West Brom and Fulham will meet in a Premier League six-point clash on Saturday at the Hawthorns as the two clubs are desperate to move out of the relegation zone.
The Baggies are 19th in the division having taken 11 points after 20 matches. Sam Allardyce’s team are on a two-match losing streak. In midweek, they were thrashed at home, 5-0, by Manchester City.
Fulham are 18th in the league and have 17th-placed Brighton in their sights. Just five points separate the two clubs, but Fulham missed the chance to reel in the Seagulls in midweek, drawing a six-point clash with them.
Lots of battles ahead. 😤@HarrisonReed 🚂#FFC pic.twitter.com/63AjUs4eHR— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) January 28, 2021
Lots of battles ahead. 😤@HarrisonReed 🚂#FFC pic.twitter.com/63AjUs4eHR
Both clubs earned promotion from the Championship last season. Now, the duo is staring relegation back to the second division in the face.
Scott Parker’s club took just four points from their last 18 on offer. Those points all came from draws. West Brom were no better over the course of their last six matches. They too took four points from 18 possible.
The big difference between the clubs is that West Brom conceded 19 times in their last six games. Fulham allowed just five goals against.
When these teams met in November at Craven Cottage, Fulham won 2-0 thanks to goals from Bobby Reid and Ola Aina. Both goals came in the opening 30 minutes.
Fulham are unbeaten in 10 straight matches against West Brom in all competitions. The Cottagers posted a record of 4W-6D-0L over the course of those 10 games.
Allardyce has two players that are doubts for the match on Saturday. Conor Townsend is still nursing a knee injury. He is not fully fit and unlikely to play. Grady Diangana is recovering from a thigh muscle injury and a doubt for the fixture.
Parker has the same two names on the Fulham injury list as he had earlier this week. Terence Kongolo and Tom Cairney are both ruled out for the trip to the Hawthorns.
The Fulham manager recently noted his lack of confidence that the club will sign a striker in the January transfer window. Fulham have scored the joint-third worst total of goals in the league with just 15.
Six of the last 10 games between these sides finished in draws. Fulham have been the draw masters in the league with seven and are coming off of a stalemate with Brighton. Saturday’s six-point clash at the Hawthorns could end in another low-scoring stalemate for the Cottagers.