Match Preview
Fulham vrs Leeds United
Premier League Match Day 30 at Craven Cottage
Friday 19th March 2021 KO: 20:00
Referee:
David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Live on Sky Sports
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Fulham will welcome Leeds United to Craven Cottage in the Premier League on Friday night knowing that a win would see them move above Newcastle United and out of the relegation zone.
The home side will enter the contest off the back of a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, while 12th-placed Leeds held top-four hopefuls Chelsea to a goalless draw last time out.
Earlier this season, it appeared that Fulham were destined for an immediate return to the second tier, but Scott Parker's side have now given themselves a serious opportunity to avoid relegation.
Just two defeats from their last eight Premier League matches has helped them push towards safety, and the capital outfit are currently just two points behind 17th-placed Newcastle in the table, although the Magpies do have a game in hand on the Cottagers and will have two by the time that this game has finished.
Fulham have won three of their last seven in the league, including a famous 1-0 victory at Liverpool on March 7, but they will enter this match off the back of a 3-0 defeat at home to Man City on Saturday.
Parker's team have now lost their last two at Craven Cottage to Tottenham Hotspur and Man City, and they will certainly be wary of what another loss could mean heading into the international break.
The fact that 16th-placed Brighton face Newcastle on Saturday makes this an even bigger game for Fulham, who suffered a 4-3 defeat when they travelled to Elland Road for the reverse clash earlier this season.
Leeds, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a goalless draw with Chelsea, which has to go down as a positive result for Marcelo Bielsa's side considering the quality of the opposition.
The Whites have now won just one of their last six in the Premier League, though, losing four times in that run to Arsenal, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and West Ham United.
Bielsa's team are currently 12th in the table, five points behind 10th-placed Arsenal and 10 points clear of the relegation zone, meaning that the team should still be looking up the table rather than down.
Leeds have actually lost 14 times in the Premier League this season, which is more than Fulham (13), but an impressive 11 wins from 28 matches has allowed them to be comfortably clear of the relegation zone.
The Whites have been victorious in their last two meetings with Fulham by an aggregate score of 7-3, but the Cottagers ran out 2-1 winners when the pair locked horns in London in the Championship last season.
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Fulham have lost just one of their past eight home league matches against Leeds, winning four and drawing three.
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Fulham have kept clean sheets in all three Premier League home games with Leeds.
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Leeds have not scored a top-flight goal at Craven Cottage since a 5-0 victory in January 1968.
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Marcelo Bielsa's side are looking to complete a first league double over Fulham since the 1984-85 season.
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Fulham have been beaten in two of their past three fixtures, as many as in their previous eight games.
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They have lost nine league matches at Craven Cottage; only bottom club Sheffield have been beaten more often at home. All nine of those losses came against clubs currently in the top 11.
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Fulham's only two home league victories this season came against the sides currently below them in the table.
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They have kept clean sheets in six of their past 11 league fixtures.
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Scott Parker's side have scored eight home league goals, fewer than any other side.
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If selected, Aleksandar Mitrovic will make his 100th Premier League appearance.
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Leeds are winless in three league matches, equalling their worst run of the season.
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They have failed to score in four of their past five games, as many as in their first 23 league games this term.
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The Whites are without a Premier League goal in four hours and 36 minutes.
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They have taken 21 points from a possible 24 against the teams currently occupying the bottom seven positions.
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Leeds have lost all five games in London this season, conceding 16 goals.
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They are winless in their past 16 away games in the capital in all competitions, drawing twice and losing 14.
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Patrick Bamford has scored 12 goals in 15 league games played on Fridays, including October's hat-trick at Aston Villa.
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Illan Meslier could become the youngest goalkeeper to record 10 clean sheets in a single Premier League season.