to a groin problem, but he is likely to feature here. Fulham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal.
In the back four, Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Tosin Adarabioyo and Calvin Bassey will feature as the central defenders here.
As for the midfield unit, Sasa Lukic will start alongside Joao Palhinha. The duo will look add defensive cover and physicality to the side. They will look to break up opposition attacks and protect the central defenders.
Andreas Pereira will start as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Alex Iwobi and Willian will feature in the wide areas. They will look to add flair and creativity from the flanks. Finally, Rodrigo Muniz will lead the line for Fulham against Crystal Palace.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Adarabioyo, Bassey, Robinson; Palhinha, Lukic; Iwobi, Pereira, Willian; Muniz
Crystal Palace
Sam Johnstone misses out with an elbow injury, while Cheick Doucoure has a calf problem. Marc Guehi is ruled out with a knee injury, Rob Holding has an ankle injury, Chris Richards has a knee problem, and Matheus Franca misses out with a groin injury.
Dean Henderson will start in goal for the Eagles here, and they will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation. In the back three, Joel Ward will start alongside Joachim Andersen and Jefferson Lerma. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will start as the wing-backs. They will look to protect the back three and help out in the attack.
Adam Wharton and Will Hughes will start in the central midfield pairing, and they will look to keep things compact in the middle of the park and break down opposition attacks.
Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise will start as the attacking midfielders, and they will create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Finally, Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line for Crystal Palace against Fulham.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Ward, Andersen, Lerma; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Olise; Mateta
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace have won their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Crystal Palace have scored at least two goals in their last three away matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Crystal Palace are unbeaten in five of their last six matches against Fulham.
- Three of the last four matches between these two teams have ended in a draw.
- Fulham are winless in four of their last six league matches.
Player to Watch
Eberechi Eze
The 25-year-old has eight goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, and he will be the creator in chief for the visitors. Crystal Palace will depend on Eze to open up the Fulham defence with his creativity and flaire in the final third. He is our key player to watch out for, and it remains to be seen whether he can make a defining impact in the final third for his team.
Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace
The Eagles are currently full of confidence and momentum, and they will fancy their chances of picking up a win here. On the other hand, Fulham have been quite inconsistent, and they could struggle against and upbeat Crystal Palace outfit.
The visitors have the attacking quality in the final third to take advantage of Fulham’s defensive vulnerabilities, and a narrow away win is on the cards here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Oliver Glasner and his charges.
