Newcastle and Fulham play their match for the 9th round of the Premier League, at St. James’ Park, home of Newcastle.
Facts
- Fulham won both games against Newcastle last season, overcoming the Magpies 3-1 in London and 1-2 in Newcastle, snapping a four-game away skid with the latter.
- Newcastle has scored in 10 straight games against Fulham in all competitions, 20 goals in total (two per game).
- Despite losing both games against Fulham last season, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has an excellent record against the Cottagers, winning eight of 11 games.
Betting Tip: Newcastle - Fulham
Newcastle has been shaky so far, though they possess much more attacking talent that can lead them to a win. Fulham, on the other hand, is in a bad spot, while their performances away from home have been disappointing. The Magpies’ odds to win are reasonably low, though they are likely to come through.
- Recommendation: Newcastle to win
- Odds: 1.61 (at the time of writing)
Newcastle
They have to be disappointed in Newcastle after a 2-1 defeat away to Brighton. The Magpies started the game rather sluggishly, allowing the hosts to create some good chances, and paid the price in the 41st minute when they were exposed on the counter.
The second half was a different story. Newcastle was clearly the better side, equalising in the 76th minute through a delightful back-heel finish from Woltemade, before Bruno Guimarães missed a glorious chance to take the lead just moments later.
Unfortunately for the Magpies, on Brighton’s only counter-attack, in the 84th minute, they conceded again and could not respond.
That defeat ended Eddie Howe’s team’s brief resurgence, leaving them 14th, six points off the top four. Consistency in performances and results remains elusive, as they have yet to win back-to-back league games.
Balancing Premier League and UEFA Champions League duties remains a challenge, though they have generally coped well after European fixtures. Offensively, they are one-dimensional and overly reliant on newcomer Woltemade, while the defence still inspires little confidence.
Fulham
Fulham were unable to resist Arsenal’s superiority and fell 1-0 at home. The first half hour of the game was somewhat encouraging, as the Cottagers created three decent chances through Wilson and King.
From that point on, however, the visitors took control, creating a series of opportunities late in the first half and early in the second, before finally scoring from a set piece in the 58th minute.
Fulham attempted to respond and went close again through Wilson, but he failed to convert, while Leno was needed late on to prevent a second Arsenal goal.
Marco Silva’s side has now suffered three consecutive league losses, dropping to 15th place. Nonetheless, the club’s board has already opened talks with the Portuguese coach over a contract extension.
The team continues to struggle badly in front of goal, while their defensive cohesion has largely vanished, after being the key to previous positive results. Moreover, they have collected just a single point from four away games so far.
