Match Preview
Newcastle United v Fulham
Premier League Match Day 18 1819 at St James' Park
Saturday 22nd December 2018 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Martin Atkinson(West Yorkshire)
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Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic will return to Newcastle, when Fulham travel to St James' Park on Saturday, looking to prove a point against his former club, with new Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri hoping the Serbia striker can make a big impact back on familiar ground.
Ranieri insisted, however, that the only reason Mitrovic's Newcastle spell did not quite work out was purely down to the time it takes to acclimatise to English football.
"When you play in another country you can touch the ball two, three times," said Ranieri. "When you play in England one touch is too much, you have to play half-touch.
"That's it. And the player who came in had to think about it. You try to transmit this but only the experience, you need six months, maybe one year to understand this.
"I hope when a player goes back to his previous club he wants to show something more. I hope everything for Aleksandar, believe me, I pray.
"Aleksandar in Newcastle didn't do a very good job because when a player comes from another country it's not easy to adapt immediately to English football.
"But in Fulham he's adapted very, very well. And I hope he can do a very outstanding match. I don't know if they will give a warm welcome to Aleksandar but I hope Aleksandar will make a very good match."
Newcastle however will be looking to secure a second straight Premier League victory.
Newcastle head into the game having climbed to 14th place in the table as a result of their win at Huddersfield, although with Liverpool and Manchester United waiting in the wings over the Christmas period, Benitez knows how quickly things can change.
He said: "I think we are doing well, but always when I talk about this league, the top sides are so strong that when you have a bad run because you play two or three of them in a row, then everything seems difficult.
"But after, maybe you have two or three games that you can win and you get the points and it seems that everything is fine."
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Newcastle could lose four consecutive matches versus Fulham for the first time since 1982.
- The Cottagers are vying to win consecutive league away matches against Newcastle for just the second time.
- The last seven Premier League meetings have ended in a home victory, while four of the last five fixtures have ended 1-0.
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Fulham won on their last visit to face Newcastle at St. James' Park in March 2017, winning 3-1. The Whites had netted just two goals in their previous six trips before netting three last time out
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Fulham have won just one of their last 14 Premier League matches (D3, L10).
- The Cottagers are without a clean sheet in 21 Premier League games, conceding at least twice in 18 of those fixtures.
- They have conceded 42 goals after 17 games - only relegated Barnsley, with 47 in 1997, have let in more at this stage of a Premier League campaign.
- A defeat for Fulham would mean they spend Christmas day bottom of the table. Only three Premier League teams in that position in 26 seasons have gone on to avoid relegation.
- They could lose 13 of their opening 18 fixtures of a league campaign for the first time.
- The Cottagers have been defeated in eight of their nine Premier League away fixtures, with their only point coming at Brighton in September.
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Newcastle's seven home defeats this season is the most of any team in the top four English divisions.
- However, the Magpies' win at Huddersfield last weekend was a fourth victory in seven league matches, having failed to win any of the opening 10.
- Newcastle have won only one of their last nine Premier League matches against promoted opposition (D2, L6), 1-0 at home to Huddersfield in March.
- Rafael Benitez is yet to lose a Premier League home game against Fulham (W4, D3), with his teams keeping a clean sheet in the past five meetings.
- Salomon Rondon has scored four goals in his last six Premier League games, as many as he managed in his previous 24.