Match Preview
Preston North End vrs Fulham
Championship Match Day 21 1920 at Deepdale
Tuesday 10th December 2019 KO: 19:45
Referee:
Keith Stroud (Hampshire)
Live on Sky
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Preston North End will look to keep up with the playoff spots when they meet promotion candidates Fulham in the Championship at Deepdale on Tuesday.
The home side find themselves one point off the playoff positions following a 2-0 defeat to Queen's Park Rangers, while Fulham will be desperate to recover from a shock 2-1 home loss to Bristol City.
Under Alex Neil, Preston have discovered a level of performance that was unheard of to the club during its period in League One between 2011 and 2015.
The Lancashire side started the season impressively, winning five of their opening eight fixtures, which took them to third in the table and forced people to consider them for promotion.
However, the loss to QPR serves as the club's fourth straight defeat - including a 4-0 humbling at the hands of Hull City - and threatens to kill the club's early-season momentum completely.
Indeed, as any Championship follower will tell you, removing yourself from a slump in form can be extremely difficult - especially in a Christmas period during which games come thick and fast.
The meeting with a vengeful Fulham side, therefore, could either become an enormous galvanising influence or push Preston deeper into their current quagmire.
Following a run of four straight victories, the defeat at home to Bristol came as a shock to the Cottagers, who are looking to bounce straight back into the Premier League after suffering relegation last season.
Under former midfielder Scott Parker, who took over in late February, the West London are certainly building something promising after learning several lessons from last season's poor campaign in the top flight.
There is a core group of players - including the likes of Alfie Mawson, Tom Cairney, Anthony Knockaert - with strong experience of this division who can become the foundation for more consistent performances as Fulham continue to develop under Parker.
Moreover, they are blessed with the excellent form of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has 15 goals in the Championship this season and whose qualities would not look out of place in most Premier League sides.
Against a Preston team currently experiencing a poor patch of form, Mitrovic and the rest will view Tuesday's game as a perfect opportunity to make a return to winning ways.
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Fulham's last three league visits to Preston have all ended 2-1 to the Cottagers, their best-ever away winning run against the Lilywhites.
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Preston are winless in seven league meetings with Fulham (D3 L4), a run stretching back to December 2000.
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Preston has won 50% of their last 20 home league games and Fulham has lost 55% of their last 20 away league games.
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After a run of four straight league wins, Fulham lost their last Championship match against Bristol City at the weekend. They've not lost back-to-back games in a season at this level since November 2017.
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The Championship's leading scorer this season Aleksandar Mitrovic (15 goals) has netted 10 goals in his past 10 appearances for Fulham.
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Of the 11 away games Fulham has lost, they conceded first 9 times.
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Having lost just three of their opening 16 Championship games this season, Preston have now lost their past four in a row, failing to score each time.
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No side has won more points at home in the Championship this season than Preston (23).
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Preston last kept a clean sheet at home 7 games ago, and have kept 6 clean sheets in their last 20 home games.
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Of the 10 league games Preston has won at home, they scored first 9 times.