This will be Fulham's 38th match of the season, which might help to explain why they have been a team of fits and starts.
They are very good one minute, not so good the next - and this inconsistency is reflected by some of their results at Craven Cottage this season, where they beat QPR 6-0 but also lost 5-0 to Manchester United.
If Fulham play to their full potential, they're capable of stretching Newcastle, but you have to think that the Magpies will go into the game with more confidence, especially after beating QPR last weekend while Martin Jol's side lost to struggling Blackburn.
This is Fulham's first home game since the club submitted their plans to redevelop Craven Cottage, their home since 1896. It's a wonderful old ground, although unfortunately for Fulham a lot of clubs like playing there because it's a very good pitch.
The incentive for Newcastle to play well and get a result there this weekend is that they are within touching distance of the top four, which is a position few people would have predicted at the beginning of the season. It's been a season of three parts for them so far: they were unbeaten in their first 11 games but this was followed by a barren spell of no wins in six - but now they're back on track with three wins in four.
And although he won't figure until after the Africa Cup of Nations, this week's signing of Papiss Cisse shows real ambition from the club - and should please those fans who were worried that the money received from the sale of the likes of Andy Carroll would not get spent on new players.
Head-to-head
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Fulham are aiming for a third consecutive home win over Newcastle.
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Newcastle's last win at Fulham was in December 2007, when they won 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Joey Barton.
Fulham
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Fulham have won only one of their last five league games but been victorious in three of their last four home league fixtures - including against Liverpool and Arsenal.
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While Newcastle have been in the top half of the table all season, Fulham have been in the bottom half since the second game of this campaign.
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Simon Davies could make his 300th Premier League appearance, becoming only the fourth Welsh player to reach this milestone after Ryan Giggs, Gary Speed and Robbie Savage.
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Danny Murphy has scored 49 Premier League goals.
Newcastle
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Newcastle are aiming for a third consecutive victory.
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The Magpies have won just one of their last five league matches away from home - a 2-0 win at Bolton on Boxing Day.
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Newcastle have already won 10 league games - they only won 11 in total in the whole of last season.
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Alan Pardew's side are aiming to keep three consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since April 2008 (when they were managed by Kevin Keegan).
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Seven of Leon Best's 10 Premier League goals have been scored against London clubs - and he scored both in the 2-1 win over Fulham on Tyneside back in August. Demba Ba, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations, has scored half of Newcastle's 30 Premier League games this season.
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Shola Ameobi, who has scored 49 career goals, is poised to make his 250th league appearance for Newcastle.