Fulham FC vs West Ham United FC, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Fulham FC vs West Ham United FC Match Prediction & Analysis

Fulham are back at home after another disappointing away loss, playing a side that is now tucked close to them in the points standings.

The first round of fixtures has been a mixed bag for the Cottagers, who lost an away encounter to Manchester United by a late goal and ended up drawing with newly promoted Ipswich Town. The draw would be the most detrimental to them, as they were supposed to easily defeat Ipswich. Instead, they have only one win to their name, a 2-1 home victory over Leicester City, another promoted team.  

West Ham, on the other hand, had a tougher schedule right away, facing Manchester City and Aston Villa in their first round fixtures, and as expected, they lost both by 1-3 and 1-2. However, the Hammers had plenty to celebrate when they defeated Crystal Palace (2-0) in their lone away game of the season. 

Head-to-Head Record: With a 16-6 win-loss record and six draws in 28 matches, the Hammers have a commanding lead over the Cottagers. Fulham, on the other hand, won the clubs' past two meetings last season. 

Current Standings: The hosts are now ranked 12th in the league rankings, with 4 points, while the visitors are one spot below, with 3. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Fulham FC Preview

The last time the Cottagers played West Ham at Craven Cottage, they defeated the Hammers 5-0 after leading 3-0 at halftime. Unfortunately, three key goal scorers, Toshin Adarabioyo, William, and Joao Paulhinha, are not with the club anymore.  Regardless, they beat the Hammers away from home as well  late in the season, which will give Silva and his team confidence going into Saturday's game. 

Tactics and home advantage

Fulham's approach to the game will most likely be to continue their strong home record, which has worked successfully in previous games. Nine of their thirteen wins last season came at home. Their ability to manage the pace and take advantage of Craven Cottage's atmosphere  might be critical in disrupting West Ham's plans.

Key Players

Andreas Pereira was the MVP last time the two teams met, scoring twice to help the Cottagers win 2-0. So far this season, he may not have scored the goals, but he has been an indispensable player in the midfield, making the most key passes (14) for the team. Speaking of creating chances, Antonee Robinson, the attacking full-back, has the most assists so far, with two. Apart from these two, Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe on the left wing are the guys to watch out for in this encounter. 

Injuries and changes

There are currently no reports of any new injuries for the hosts. Silva is likely to field a 4-3-3 system with Iwobi, Traore, and Muniz up front. 

Fulham Starting Lineup -  Leno (Goalkeeper); Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson(Defenders); Pereira, Lukić, Smith-Rowe (Midfielders) ; Adama, Iwobi, Muniz (Forward) 

West Ham United FC Preview

The Hammers are one of those teams that has been affected by the schedule they have had. It's never easy to start your season against three teams that finished in the top 10 two of those in top four from the previous season. And it didn't help them facing the defending Champions as early as they did while they must have been happy that the game ended up with a scoreline of 1-3. Nonetheless, they will feel comfortable facing a side, against whom they have had a dominant head-to-head record over the years. 

Strengths turning into weakness 

Julen Lopetegui, like his predecessor Moyes, places a strong focus on defence. In truth, the Hammers' signings of Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, and Guido Rodriguez all showed a concerted effort to upgrade the defensive. However, it is apparent that it has not helped them very much. After three rounds of the competition, West Ham has an xGA of 7.24, with only Everton and Ipswich Town having a lower figure. Even in the 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, the defence was fragile, and they should have applauded Palace for their terrible finishing. 

Defensive Troubles 

In three games, they have attempted a high number of shots for a team that is primarily centred on defence. They have taken 42 shots so far this season, ranking sixth among teams. However, just eight of the 42 shots have been on target. Only Everton, with seven, has worse stats. Jarrod Bowen's form is one of the reasons they're struggling up front. The MVP from the previous season, with 16 goals and 6 assists, has yet to shoot a single shot. 

Injury Concerns 

Alphonse Areola's availability is doubtful following his early exit from their last match against Manchester City due to an injury. Furthermore, Aaron Cresswell is likely out with a hamstring injury, which could alter manager Julen Lopetegui's defensive methods. Furthermore, striker Nico Fullkrug is also out injured. 

West Ham Starting Lineup -  Areola (Goalkeeper); Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson (Defenders); Rodriguez, Bowen, Paqueta, Soucek, Kudus (Midfielders) ; Antonio (Forward)

FULHAM FC vs WEST HAM UNITED FC
Winning Prediction

Despite Fulham completing a double over West Ham last season, the Hammers had a dominant record in the previous six matches, winning five of them. Moreover, Fulham's recent Premier League form has been inconsistent, with only three wins in their last 12 games, two of which came against newly promoted teams. However, their home advantage and West Ham's defensive vulnerabilities make this match a difficult one to predict.

Considering all the statistics and current form of both teams, it appears to be a closely contested match. In fact, most betting sites share this sentiment. Given the uncertainty, we prefer to remain neutral and predict a draw.

We Predict a draw (1-1)

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