Fulham FC
West Bromwich Albion FC
West Bromwich Albion FC
Fulham host West Brom in desperate battle for points near the bottom
West Brom to win 2-1
Two of only four sides not to have won a game so far this season, Fulham and West Brom are desperate for points however they can get them.
Fulham’s only point came from a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Sheffield United and so far have not looked like taking three points from any of their games.
They are looking short of ideas in front of goal, even with last year’s top scorer in the championship, Mitrovic, up front.
If results do not soon pick up, manager Scott Parker may be doomed for the sack before Christmas.
As for West Brom, they have managed three points, all from draws and have looked marginally better than their opponents this weekend.
They have taken points from three of their last four games and with the experience of their manager Slaven Bilic, they have more hope of survival this season.
The desperation for points should make this an interesting game.
Form Guide (all comps): LLLDL
Reasons to be cheerful:
Fulham’s best chance to gain points is from teams around them
They’ve scored in their previous two matches
Reasons to be fearful:
Alongside Liverpool and West Brom, have conceded the most goals this season
Neither their attack or defence looks capable of Premier League survival
As good as Aleksander Mitrovic has been in the Championship, he has not shown himself capable of leading a Premier League team successful in the two seasons that Fulham have been promoted.
A top striker can make the difference between survival and relegation and Fulham must realise that more goals are required. Their five goals scored is the second-lowest in the league.
Even worse is their defensive record, conceding a league-high 14 goals. These numbers do not bode well for Scott Parker’s men.
At the very least, they must take as many points as possible from the teams around them battling relegation, but they are up against a side who have taken three points from their last four games.
Fulham will be up for this, but they must show more quality.
Star Man – Aleksander Mitrovic
Top scorer for Fulham with three goals but must score with more consistency.
Form Guide (all comps): LDLDD
Reasons to be cheerful
Shown better form in recent games
Scored more goals than their opponents
Reasons to be fearful
Have conceded as many goals as Fulham
Won just one of their last 14 games on a Monday
While still only in 17th place, West Brom have at least looked slightly more likely to make a good go of things this season than their opponents.
They have shown more resilience, a key characteristic for survival in the Premier League, shown by scoring a late equaliser last weekend to earn a point at Brighton.
Points against Chelsea and Burnley have also shown promise, though they will be under no illusions that their defensive record is any better than their opponents – they have conceded the same number of goals.
They are missing Hal Robson-Kanu through injury, but still have others who can pop up with goals, such as Robinson, Diangana and Grant.
On form, they are probably slight favourites to edge this one.
Star Man – Callum Robinson
He is their top scorer with three and has been one of their better players this season
A battle at the bottom could turn into a scrap
Unlikely to be a game of great quality
Will be separated by a goal
A win for either side could set them on a course for recovery, particularly with the games coming thick and fast into November and beyond.
Neither side has looked fantastic, but West Brom have at least come into this in slightly better form, with three points from their last four.
Fulham are at home, but it may not count for much in the absence of fans, and their search for their first win of the season could continue for a while longer.
West Brom to win 2-1
