Leeds out to dent Fulham survival surge at Craven Cottage

Fulham take on Leeds United at Craven Cottage on Friday night in the Premier League in a game that they will feel they need tom be picking up all the points if they are to continue to push for survival in the top flight.

Fulham have only lost two of their last eight in the premiership and are a changed outfit compared to the start of the season. Last time out in the league the Cottagers were defeated by Champions elect Manchester City at home 0-3, where as Leeds held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road on Saturday and have failed to register a win in the Premier League at Craven Cottage in their history.

Despite the disappointing defeat to City, Fulham have have won three of their last seven in the league including an astonishing 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield. Scott Parker’s men know a win over Leeds would move them above Newcastle and out of the bottom three, though the Magpies would have two games in hand.

This game is huge for Fulham who’s last two home defeats were against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City and having lost out earlier in the season 4-3 at Elland Road, they know just how crucial this fixture could prove to be heading into the international break.

Leeds off the back of their decent home draw to Chelsea will be certainly looking to build on that result with only one win in their previous five matches in the top flight and have actually lost more games (14) than Fulham (13) this season, but have tasted victory six more times than the Cottagers with 11 wins to their name and are at a comfortable distance from the drop zone in their first season back in the Premier League since 2004.

Bielsa’s side have been victorious in their last two meetings with the London side with an aggregate score of 7-3 but it was a 2-1 win for Fulham in the Championship last season when the two sides met at Craven Cottage. Top goal scorer Patrick Bamford will also be setting his sights on getting back amongst the goals, having failed to net in his last three appearances.

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For Fulham they are still without skipper Tom Cairney and the services of Mark Rodak however may welcome a return to the squad for Bobby Decordova-Reid who missed out in last Saturday’s defeat to Manchester City. January signing Josh Maja will also hope to make way to the starting XI having started as a sub last week with Ademola Lookman likely to start out wide alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the no.10 position.

The visitors will be without Pablo Hernandez, Leif Davis and Adam Forshaw all due to injury and captain Liam Cooper will once again miss out unfortunately because of illness, with Rodrigo also likely to miss out due to a muscle injury suffered in training, meaning the Whites will be heavily reliant on star men Raphinha and Bamford to deliver the goals.

 

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