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Preview: West Bromwich Albion vs. Fulham - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Premier League clash between West Bromwich Albion and Fulham, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion and Fulham face off at The Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon in a huge match at the bottom end of the Premier League.

The sides have won two games each all season and are at risk of being cut adrift should they fall to defeat this weekend.


Match preview

West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce reacts on January 16, 2021© Reuters

West Brom enter this relegation six-pointer on the back of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City in midweek, making it five home league losses in a row.

The Baggies have shipped at least three goals in each of those defeats and have failed to score in the last four of them.

Indeed, each of the last 21 Premier League goals scored at The Hawthorns has been scored by the opposition - the longest run of goals at a stadium scored against a single team in the competition's history.

Sam Allardyce's men, whose only win in their last 10 outings overall in the league came against Wolverhampton Wanderers two weeks ago, are now seven points adrift of 17th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

Fulham are in a slightly better position, two points closer to Brighton and with a game in hand still to play, though no team is on a longer winless run in the division (nine matches).

Fulham manager Scott Parker pictured on January 9, 2021© Reuters

However, the Cottagers look a stronger side now than they did in the first few months of the season, losing just two of their last eight league matches.

Too many games are being drawn, though, with Brighton the only team in the division to have drawn more times this campaign.

It came as little surprise, then, that those two teams played out a stalemate on Wednesday. Fulham were arguably second best at the Amex Stadium, though they could have snatched victory late on through chances for Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Three of the last four league meetings between West Brom and Fulham have also finished all square, meanwhile, with the Cottagers picking up the only victory in that sequence.

In fact, this is a fixture that the west London side tend to do well in, having gone eight without defeat against West Brom in the Premier League.

West Bromwich Albion Premier League form: DLLWLL
West Bromwich Albion form (all competitions): LLLWLL

Fulham Premier League form: DDDLLD
Fulham form (all competitions): WDLLLD


Team News

Fulham's Antonee Robinson is shown a red card against Chelsea on January 16, 2021© Reuters

Grady Diangana and Conor Townsend have been ruled out of this game for West Brom.

Allardyce will surely make changes on the back of the heavy loss to Man City, which could mean the ineffective Callum Robinson dropping out of the side.

Matt Phillips and Conor Gallagher are among those pushing for recalls to the starting lineup, while Karlan Grant may lead the line after starting out wide in midweek.

As for the visitors, Antonee Robinson is back from suspension, but Tom Cairney and Terence Kongolo remain sidelined.

Ivan Cavaleiro and Ademola Lookman led the line against Brighton and, despite not finding the net, the pair are expected to link up again on Saturday.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Alphonse Areola is looking to keep successive Premier League clean sheets for the first time.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Gibbs; Gallagher, Sawyers; Snodgrass, Pereira, Phillips; Grant

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Areola; Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo; Tete, Loftus-Cheek, Reed, Anguissa, Robinson; Cavaleiro, Lookman


SM words green background

We say: West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Fulham

It is still too early in the season to describe this as a make-or-break clash for either side, though both managers will see this as a huge opportunity to close the gap on safety.

West Brom have been abysmal on home soil since the start of December, while Fulham have looked good on their travels but are drawing too many games.

The Cottagers have drawn their last three away league matches, in fact, and we are backing this one to finish the same way - a result that will suit neither side.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data



Video prediction

Watch the Sports Mole Football Shorts prediction for this game below:


ID:432543:cQx

How you voted: West Brom vs Fulham

West Bromwich Albion
28.5%
Draw
37.7%
Fulham
33.8%
151
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West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce reacts on January 16, 2021
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West Brom manager Sam Allardyce relishing West Ham return
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Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City20135237132444
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd22135446271944
3Liverpool21117343241940
4Leicester CityLeicester21123637251239
5West Ham UnitedWest Ham2110563127435
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs2096534211333
7Chelsea2196635231233
8Everton1910362924533
9Aston Villa19102734211332
10Arsenal229492722531
11Leeds UnitedLeeds209293536-129
12Southampton218582734-729
13Crystal Palace228592737-1029
14Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2275102331-826
15Burnley2064101326-1322
16Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2264122236-1422
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton214982329-621
18Fulham2028101729-1214
19West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2226141852-3412
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2232171435-2111

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