Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Newcastle United are making a strong return to the elite of English football, having been promoted in the season before last. So far, only one club has managed to take points off them, but the trip to Craven Cottage will not be an easy task.
Fulham
Fulham greatly rely on their home ground. Under the management of Marco Silva, they look significantly more dangerous in front of their home crowd: they rank first in the Premier League for shots (19.5). Away from home, their shot activity drops to 9.5, placing them 16th. In their home game of matchday 4 against West Ham United, the club outperformed their neighbours nearly twice on shots, 21-11, and xG 1.54-0.76, but one goal proved insufficient as they conceded in injury time and couldn’t hold onto the victory. In their last six matches at Craven Cottage, Fulham have failed to score twice, one of which was against Newcastle in April (0:1).
Newcastle United
Newcastle United should be a contender for the Champions League this year. The key is to keep Eddie Howe at the club, although the England national team head coach position is a tempting prospect. So far, things are going well for them. They have scored in every match and dropped points only against Bournemouth away but denied them their full potential (1:1 with 2.26 xGA). Newcastle United themselves have scored slightly more than they have created (6 goals and 5.29 xG). They generate lots of chances regardless of the venue: excluding the anomalous match against Southampton, their minimum xG stands at 1.52.
Fulham vs Newcastle United Prediction
It's also worth noting that in three of their last four meetings in London, Fulham failed to score, with the visitors winning each time. Newcastle's winning streak against Fulham extends to six matches, with a nine-match unbeaten run. We bet on Newcastle United to win, especially since the odds are quite favourable.
