Fulham will host Leeds United at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon, desperate to pick up their first Premier League win of the 2025/26 season.
Fulham have failed to pick up a single victory in the Premier League so far, with two draws and a defeat from the first three matches ahead of the game vs Leeds United at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Leeds United have struggled after an impressive start to the season. The West Yorkshire outfit started the season with a narrow win over Everton, but they crashed to a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in Gameweek 2 before playing out a goalless draw with Newcastle United ahead of the international break.
The Whites will thus be eager to get back to winning ways and score a goal after failing to find gthe back of the net in their last two games. This will be a cracking contest between two evenly matched teams. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top, as both sides will fancy their chances against each other.
Leeds United have looked vulnerable defensively, and it will be interesting to see if Fulham can exploit their defensive frailties this week. On the other hand, the away side will look to tighten up at the back and grind out a positive result against Fulham away from home. 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 does not have any major injury issues heading into this game, and they should be able to field a full-strength lineup. Fulham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Leeds United, with Bernd Leno in goal.
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and hit Leeds United on the break. Joachim Andersen will start alongside Calvin Bassey at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Sander Berge will start alongside Sasa Lukic in the double pivot. They will look to add physicality and defensive cover to the side. Josh King will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack and create opportunities in the final third.
Ryan Sessegnon and Alex Iwobi will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace, flair and unpredictability to the attack. Finally, Rodrigo Muniz will lead the line for Fulham vs Leeds United on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Iwobi, King, Sessegnon; Muniz
Leeds United
Daniel Farke will be without Lucas Perri, who has picked up a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Ao Tanaka, Ethan Ampadu, Lukas Nmecha, and Joel Piroe face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Leeds United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Fulham, with Karl Darlow in goal.
Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson will start as full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Pascal Struijk will form the central defensive partnership alongside Joe Rodon.
As for the midfield unit, Ilia Gruev and Anton Stach will form the double pivot. They will look to keep things compact defensively and add drive to the squad. Finally, Joel Piroe will lead the line for Leeds United against Fulham if he is fit and available, with Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto on either side of him. Noah Okafor will reprise the no. 10 role.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Darlow, Bogle, Struijk, Rodon, Gudmundsson, Gruev, Stach; Gnonto, Okafor, James; Piroe
Key Stats
- Fulham have won their last three matches against Leeds United in all competitions.
- Leeds United have failed to win 11 of their last 12 matches in the Premier League. Meanwhile, the Whites have lost their last eight away Premier League matches in London, conceding 26 goals in these defeats, with their most recent win coming on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign at Brentford. They last had a longer top-flight losing run in the capital between 1925 and 1930 (12 in a row).
- 20 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Fulham have failed to win their last four Premier League games (D2 L2), last going longer without victory in April 2023 (5). The Cottagers could fail to win their opening four games of a top-flight campaign for just the fourth time, after 1951/52 (7), 2011/12 (6), and 2020/21 (6).
- Fulham have conceded 44 fouls in the Premier League this season, with only Brighton giving away more (47). Sasa Lukic leads the charts for fouls among players with 12, while since the start of last season no player has more yellow cards than Lukic (14, level with Will Hughes).
Player to Watch
Rodrigo Muniz
The Brazilian striker is our key player to watch out for. Rodrigo Muniz was quite impressive for Fulham last season, and they will depend on him to find the back of the net. Leeds United have looked vulnerable defensively, and it will be interesting to see if he can make them pay with his quality in the final third.
The 24-year-old striker will look to help create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. Fulham will need Muniz to step up and deliver if they want to grind out all three points vs Leeds United this weekend.
Prediction
Fulham 1-1 Leeds United
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this will be a close contest. Neither side will want to end up on the losing side. They are likely to get on the score sheet, and it will be difficult to separate them.
The two teams are likely to end up cancelling each other out in the end. A goalscoring draw seems quite likely between the two teams this week. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate between Fulham and Leeds United on Saturday.