Match Preview
Fulham vrs Preston North End
Championship Match Day 36 19/20 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 29th February 2020 KO: 15:00
Referee:
David Webb (Lancashire)
|
Arguably the pick of this weekend's Championship action will take place at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon as Fulham prepare to welcome Preston North End.
Fulham, who recorded a 1-0 win over Swansea City on Wednesday night, are currently third in the table, while Preston occupy the final playoff position with 11 matches left.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a 94th-minute header as Fulham recorded a 1-0 victory over Swansea on Wednesday night to bounce back from a three-game winless run in the Championship.
The Cottagers are currently third in the table, five points behind second-placed Leeds United and nine points from the leaders West Bromwich Albion, who are well placed to secure a return to the top division.
Fulham are seven points clear of seventh-placed Bristol City, meanwhile, and it is difficult to imagine Scott Parker's side dropping out of promotion contention in the latter stages of the campaign.
In Mitrovic, meanwhile, the Cottagers have arguably the best striker in the second tier. The 25-year-old has scored 23 times in the Championship this term and will fancy his chances of harming Preston this weekend.
Fulham suffered a 2-1 defeat when they travelled to Deepdale earlier this season, but they have only lost one of their last eight matches with Preston in all competitions.
Preston have never played in the Premier League, but there is no question that they are a team to be taken seriously when it comes to the race for promotion this term.
Alex Neil's side are currently sixth in the table, three points clear of seventh-placed Bristol City despite losing two of their last three league matches.
They suffered a 2-0 defeat away to the leaders West Brom on Tuesday night, although three victories from four matches between February 8 and February 22 saw them remain in a strong position in the table.
There is a fascinating race developing when it comes to the playoff positions, and a positive result for Neil's team this weekend would leave them in a strong position ahead of two winnable matches against Queens Park Rangers and Luton Town next month.
-
Fulham have only won one of their last four home league games against Preston (D2 L1), though those four games have been spread between 2000 and 2017.
-
Preston haven't completed a league double over Fulham since the 1994-95 season.
-
Fulham have won six of their last eight home games in all competitions (L2), winning each game by a one-goal margin.
-
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 23 league goals this season, the most by a Fulham player in a single season since Louis Saha scored 27 in 2000-01 when the Cottagers earned promotion to the Premier League.
-
Fulham has won 60% of their last 20 home league games.
-
Of the 12 league games Fulham has won at home, they scored first 11 times.
-
Preston have lost three of their last four away league games in London, winning the other 1-0 against Charlton in November.
-
In their 2-0 defeat to West Brom, Preston failed to land a shot on target for the first time in a Championship game this season.
-
Of the 10 away games Preston has lost, they conceded first 9 times.