- One week before facing Cardiff City in the FA Cup final at Wembley, Portsmouth are in danger of suffering four league defeats on the trot, which they have not done for over two years.
- Pompey have already accrued a club record total of Premier League points in a season, and victory will guarantee their highest finish since third in the top-flight campaign of 1954-55, and ninth in the Premier League last season.
- Portsmouth are unbeaten in five Premier League matches against Fulham (three wins, two draws); the Cottagers have never won a top-flight match at Portsmouth in their history.
- Lost the last three; against Manchester City (a), Blackburn (h) and Middlesbrough (a).
- Not lost four on the spin in 85 outings, since the quartet of defeats between 4 February and 4 March 2006.
- Already banked 57 points, three more than their record total for a season in this league; that being 54 last season.
- Completed six goalless draws this season, more than any other club.
- The only club holding a 100% record when scoring first; won 14 of 14. But only converted four of the seven penalties given; no club has been awarded more.
- Failed to win only one game in which they held the lead. That match, away to Derby on the opening day, ended 2-2. Therefore an unequalled low of just two points have been dropped from winning positions.
- The 0-1 defeat to Blackburn in the last game at the Hampshire club on 27 April, brought an end to a seven-match unbeaten home run. Roque Santa Cruz's goal for Rovers is the only one conceded in four games or 420 minutes (seven hours) of Premier League football at Fratton Park.
- The 0-1 defeat to Blackburn in the last game at the Hampshire club on 27 April,
Hoping to add Fulham to Reading, Bolton, Birmingham, Aston Villa and Wigan as clubs they've done the double over this season.
-
BENJANI Mwaruwari, now a Manchester City player, is Portsmouth's top scorer with 12 Premier League goals.
-
The top scorer amongst current players is Jermain DEFOE with eight. In total he has scored 16 (12 in the Premier League, four of which were for Spurs).
-
DEFOE is the top Premier League scorer currently on the Portsmouth books, with eight.
-
DEFOE needs a double to total 100 career league goals (West Ham, Bournemouth, Tottenham and Portsmouth).
- If selected:-
-
Sean DAVIS will be facing a former club. The 28 year old midfielder made 198 appearances (155 in the league) and scored 20 goals (14 league) for Fulham at the outset of his professional career between July 1998 and July 2004.
-
Pape Bouba DIOP will also come up against former team mates. The 30 year old Senegal international made 84 appearances (76 in the league) and scored nine goals (eight league) for the Cottagers between July 2004 and his move to Portsmouth last August.
| 
| HEAD TO HEAD at PORTSMOUTH |
|
PORTSMOUTH |
Draw |
FULHAM |
| League |
11 |
8 |
4 |
| Premier |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
|
PORTSMOUTH |
Draw |
FULHAM |
| League |
21 |
16 |
10 |
| Premier |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
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Fulham go to Fratton Park eager to pull off three consecutive away wins in the Premier League for the first time ever, which would almost certainly guarantee an eighth successive season at this level and complete one of the all-time great escapes.
-
The Cottagers entered 2008 one off the foot of the table and had stayed there until the 2-0 victory over Birmingham last Saturday, which lifted them out of the relegation zone for the first time since before Christmas. Now Roy Hodgson's side are chasing three wins in a row, something they have not achieved for over two years.
-
Hoping to achieve three successive victories for the first time, since Charlton (h), Wigan (h) and Manchester City (a) were defeated between 15 and 29 April 2006.
- Gained as many points in the last four games (nine), as in the previous 13 put together.
- Won five of 17 league games under Roy Hodgson.
- Even if the last game is won, this will still be a club record low points total for a Premier League campaign, fewer than the 39 of last season, which also resulted in their lowest finish in this league of 16th.
- The next draw will be their 75th all-time in the Premier League.
- Won just seven matches this season; only Derby have won fewer (one).
- Used 33 players; only Derby have fielded more, 35.
- Of the goals they have conceded, 68% have been shipped in the second half; 41 of 60.
- Won only two away all season in the most recent trips, to Reading and Manchester City .
- Clint DEMPSEY, David HEALY and Diomansy KAMARA are Fulham's joint top scorers with six goals each.
- DEMPSEY is the club's leading marksman in the Premier League, with six.
- Chris BAIRD, Paul KONCHESKY, Elliot OMOZUSI, Moritz VOLZ, Hameur BOUAZZA and Leon ANDREASEN have all been sent off. No club has had more than six players dismissed in Premier League competition this season.
- If selected:-
- Dejan STEFANOVIC will be facing a former club. The 33 year old Serbia international made 125 appearances (112 in the league) and scored three league goals for Portsmouth between June 2003 and his £1m move to Craven Cottage last August.
- If on the field from the outset:-
- Simon DAVIES will be making his 50th league start in a Fulham shirt.
- The Cottagers have not beaten Pompey since their 3-1 home triumph on 3 April 2005, when Andrew Cole, Brian McBride and Luis Boa Morte were on target.
- The Thames-side club last won at Fratton Park on 12 February 2000, in the Championship.
|
LAST CORRESPONDING FIXTURE
Fratton Park on 11-11-2006
|
|
| Cole 74 |
Knight 57
|
James, Pamarot, Primus, Campbell, Stefanovic, O'Neil (Thompson, 87 ), Davis, Pedro Mendes, Taylor (Cole, 66 ), Kanu (Benjani, 83 ), LuaLua
Subs not used: Kiely, Andrew O'Brien |
Niemi, Rosenior, Knight, Pearce, Queudrue, Boa Morte, Bocanegra, Claus Jensen (Diop, 86 ), Volz (Routledge, 79 ), Radzinski, McBride (John, 89)
Subs not used Lastuvka, Helguson |
Yellow card:
|
Yellow card:
Knight, Niemi, Queudrue |
Red card:
|
Red card:
|
Attendance:
19563 |
Referee:
S. Bennett (Kent) |
|
|