Fulham head to St. James’ Park in good spirits after extraordinary consecutive 5-0 thrashings of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United transformed the mood around Craven Cottage. Their hosts this weekend, Newcastle United, are having to put a brave face on their heart wrenching elimination from the Champions’ League at the hands of AC Milan in midweek whilst Eddie Howe’s ambitions plans have also been hit by an injury crisis.
Marco Silva’s side, who have looked so toothless and unthreatening in the final third since they sold former Magpies’ centre forward Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi Premier League side Al-Hilal in September, discovered a new-found ruthlessness and flair in two terrific displays in the space of four days. Whilst hammering Forest might have been conceivable given the jeopardy that Steve Cooper finds himself in at the City Ground, the way that the Whites completely gutted the Hammers was something of a surprise; especially as West Ham had become more miserly of late under David Moyes.
A third win in their last matches lifted Fulham to the heady heights of tenth place in the table, but they are still to solidify their promise into the consistency that Silva craves. A third successive five-goal victory seems fanciful in the north east even with all of Newcastle’s turmoil. The Geordies have won all of their last three games against Fulham and are unbeaten against the Whites in the top flight since March 2014. Silva’s side will need to conjure up a sparkling showing akin to the one that Slavisa Jokanovic’s stylish side produced in the north east in March 2017.
Howe’s charges will have to recover from the devastation of their European exit, especially after Joelinton had given United the lead against AC Milan, and the recognition that Champions’ League qualification could have come too soon even if the PIF-funded project is a little too cerebral for the fickle world of football. More likely is that a fervent St. James’ Park will seek a response against the Londoners – with some tabloid tales suggesting that Howe could come under pressure after three straight defeats in all competitions left United down in seventh, only above a resurgent Brighton and Hove Albion on goal difference.
Howe will have to plot the route back to success without the services of England international Kieron Trippier, who is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card of the campaign in the desperate 4-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Sandro Tonali is serving a ban for gambling offences, whilst Nick Pope, Elliot Anderson, Harvey Barnes, Sven Botman, Jacob Murphy, Matt Targett and Joe Willock. Anthony Gordon is nursing a knock after the Champions’ League loss in midweek and will face a late fitness test.
In contrast to Newcastle’s woes, Silva has a virtually fully-fit first team squad to chose from with only Tim Ream and Adama Traore absent through injury. How will the Whites fare? Much will depend on whether they can produce the sort of composed and gritty counter-attacking display that has largely eluded them away from home so far this season.
MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Bassey, Adarabioyo; Palhinha, Reed; Willian, De Cordova-Reid, Pereira; Jimenez. Subs: Rodak, Castagne, Diop, Lukic, Cairney, Wilson, Muniz, Vinicius.
