Premier League: This is No Time to Book Your Holidays!

Fulham vs Newcastle

Fulham return to their West London home on Saturday when they host Newcastle United, with both sides looking to bounce back from midweek disappointment.

The Cottagers went down to a 3-1 defeat away to strugglers Nottingham Forest, while the Magpies drew 1-1 with another relegation-threatened team, Everton. Premier League: Fulham vs Newcastle United is a chance for both teams to redeem themselves quickly.

With seven games of the season remaining, the Magpies’ hopes of Champions League football have long gone, and now, in eighth place, they are in a battle for a Europa League slot.

Fulham are in 13^th, way, way clear of the relegation battle and six points adrift of seventh place, with a lot of teams, Newcastle United included, in better shape to grab a European trip. 

But this is far too early for anyone to be heading to the beach.

The Cottagers have recently beaten Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and another big scalp would be just the antidote to a loss in Nottingham, and Premier League 2024 betting odds reckon Marco Silva’s team has every chance against Eddie Howe’s injury-ravaged Magpies.

Win this, and, you never know, a top-ten finish or better might still be on the cards. 

Talking Points

So good to be back home for Fulham

Silva must be scratching his head, trying to work out why his team has been so different at home and away in recent games. The last two matches at Craven Cottage produced superb 3-0 wins over Brighton and Tottenham, and the Cottagers game away to Sheffield United last Saturday was earmarked for another victory.

But Fulham found themselves 3-1 down to the rock bottom Blades before fighting back to 3-3. And then, away to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, Silva watched his team capitulate to a 3-0 half-time deficit before Tosin picked up a second-half consolation.

The boss was seriously unhappy in the aftermath, saying, “Bad performance, disappointing evening for us, really disappointing result. When you don’t start the game the way you should, you are going to get punished. In the first half, we were there, but we didn’t play. We didn’t do what we planned; we were so, so slow.”

Back in front of their own fans, expect the Cottagers to fly out of the blocks on Saturday!          

Newcastle’s injury woes get worse

Howe has had a nightmare with injuries this season. Defenders Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are out for the campaign with serious knee injuries, while star striker Callum Wilson has an abdominal strain, which means we probably won’t see him again this term. Then there’s keeper Nick Pope and influential midfielder Joelinton, who are still some way from re-appearing. And as the Magpies had a frustrating night against Everton, the news from the physio room seemed to get even more miserable. 

Manager Eddie Howe has now confirmed that wingback Kieran Trippier is ruled out for the trip to London, and that comes as another blow after the England man was hopeful of playing either in the Everton game or against the Cottagers. But he wasn’t even in the squad on Tuesday, and Trippier is another definite omission.

And you can add two more names to that ever-growing list, as Tino Livramento and Miguel Almiron will both miss out after they picked up injuries during the win over West Ham United last weekend; all three are expected to be available until May. 

With train strikes set for Saturday, it won’t be easy for the Geordies to make the long trip to London,  but, come hell or high water, they will be there in their thousands to cheer on the walking wounded. And with striker Alexander Isak, who scored in the draw with Everton, still banging in form, Howe’s team always has a chance. 

History

Newcastle have won 11 of the last 22 meetings with Fulham, while the Cottagers have won eight, and there have been three draws. In the return fixture in December, up in Newcastle, 17-year-old Lewis Miley became the youngest player to score for the Magpies in the Premier League as they ran out 3-0 winners, while Raul Jimenez was sent off for the Cottagers. 

In terms of recent form, the hosts have the edge with three wins, one draw, and two defeats from the last six games, while Newcastle have won two, drawn two, and lost two. 

Betting Tip

Fulham are the favourites to win this game, with the Magpies close behind at 2.63, and the draw is available at SBOTOP odds of 3.49. After his team’s abject performances on the road, Silva will expect the Premier League 2024 highlights to be much more to his liking.

They need to keep an eye on Isak, for sure, but with good home form and a fitter squad, I think Fulham should come through. 

 

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