Fulham face final heartache in Herts

Fulham visit Watford on Tuesday with defeat ensuring their relegation to the Championship. If they win their last six games, they can still reach 35 points, two ahead of the current total of Brighton, Southampton and Burnley. However a loss at Watford would make 32 their maximum possible total, leaving them incapable of finishing out of the bottom three places.

Both sides enter the fray on the back of defeats to Manchester clubs.

Fulham lost 2-0 at home to Manchester City after giving the ball away with alarming frequency inside their own half despite the returns of Maxime Le Marchand, Cyrus Christie and Ryan Sessegnon to the starting XI. They lost both goals very early leaving the Citizens to finish the game on cruise control. However, the result still left an astonishing 103 goals between their respective goal differences, with City on +60. Their eight goal lead over Liverpool may be enough to give them the edge should the two northern clubs finish level on points but they might possible have cause to regret being more clinical.

Watford played quite well at Old Trafford but still fell 2-1 to Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s resurgent Manchester United. Nonetheless, they will see this fixture as a fine opportunity to reestablish themselves as the ‘best of the rest’, with a win projecting the Hornets back up to seventh ahead of Wolves, Leicester and Everton.

HISTORY

The sides have drawn all three of their Premier League battles with a 3-3 draw at Vicarage Road in October 2006 clearly being the highlight. Marlon King and two Ashley Young goals gave Watford their goals. Brian McBride Heidur Helguson and a Damien Price own goal answered for Fulham. The return match finished goalless.

Earlier this season, the sides drew 1-1 in South West London. Andre Gray scored early for the visitors before Aleksandr Mitrovic equalised.

TEAM NEWS

Mitrovic sat out the Manchester City game and is hopeful for a return on Tuesday. Alfie Mawson is still out. Tom Cleverley is not expected to be fit in time for Watford.

FORM

Fulham were terrible on Saturday and the score flattered them. City had 24 shots and Fulham seemed to have accepted their relegation meekly. They have lost their last eight games, scoring just four goals and conceding 19.

Watford have won four of the last seven with those losses being to Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool. Having previously lose only to Spurs and Chelsea, they haven’t lost to a side outside the top six since December 1st when Leicester beat them 2-0. That means they are unbeaten in 15 games excluding those against the big boys.

PREDICTION

Watford 4  :  1 Fulham