Big
match facts from BBCSport 
FULHAM play their 150th match in the Premier
League happy in the knowledge that their top flight
status has now been secured. They lie immediately below
Newcastle in the table, and victory would see them leapfrog
the Magpies and draw away from Portsmouth, with whom
they are tied on points, games won, games drawn, goals
scored and goals conceded, but they have this game in
hand.
- The Cottagers, who have claimed 100 Premiership
points since Chris Coleman became caretaker manager,
are now in search of a 25th League victory since Coleman
was appointed permanently this month, two years ago.
Although only seven points above the bottom three, the
Thames-side club have won four and drawn three of their
seven Premiership engagements at the Cottage in 2005.
- Steed Malbranque scored twice as Fulham shocked
Newcastle with a 1-4 victory at St James' Park in the
reverse fixture on 7 November last year. It handed manager
Graeme Souness his first home defeat since taking charge
two months earlier. Fulham can therefore complete their
first ever 'double' over Newcastle with victory here.
Recorded one win in five - all Premiership
- Completed just two victories in 11 League outings.
- Lost 17 top flight matches. Only Crystal Palace
(19) and Southampton and Norwich (18 each) have lost
more.
- Conceded the opening goal 22 times in top flight
matches this term - only Norwich (24) have allowed the
opposition to score first more often.
- Lost the lead only five times in top flight games
this term. No club has surrendered the advantage more
often.
- Undefeated in nine home games in all competitions.
- Won six and drawn three League and Cup matches
at the Cottage since losing by the odd goal in five
to Birmingham in the Premiership on 28 December.
- Unbeaten in seven home Premiership matches.
- Won four and drawn three League games at Craven
Cottage since the defeat to Birmingham.
- Scored 22 home goals in the top table. Only West
Brom (15) Crystal Palace (19) and Blackburn (20) have
netted on fewer occasions in front of the home faithful.
- Need to score two to total 100 goals in home Premier
League matches all-time.
- Andrew COLE and Alain GOMA are former Newcastle
players, while Lee CLARK began his professional career
with the Magpies.
- If on the field for the kick off, GOMA will be
making his 100th League start for Fulham.
- Luis BOA MORTE is a hat trick shy of scoring 50
goals for Fulham.
NEWCASTLE UNITED have struggled to pick up a
victory since their season, which promised so much,
disintegrated less than three weeks ago. Elimination
from the Uefa Cup and FA Cup in included is a run of
seven winless games. Indeed the Toon have only witnessed
one victory in 10 League and Cup outings since their
beloved Magpies completed a highly impressive string
of eight victories.
- A point each from back-to-back home goalless draws
against Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace have taken
Newcastle's all time total of Premiership points to
exactly 200. They go into their 50th League and Cup
game under Graeme Souness, looking for a first win in
11 games on the road in all competitions.
- They've lost their last five away from St James,
including the last three in the Premiership. Maximum
points from this game would lift them into the top 12,
but it would be their first away League victory since
defeating Crystal Palace 0-2 at Selhurst Park on 20
November.
- Alan Shearer inspired Newcastle to a storming comeback
in last season's corresponding fixture, after Fulham
had gone two up inside seven minutes with goals from
Magpies old boys Lee Clark and Louis Saha. But Newcastle
powered their way back as Shearer made one and scored
two to win a thriller 2-3. Drawn the last two - both
goalless - both Premiership.
- Not won in seven in all competitions.
Lost five of the last seven League and Cup matches.
- Drawn two and lost five since beating Sporting in
the first leg of the Uefa Cup quarter-final at St James'
Park on 7 April.
- Managed one win in 10 League and Cup games, since
reeling off eight victories in a row.
- Drawn 13 times in this Premiership campaign. Only
West Brom (15) and Blackburn (14) have finished on level
terms more often.
- Won eight, drawn 11 and lost 11 of the 30 Premiership
games played under Souness.
- Managed six clean sheets in this Premiership campaign.
Only Portsmouth and Norwich have kept fewer (five each).
- Failed to score in nine Premiership games. Just
Arsenal (three), Chelsea (five) and Bolton (eight) have
missed the target on fewer occasions.
- Scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premiership
duels this season than any other club (nine).
- Only club to lose all Premiership matches in which
the opening goal has been conceded. The opposition has
scored first and gone on to win in 11 games.
- Not won a League game in which they were behind.
- Gained just one point when in arrears (2-2 away
to Birmingham on 3 October).
- Still the Premiership's least resilient side having
failed to win 13 matches in which they were in front
(10 drawn, three lost).
- Lost the lead 19 times in top division encounters
- that's more often than any other club.
- Lost all seven highest League matches in which behind
at half time.
- Lost the last five League and Cup matches away
from home.
- Not won in 10 on their Premiership travels, losing
the last three at Tottenham, Norwich and Manchester
United.
- Drawn four and lost six League games on the road
since beating Crystal Palace 0-2 on 20 November.
- The victory at Selhurst Park is the only time maximum
points have been claimed in 14 away from home.
|
|
| OPTA Stats
from Premiership games |
| |
Fulham |
Toon |
+/- |
| Games Played |
35 |
35 |
|
| |
| Goal Attempts |
| Goals |
42 |
43 |
-1 |
| Ave Goals per game |
1.20 |
1.23 |
|
| Shots (excl blocked shots) |
335 |
366 |
-31 |
| Ave Shots per game |
9 |
10 |
-1 |
| % Shots on Target |
41% |
41% |
|
| % Goals to Shots |
13% |
12% |
|
|
| Passing |
| Total Passes |
11307 |
13631 |
-2324 |
| Ave Passes per game |
323 |
389 |
-66 |
|
| Crossing |
| Total Crosses |
711 |
928 |
-217 |
| Ave Crosses per game |
20 |
24 |
-7 |
|
| Defending |
| Clean Sheets |
7 |
6 |
+1 |
| Goals Conceded |
56 |
53 |
+3 |
| Ave goals conceded per
game |
1.60 |
1.51 |
|
| Tackles |
1113 |
1024 |
+89 |
| Ave Tackles per game |
32 |
29 |
+3 |
| Tackles Won % |
75% |
72% |
|
| Discipline |
| Fouls |
499 |
493 |
+6 |
| Yellow Cards |
54 |
53 |
+1 |
| Fouls per Yellow Card |
9.2 |
9.3 |
|
| Red Cards |
6 |
4 |
+2 |
| |
|
| Top
Opta Teams (after 35 games) |
| Aspect |
Top Team |
Fulham |
Toon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Goals Scored |
Arsenal |
76 |
13th |
42 |
9th |
43 |
| Shots onTarget |
Man Utd |
211 |
14th |
137 |
11th |
150 |
| Shots Attempted |
Man Utd |
482 |
13th |
335 |
10th |
366 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Passes Made |
Arsenal |
17299 |
18th |
11307 |
5th |
13631 |
| Crosses |
Man Utd |
1116 |
18th |
711 |
5th |
928 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Goals Conceded |
Chelsea |
13 |
16th |
56 |
13th |
53 |
| Tackles Made |
Charlton |
1269 |
12th |
1113 |
20th |
1024 |
| Tackles Won |
Charlton |
914 |
10th |
831 |
19th |
742 |
| Clean Sheets |
Chelsea |
24 |
16th |
7 |
18th |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Fouls Conceded |
Arsenal |
443 |
12th |
499 |
10th |
493 |
| Yellow Cards |
Norwich |
33 |
17th |
54 |
16th |
53 |
| Fouls per yellow |
Norwich |
16.4 |
17th |
9.2 |
16th |
9.3 |
| Red Cards |
Chelsea |
0 |
20th |
6 |
16th |
4 |
| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
| |
Fulham |
Draw |
Toon |
| League |
18 |
11 |
16 |
| Premier |
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
| HEAD TO HEAD at Fulham |
| |
Fulham |
Draw |
Toon |
| League |
12 |
5 |
5 |
| Premier |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
Fulham
year on year Opta Stats comparison
(after 35 games) |
| Aspect |
04/05 |
03/04 |
|
| Goals Scored |
13th |
42 |
5th |
49 |
| Shots onTarget |
14th |
137 |
7th |
175 |
| Shots Attempted |
13th |
335 |
10th |
371 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Passes Made |
18th |
11307 |
9th |
12472 |
| Crosses Attempted |
18th |
711 |
19th |
672 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Goals Conceded |
16th |
56 |
8th |
44 |
| Tackles Made |
12th |
1113 |
1st |
1194 |
| Tackles Won |
10th |
831 |
1st |
899 |
| Clean Sheets |
16th |
7 |
3rd |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Fouls Conceded |
12th |
499 |
6th |
497 |
| Yellow Cards |
17th |
54 |
15th |
62 |
| Fouls per yellow |
17th |
9.2 |
11th |
8.0 |
| Red Cards |
20th |
6 |
11th |
3 |
COME ON FULHAM!! |