Match Preview
Preston North End vrs Fulham
Championship Match Day 20 2122 at Deepdale
Saturday 27th November 2021 KO: 12:30
Referee:
Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire)
Live on SkySports
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Although Fulham have been far from a one-man team this season, the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic against Derby County suggested otherwise as they failed to find the back of the net against the bottom-placed side.
Despite credit needing to be given to their opponents, Marco Silva would have been bitterly disappointed with being held to a goalless draw by the Rams.
On a positive note, none of their direct rivals took advantage, but the Portuguese will only feel extra reliant on top goalscorer Mitrovic heading into the Christmas period.
Summer arrival Rodrigo Muniz was making his first start in the second tier of English football, and the 20-year-old found it considerably more difficult to when he netted twice as a substitute against 10-man Blackburn Rovers earlier this month.
Silva would been satisfied with another clean sheet being added to their tally, Fulham now shutting out the opposition in six of their last seven matches.
Consistency has prevented Preston from living up to their potential this season, but Frankie McAvoy will feel that his squad are beginning to find an extra gear.
Tuesday's triumph at the Riverside Stadium represented their fourth victory in seven games, while it was the second time that they had overturned a one-goal deficit during that period.
Emil Riis Jakobsen added his eighth Championship goal of the campaign in the North-East, while Ched Evans contributed his first after barely featuring since August.
While Fulham will likely prove to be one of their tougher tests this season, Preston will take confidence from defeating their title rivals Bournemouth as recently as November 3.
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Fulham have won five of their last seven league meetings with Preston (D1 L1) with this their first encounter since February 2020, a 2-0 win for the Whites.
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Preston North End have won just two of their last 13 league games against Fulham (D3 L8), though they did win their last home game against the Whites in December 2019.
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Fulham have won their last three away league matches by an aggregate score of 12-0. The Cottagers have never won four in a row on the road without conceding in their Football League history.
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Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been involved in 12 goals in his nine away Championship appearances this season (9 goals, 3 assists). The Serbian has scored seven goals in six appearances against Preston in all competitions, including five in three at Deepdale.
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Preston North End lost their last home league match against Cardiff, having led 1-0. The Lilywhites haven’t lost back-to-back home games since February, when they lost to two teams no longer in the Championship – Rotherham United and Watford.