Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion will be eager to return to winning ways when they clash at Craven Cottage on Thursday.
Gameweek 14 of the 2024/25 Premier League season will end on Thursday, which will bring us two matches. The action on the day will start with Fulham vs Brighton & Hove Albion at Craven Cottage before Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur bring the curtains down on the latest round of fixtures at the Vitality Stadium.
Marco Silva continues to wield his influence at Fulham, with the West London club unlikely to get dragged into the relegation dogfight. The Cottagers are tenth in the Premier League standings, although Silva will be concerned about his team’s defensive frailties. That has led to successive winless results, with the run dropping the side to the cusp of falling out of the top half of the table.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion have been exceptional thus far this season. Fabian Hurzeler has taken no time to stamp his authority at the club, although his team has showcased mercurial traits on both ends of the pitch. However, the Seagulls have lost only twice thus far this season while rising to fourth in the Premier League standings, level on points with the struggling Manchester City.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Fulham cruise to a 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, with Harry Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz, and Adama Traore finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Marco Silva has new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Fulham manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday.
Tom Cairney and Sasa Lukic are the latest absentees, with the two midfielders serving suspensions. While Cairney saw red and picked up a three-match ban, Lukic’s fifth booking of the 2024/25 Premier League season earned him a one-game expulsion. Meanwhile, Joachim Andersen (calf), Jorge Cuenca (knock), Ryan Sessegnon (unspecified), and Harrison Reed (knee) remain on the sidelines.
Bernd Leno is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday. The backline should feature Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Calvin Bassey, and the in-demand Antonee Robinson.
As for the midfield unit, Cairney and Lukic’s absence means Sander Berge will pair up with Andreas Pereira in the double pivot. Emile Smith Rowe will reprise the no. 10 role, with Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson starting as the two wide attackers. Finally, Raul Jimenez will lead the line for Fulham against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Pereira; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Nelson; Jimenez
Brighton & Hove Albion
Unlike his counterpart in the Fulham dugout, Fabian Hurzeler has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager should be without five first-team players on Thursday.
Carlos Baleba is available after serving a suspension last this past weekend against Southampton. Hurzeler had been sweating over the fitness of Joel Veltman (knock) and Brajan Gruda (illness), but the duo should be available to take on Fulham. However, Ferdi Kadioglu (ankle), Adam Webster (thigh), Jack Hinshelwood (knee), James Milner (hamstring), and Solly March (knee) remain on the sidelines.
Bart Verbruggen should take his spot between the sticks, with Brighton & Hove Albion lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Fulham on Thursday. The backline should feature Joel Veltman, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, and Pervis Estupinan.
As for the midfield unit, Carlos Baleba should return to the starting eleven, pairing up with Matt O’Riley in the double pivot. Joao Pedro will reprise the no. 10 role, with Georginio Rutter, Kaoru Mitoma, and Danny Welbeck completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, O’Riley; Rutter, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have never clinched a win vs Fulham in their eight Premier League meetings (D4 L4). The Seagulls have lost on three of their four top-flight visits to Craven Cottage, the exception being a goalless draw in December 2020.
- Fulham’s tally of 19 points is their joint-second highest after 13 games of a Premier League season. They made a similar start in 2022/23 and had 21 points in 2003/04. Similarly, Brighton & Hove Albion’s 23 points is their best-ever tally after 13 matches of a top-flight campaign.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are the only team yet to lose when conceding the first goal in Premier League matches this season (W2 D3).
- A goal on Wednesday will mean the Cottagers will have equalled a club record of scoring in 13 successive top-flight matches, which they set 65 years ago. However, they are looking to avoid conceding in 11 consecutive Premier League home fixtures for just a third time in their history.
Player to Watch
Kaoru Mitoma
Fabian Hurzeler is forging a team that does not depend on one player to make an impact in the final third. Danny Welbeck took the Premier League by storm in the first few weeks of the 2024/25 season. While the Englishman’s form has dropped in recent outings, Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma have stepped up. We have picked the latter as our Player to Watch.
Mitoma has found the back of the net in the last two outings, with his goals earning Brighton four points. The Japanese international will aim to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time. Another strike this midweek will likely mean he will have helped the Seagulls earn another positive result.
Prediction
Fulham 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion will be eager to end their duck vs Fulham and clinch their first win over the West London outfit in the Premier League. In addition, Craven Cottage has not been a happy hunting ground for the Seagulls, as they have managed only one point on four visits to the stadium.
With Fulham finding a scoring touch, a goal-laden outing is on the cards. While the visitors are the stronger of the two sides, there might not be much to separate them on Thursday. So, Brighton’s win drought at Craven Cottage will continue, with The Hard Tackle predicting a 2-2 draw.
