Match Preview
Hull City vrs Fulham
Championship MatchDay 30 21/22 at MKM Stadium
Saturday 12th February 2022 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire)
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Leaders Fulham square off against Hull City on Saturday afternoon looking to strengthen their position at the top of the Championship standings.
While the Cottagers have won five of their last six fixtures, Hull have suffered two successive defeats, keeping them in relatively close proximity to the relegation zone.
When Marco Silva named a full-strength side for the meeting with Manchester City in the FA Cup, there were question marks over whether his players would be suitably refreshed for the league fixture with Millwall three days later.
The Cottagers proved that those concerns were unwarranted as they earned a 3-0 victory over their London neighbours, extending their unbeaten streak in the Championship to six games.
With five of those matches ending in a Fulham win, Silva's team now sit eight points clear of third position with games in hand, and the Portuguese will feel that his team are edging towards a return to the Premier League.
Aleksandar Mitrovic continued his remarkable campaign earlier this week, the Serbian's double taking him to 30 goals in the Championship this season.
Many team and individual records could go come the end of the campaign, but Silva's sole focus will be on collecting another three points on their travels.
While Hull were superb during Shota Arveladze's first game in charge against Swansea, the Tigers have failed to replicate that level in the following double-header.
Defeats to Preston North End and Derby County have prevented Hull from making quick headway up the standings, instead leaving them with the aim of achieving mid-table respectability.
The Georgian will acknowledge that it will take time for his players to adapt to a new playing style, but they were woefully off the pace as Derby ran riot at Pride Park.
On many levels, this game is the one fixture that Hull would not have wanted right now, although Arveladze and his squad may use it as an opportunity to play with freedom now that expectation levels have lowered considerably over the past week.