Match Preview
Fulham vrs West Bromwich Albion
Premier League Match Day 07 at Craven Cottage
Monday 2nd November 2020 KO: 17:30
Referee:
Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)
Live on Sky Sports Box Office
|
Fulham welcome West Bromwich Albion to Craven Cottage on Monday evening with both clubs still looking for their first Premier League win of the season.
While the visitors have recorded three draws from their last four outings, the Cottagers have suffered three defeats over the same period.
However, despite positives being taken from the performance, the West Londoners ultimately succumbed to a 2-1 defeat, leaving them at the bottom of the table on goal difference.
Given the amount of players which were signed during the summer transfer window, it is likely that Parker will be provided with plenty of time to change the club's fortunes while they remain within touching distance of the teams above them.
That said, a further setback in a game of this magnitude will naturally result in further speculation regarding the Englishman's future, just three months after he guided the club to promotion.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has now gone four top-flight starts without finding the back of a net, a run which will need to end sooner rather than later if Fulham are to make headway up the standings.
Although West Brom find themselves in a similar predicament to their hosts, Slaven Bilic will feel that his Baggies side are in better shape heading into this contest.
As well as holding a two-point advantage over Fulham, the West Midlands outfit are coming off the back of a spirited draw away at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Seagulls boss Graham Potter acknowledged that his side had been fortunate to hold on for a share of the spoils at the Amex Stadium, comments which Bilic will relay to his side ahead of this game.
The well-documented exit of Ahmed Hegazi is a blow for West Brom, but Bilic is currently getting the best out of veteran Branislav Ivanovic.
Just one goal has been conceded in the Premier League since the arrival of the Chelsea legend, whose leadership qualities are going to prove crucial if the club are to remain out of the relegation zone.
-
Fulham are unbeaten in their last nine league meetings with West Brom (W3 D6) since a 1-2 loss in the Premier League in October 2010. However, each of the last four meetings between the two sides has finished level.
-
West Brom haven't won away at Fulham in the league since October 1967 (2-1), drawing seven and losing nine of their 16 visits since then.
-
This is the first Premier League meeting between Fulham and West Brom since the 2013-14 season - in both games that term, Fulham took the lead in the opening 30 minutes, and West Brom levelled the game in the final five minutes.
-
Fulham have lost their last four Premier League home games, including the last match of the 2018-19 campaign, they haven't tasted defeat in five successive PL games at Craven Cottage since August 2013. The Cottagers are also hoping to avoid being the 12th side to lose their opening four English top-flight home games of a campaign.
-
Fulham have made their worst ever start to a top-flight season after the first six games (D1 L5), while their worst performance after the first seven games was during the 1951-52 campaign (D2 L5), when they finished bottom of the table.
-
Fulham have lost their last two Premier League games on Monday, failing to score a single goal. They last endured a longer losing run in the top-flight on Monday back in October 2004 (run of four).
-
Of all managers to have taken charge of more than 15 matches, only Brian Laws (78% - 14 of 18) has a higher loss percentage in Premier League history than Fulham's Scott Parker (75% - 12 of 16).
-
West Brom are one of four teams yet to pick up a victory in the Premier League this season alongside Fulham, Burnley and Sheffield United. The Baggies last failed to win any of their first seven league games to a season in 2004-05 in the Premier League.
-
West Brom have won just one of their 14 Premier League away games played on a Monday (D6 L7), beating Liverpool 2-0 in February 2013.
-
Since the start of 2018-19, only two players currently aged 23 or under have scored more league goals in England's top four tiers than Karlan Grant, who has 38 goals in this period (Jarrod Bowen 42 & Tammy Abraham 41). Indeed, Grant's next strike will be his 50th in league competition.