West Brom are 17th with 12 points and their highest achievable position after Match Day 15 is 14th while the lowest could be 19th.
- WEST BROMWICH ALBION welcome Fulham to the Hawthorns hoping for a less eventful match than the last time the pair locked horns in the west Midlands. The points were shared in a 1-1 draw, but three players were sent off in an ill tempered second half. Fulham's Papa Bouba Diop saw red first, then Neil Clement (Albion) and Andrew Cole (Fulham) were both dismissed for their part in a late mass brawl involving almost every player on the pitch.
- Albion have won exactly a sixth of their matches in the Premiership - 15 of 90 all time. At home this season they've scored 12 goals and conceded 12, losing four of seven engagements. Another defeat here could see the Baggies back in the relegation zone by the end of the day.
- West Brom are looking for their 30th League victory over Fulham, and the Cottagers are chasing a 20th League maximum over the Baggies. They've already met this season, with Albion winning a Carling Cup tie 2-3 at Craven Cottage on 25 October. Junichi Inamoto fired the Midlanders into the fourth round with a stunning extra-time winner, against the club he used to play for.
- Secured one win in five Premiership matches, and just two in 12.
- Lost eight of the last dozen top flight outings.
- Scored six goals in two League games.
- Failed to score in three of the last five Premier League contests, and in four of the last seven.
- Opened the scoring in four Premiership games. Only Birmingham have led the way less often (three times).
- The 4-0 win over Everton in the last home game on 19 November was the only clean sheet in the highest League since the goalless draw on the opening day at Manchester City.
- Completed 13 top flight engagements without a goalless draw.
- Won two of the last three home Premiership matches (against Arsenal and Everton).
- The 0-3 loss to Newcastle in the last but one game at the Hawthorns is the only occasion Albion have failed to score at home this season.
- If he participates, Geoff HORSFIELD will be playing against his former club.
- Junichi INAMOTO used to play for Fulham when on loan from Gamba Osaka.
- Robert EARNSHAW is a hat trick shy of 100 English League goals.
- EARNSHAW is one short of 100 goals in the English and Scottish Leagues (Cardiff, Morton and West Brom).
- Nathan ELLINGTON, who's scored three in his last two Premiership appearances for Albion, needs three more to total 100 in his League career.
- If he gets a run out, Andy JOHNSON will be making his 100th appearance in top flight soccer.
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| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
| |
WBA |
Draw |
Fulham |
| League |
29 |
12 |
19 |
| Premier |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
| HEAD TO HEAD at WBA |
| |
WBA |
Draw |
Fulham |
| League |
18 |
5 |
7 |
| Premier |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
Fulham are 14th with 15 points and their highest achievable position after Match Day 15 is 12th while the lowest could be 17th.
- FULHAM have been alternating victory and defeat in the Premiership since 22 October. A loss against West Brom would see that inconsistent form remain consistent, and a clear three goal defeat would allow the Baggies to overtake them in the top table. But Fulham are good starters. Only Chelsea have opened the scoring in more Premiership matches than the Cottagers this season (10 to Fulham's nine).
- The Cottagers have won exactly a third of their League games since Chris Coleman took permanent charge (30 of 90). But like West Brom, they've not managed a maximum on the road this season, and lie at the foot of the Premiership's "away" table - claiming two pounds from a possible 21 from 1-1 draws at Newcastle and Charlton. They're coming off a 2-1 home win over Bolton, but have not recorded back-to-back victories in 14 Premiership matches since the end of the last campaign, and need to score three times to take their total of Premier League goals to 200.
- The Londoners have lost one and drawn one of their two previous Premiership visits to the Hawthorns. They last claimed three points there on 9 December 2000, with a 1-3 success in the Nationwide Division One, when the Cottagers went on to be promoted as champions. Fulham last won a top flight exchange at the west Midlands club over 45 years ago, eclipsing the Baggies 2-4 on 27 August 1960.
- Won two of the last three Premiership outings.
- Scored two goals in each of the last three Premiership matches.
- Kept one clean sheet in 10 League games, but none in the last four.
- Opened the scoring in nine Premiership games. Only Chelsea can beat that with 10.
- Managed just three shut-outs in 14 attempts this League season.
- Failed to score in three League games this term, and only in one of the last seven (1-0 loss at Wigan on 29 October).
- Completed 11 Premiership matches since losing by more than a single goal (1-4, away to Arsenal on 24 August).
- Completed 13 top flight matches since a no score draw (home to Birmingham on the opening day, 13 August).
- Effectively dropped more points from winning positions than any other club in the Premiership this season.
- Drawn two and lost three matches in which they were leading, meaning that 13 points had fallen by the wayside.
- Scored more goals in the first quarter of Premiership matches than any other club (seven).
- One of only two clubs still to win away from home in the Premiership. The other is West Brom.
- Conceded 13 goals on their top League travels - only Blackburn have leaked that many away from home.
- Lost the last two on the road at Wigan (1-0) and Middlesbrough (3-2).
- Played seven League games away from Craven Cottage since a victory.
- Won only one of the last 14 Premiership matches on the road.
- Lost on their Premiership travels 10 times in the last 14 trips.
- Not kept a clean sheet in 18 away Premiership games since the 0-1 win at Norwich on 4 December.
- The block-out at Carrow Road was Fulham's only clean sheet in 26 League games away from the Cottage.
- Scored more than a single goal once in seven away top tier contests (the 3-2 loss at Blackburn on 20 November).
- Collins JOHN has netted four goals in seven Premiership matches.
- If he plays, Mark PEMBRIDGE will be making his 50th appearance for the Thames-side club.
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LAST CORRESPONDING GAME -
18 September 2004
West Brom 1-1 Fulham |
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