Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Fulham, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two Premier League teams sitting in the bottom half of the table meet at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon as Newcastle United play host to Fulham.
While the Magpies are currently languishing in 14th spot in the top-flight standings with only nine points, the Cottagers sit one place and one point further back in 15th.
Match preview
After eight Premier League games, no team have kept more clean sheets this season than Newcastle (five, level with leaders Arsenal), while games involving the Magpies have seen fewer goals scored than any other side’s this term (14 – seven for, seven against).
Eddie Howe can certainly take encouragement from his team’s defensive stability thus far, but results remain the true measure of progress and Newcastle have struggled for consistency so far this season, posting two wins, three draws and three defeats across their opening eight league matches.
Both of Newcastle’s two top-flight victories have taken place at home against teams currently sitting in the relegation zone – a 1-0 win over Wolves and a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest – with their success against the latter followed by a 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
However, Howe’s men returned to winning ways on Wednesday night when they brushed aside Jose Mourinho’s Benfica by a 3-0 scoreline at St James’ Park in the Champions League, thanks to Anthony Gordon’s first-half opener and Harvey Barnes’s second-half brace.
Newcastle will now shift their focus back to domestic duties and they head into Saturday’s contest aware that they were beaten 2-1 by Fulham in this exact fixture in February of last season; only once have they lost back-to-back home league matches against the Cottagers, doing so back in 1950-51.
Fulham were flying high in the middle of September and had put together a three-game winning run in all competitions, but that has since been followed by three successive Premier League defeats against Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Arsenal.
The Cottagers, who last lost more consecutive league games in March/April 2023 (four), fell to a slender 1-0 home defeat at the hands of the Gunners last weekend, registering just one shot on target, and head coach Marco Silva has urged his team to be more “ruthless, aggressive enough and take right decisions” if they wish to turn their fortunes around.
Only newly-promoted duo Burnley and Sunderland (21 each) have registered fewer shots on target than Fulham in the Premier League so far this season (23), while the Cottagers’ average of 2.9 shots on target per game is their lowest ever in a top-flight campaign.
Conceding goals has also been a problem for Fulham, who have kept only one clean sheet in their last 17 Premier League matches (1-0 home win over Leeds United last month). They have also conceded at least one goal in each of their last 10 encounters with Saturday’s opponent Newcastle.
However, after enduring an eight-game winless run against Newcastle in the Premier League between 2018 and 2024 (D2 L6), Fulham completed the league double over the Magpies last season, and they are now seeking to win three in a row for the first time since March 2017.
Newcastle United Premier League form:
D W D L W L
Newcastle United form (all competitions):
W L W W L W
Fulham Premier League form:
L W W L L L
Fulham form (all competitions):
W W W L L L
Team News
Newcastle are still having to cope without Tino Livramento and Yoane Wissa, who remain sidelined with knee injuries, while Lewis Hall is nursing a hamstring problem.
Sandro Tonali, who has extended his contract at the club until 2029, is “touch and go” with an unspecified issue, but Joelinton recovered from a knock to feature as a second-half substitute against Benfica and the Brazilian should be fit to return to the starting lineup this weekend.
While Fabian Schar could replace either Malick Thiaw or Sven Botman at centre-back, Barnes will hope that his midweek brace will be rewarded with a start in attack, but he faces competition from Anthony Elanga and Jacob Murphy for a start on the right flank.
Nick Woltemade is all but guaranteed to lead the line, though, and he has scored four goals in his five PL matches for Newcastle; the only players to reach five goals in six or fewer appearances for the Magpies are Loic Remy (five), Les Ferdinand and Papiss Cisse (both six).
As for Fulham, Joachim Andersen is ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in the defeat to Arsenal and he is joined in the treatment room by Antonee Robinson (knee), Rodrigo Muniz (muscle) and Samuel Chukwueze (calf).
Harry Wilson (knock) has been absent from training this week and is a doubt (knock), but Sasa Lukic is back “in contention” after missing last weekend’s game with a groin issue, while fellow midfielder Tom Cairney has shaken off a back problem sustained against the Gunners.
In the absence of Anderson, Calvin Bassey is the most likely candidate to play alongside Jorge Cuenca at centre-back, and Lukic could renew his partnership with Sander Berge in centre-midfield, while Alex Iwobi – just one appearance away from 300 in the Premier League – and either Kevin or Adama Traore are set to play on the flanks, providing support for Raul Jimenez up front.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Barnes, Woltemade, Gordon
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Cuenca, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Lukic; Traore, King, Iwobi; Jimenez
We say: Newcastle United 2-0 Fulham
Both teams have experienced inconsistent starts in the Premier League, so a thigh affair could be in store this weekend. However, when you take into consideration Newcastle’s impressive defensive record and how Fulham have struggled in the final third, it is difficult not to back the hosts securing maximum points on this occasion.
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