Premier League: Fulham Plan to Restore Their European Hopes

Newcastle United vs Fulham

Fulham’s European football aspirations have hit a snag after they hit a rough patch recently. With only one win in their first four Premier League matches this year, the Cottagers slid to 10th in the English top-flight standings with 33 points and are in danger of falling out of the Top 10 altogether. Marco Silva’s men are in for a tough challenge, as they’ll take on Newcastle United at St. James Park on Saturday.

Newcastle United are back in the European mix, as they’ve risen to fifth place with 41 points. Eddie Howe’s side has won seven of their last eight league matches, and they can re-enter the Top 4 with another home win here.

The pregame SBOTOP betting odds are favouring the Magpies, but can the Cottagers put up a fight? Check out today’s preview by reading more below.

 

Talking Points

Guimaraes pulling the strings for Newcastle United

Alexander Isak took the spotlight for his scintillating form in the final third, but the Magpies have been winning more games because of their well-drilled midfield led by Bruno Guimaraes.

With Sandro Tonali sitting deeper in the middle of the park alongside Joelinton, Guimaraes can go further up the pitch, increasing his attacking influence. The Brazilian midfielder has two league goals and six assists this season.

Bruno Guimaraes set the tone in Newcastle United’s 3-1 win over Southampton, as his accurate through ball put Alexander Isak in position to draw a foul inside the box. The Swedish striker won a penalty and converted the spot kick to put the Magpies in the driver’s seat for good.

According to WhoScored.com, Guimaraes has the most accurate through balls (10) in Europe’s top five leagues this season, beating the likes of Barcelona’s Pedri and Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Atletico Madrid’s Rodrigo De Paul, and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.

Newcastle United have a few injuries to deal with this weekend, as Harvey Barnes (thigh), Callum Wilson (thigh), and Jamaal Lascelles (knee) are out.

 

Adama finding his feet with Fulham

Adama Traore has been playing more in the past few games and is repaying Marco Silva’s trust. He scored a goal in Fulham’s 2-0 victory against Leicester City two weeks ago, and he played the whole second half in their 1-0 loss against Manchester United last time out. The 29-year-old winger has two league goals and four assists this season.

With Harry Wilson out with a foot injury, Adama Traore should get a starting nod against the Magpies. His speed and physicality should cause problems for Newcastle United’s backline, and he’ll likely link up with Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi, and Raul Jimenez in the final third. Rodrigo Muniz and Andreas Pereira can come off the bench if needed.

The good news for Fulham is that their injury list has eased up in the past few days. Besides Wilson, Reiss Nelson (hamstring) and Kenny Tete (knee) are their only notable absentees.

 

History

Newcastle United and Fulham have already met earlier this season. Last September, Fulham notched a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United, as Raul Jimenez, Emile Smith Rowe, and Reiss Nelson scored for the Cottagers while Harvey Barnes prevented a shutout loss for the Magpies. If the Cottagers win again on Saturday, they will complete their first Premier League double over the Magpies since the 2008-09 campaign.

Fulham have picked up 16 points in 11 Premier League away matches this season (W4, D4, L3), which is only two points fewer than they had last season (18 points in 19 games).

However, the Magpies are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against the Cottagers at St. James Park (W5, D3), keeping six clean sheets in that period since a 1-0 defeat in May 2009.

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Premier League 2025 odds expect the Magpies to beat the Cottagers this weekend. Newcastle United are 1.69 favourites, whereas Fulham are 4.21 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.69 in the 1X2 market. Fulham have shown in the reverse fixture that they can beat Newcastle United, so an away win for the visitors should not be completely ruled out.

Either way, football fans at St. James Park will get their share of Premier League 2025 highlights, hence our recommended bet above, with Over 2.75 at 1.78, Over 3.00 at 2.05, and Over 3.25 at 2.31 as viable alternatives. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 3-1 in favour of the Cottagers – the result of the reverse fixture – has a mouthwatering offer of 44.00 your bet.

   

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