Fulham – Huddersfield Town preview: An early relegation six-pointer in West London

2019 is not yet here and already we have a dog-fight for Premier League survival as Fulham welcome fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Fulham finds themselves in a position nobody expected at the start of the season as 19th in the table, four points from safety and confronting relegation to the Championship even after a £100 million spending spree before the season.

Huddersfield also find themselves in a fight for Premier League survival, sitting bottom of the table and one point behind Fulham and five points from safety.

A win for either team could be the difference between Premier League survival or relegation back to the Championship.

The form

To put it lightly, the form of the two teams this season has been woeful, to say the least.

Fulham and Huddersfield have only won two games all season, with the Terriers losing their last five. Meanwhile their West London opposition have drawn three of their previous five outings.

New Cottagers manager Claudio Ranieri has improved Fulham’s form since his appointment in mid-November. The Italian has only lost three of his first seven games, but has only won once during his short reign at the club.

This fixture will also pip the lowest scoring team against the worst defensive team in the Premier League, meaning we will either see goals galore or a maximum of one goal during this crucial contest.

The team news

Ranieri will have a near fully fit side for Saturday’s big game. Only midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is unavailable, though he could return for the New Years fixture against Crystal Palace.

Huddersfield also have no new fresh injury concerns, however key players Aaron Mooy and Tommy Smith remain sidelined as does Abdelhamid Sabiri.

The prediction

This game is almost too close to call in all the wrong areas. Both teams need the three points more than any other side in the Premier League, and the loser of the clash will face an even tougher uphill battle if they are not to be relegated at the end of the season.

All signs, though, point to a Fulham win. Ranieri’s side have the all-important home advantage, and their form in the league has been slightly better than Huddersfield’s in recent weeks.

Prediction: Fulham 3-1 Huddersfield Town