Fulham are 14th with 29 points
and their highest achievable position
after Match Day 26 is 13th while
the lowest could be 16th.
- FULHAM against West Bromwich Albion is a contest between two sides separated by two places and three points in the lower reaches of the Premiership table. Both are desperate to stay clear of trouble but still in danger being sucked into the end-of-season dogfight. The Londoners are in the healthier position, but have been alternating between victory and defeat for the last month and must win today to maintain that sequence.
- Defeat to Orient in the FA Cup is the Cottagers' only loss in eight League and Cup matches at Craven Cottage. They're challenging for a fourth successive home Premiership maximum, but are one of the least resilient clubs in the top flight. Chris Coleman's side have contrived to lose three matches and draw three from winning positions, and have also lost nine of the 10 matches in which the opposition has scored first.
- The Cottagers are defending a 100% home Premiership record against West Brom, winning two out of two without conceding. The Londoners won 3-0 in February 2003 and 1-0 in January last year, through a Papa Bouba Diop stoppage-time header.
- Lost 4-2 at Manchester United last Saturday, but not suffered consecutive defeats in 17 Premiership matches since beaten by Spurs (h) and Manchester United (h) on 26 September and 1 October.
- Failed to score in one of the last nine Premiership matches (1-0 defeat at Portsmouth on New Year's Eve).
- Gone 10 League games since a goalless draw, and that was at West Brom on 3 December.
- Gone 15 highest League encounters since a win by more than one goal (2-0, home to Liverpool on 22 October).
- Lost the lead in top tier encounters this season more often than any other club - 10 times.
- Gained just one point from a losing position this season (3-3 home draw with Aston Villa on 28 December).
- Conceded 14 goals in the first half hour of Premiership matches this term - that's more than any other club.
- Leaked four goals in stoppage time. Only Middlesbrough have shipped more after 90 top flight minutes have passed on the clock (six).
- 26 of Fulham's 29 points have been secured at Craven Cottage - the widest such dichotamy in the highest division.
- Beat Sunderland, Newcastle and Spurs in their last three League games on home turf.
- Won seven top flight games and drawn one at the Cottage since Manchester United's 2-3 victory on 1 October.
- Dropped only two points from the last 24 available at home.
- Kept clean sheets in the last two at the Cottage, and not shipped a goal in 263 minutes (four hours 23 minutes) of Premiership football on home territory since Liam Lawrence's early score for Sunderland on 2 January.
- If he plays, Alain GOMA will be making his 150th English League appearance (Newcastle and Fulham).
- If on the field from the outset, Niclas JENSEN will be making his 50th appearance in English top flight football.
- If he lines up for the opening whistle, Moritz VOLZ will be making his 100th start for an English club.
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LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME -
16 January 2005
Fulham 1-0 West Brom |
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West Brom are 16th with 26 points
and their highest achievable position
after Match Day 26 is 14th while
the lowest could be 17th
- WEST BROMWICH ALBION will overtake Fulham if they can win by two clear goals. They beat Blackburn at home 2-0 last time out, but have been unable to complete back-to-back victories in 32 Premiership matches since they beat Charlton (a) and Everton (h) on 19 March and 3 April respectively.
- The Baggies' return is fractionally more than a point a game this season, although under Bryan Robson they've claimed 51 points from 51 Premiership outings. Fulham may be the only club without an away top flight victory this season, but Albion's form on the road is not much better. The 0-1 success at Wigan on 15 January is their only League victory away from the Hawthorns this term and only maximum in 16 away since 10 April. Although they've scored just four goals to Fulham's 11 away from home, Robson's side are fourth bottom in the top tier "away" table.
- This is the third meeting of these clubs this season. Albion needed extra time to knock Fulham out of the Carling Cup at the third round stage with a 2-3 victory on 25 October. Junichi Inamoto got the winner in the 99th minute. Albion's Paul Robinson was sent off in the 120th minute. There was also a red card in the League meeting at the Hawthorns in December but no goals. Fulham held on for a point after Portuguese forward Luis Boa Morte got his marching orders in first half stoppage time for two bookable offences. The Baggies have won only one of 14 League trips to Fulham - that being a 1-2 top flight triumph on 7 October 1967.
- The last three matches - all Premiership - have resulted in a loss, a draw and a win, in that order.
- Kept clean sheets in three of the last four Premiership outings.
- Gone 11 League games since a score draw (2-2 at Middlesbrough on 27 November).
- Never had 26 points after the first 25 matches of a Premier League season before. The previous best to this identical stage was 20 points in 2002/03. They also had 21 points after the first 26 matches that season - again a club Premiership best - already beaten by this season's performance.
- Failed to score in 12 Premiership matches this season. Only Newcastle exceed that - mssing the target in 13.
- Lost nine of the dozen matches in which they've failed to successfully find the target.
- Opened the scoring in only eight top flight matches this term. Only Middlesbrough and Birmingham have taken the lead in fewer games (seven each).
- Lost six of the last nine away Premiership matches, but the most recent two have resulted in a win and a draw.
- Failed to score in nine top tier encounters on the road this season, including four of the last five.
- If he participates, Geoff HORSFIELD will be playing against one of his former clubs.
- Junichi INAMOTO was once on loan at Fulham from Gamba Osaka.
- Nathan ELLINGTON, needs three more to total 100 in his League career (Bristol Rovers, Wigan and West Brom).
- If involved, Darren CARTER will be making his 50th career Premiership appearance.
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| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
|
Fulham |
Draw |
West Brom |
| League |
19 |
13 |
29 |
| Premier |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
| HEAD TO HEAD at FULHAM |
| |
Fulham |
Draw |
West Brom |
| League |
12 |
7 |
11 |
| Premier |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
|