Fulham vs Leeds united Preview
Watch Fulham vs Leeds united preview, as Fulham will be hosting Leeds united on the premier league premises at Craven cottage on Saturday meetings. On the other hand, Leeds united are trying to come back from back to back defeats in the league and hardly competiting on the relegation battle.
Fulham ended a run of five successive defeats in all competitions, including four straight Premier League losses, when they secured a 3-1 top-flight victory away against Everton last weekend.
Harrison Reed’s 22nd-minute opener was cancelled out by Dwight McNeil 10 minutes before the interval, but second-half strikes from Harry Wilson and Daniel James helped the Cottagers take away maximum points from Goodison Park.
Fulham’s hopes of securing a European place for next season are slim as they currently sit 10th in the Premier League table and seven points behind seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, who have a game in hand. Nevertheless, Marco Silva’s side are exceeding expectations this term and securing a top-10 spot would represent a respectable finish for last season’s Championship title winners.
The Cottagers enter Saturday’s encounter after losing their last two home matches without scoring against Arsenal and West Ham United, but they can be confident of success against Leeds having already beaten them twice this season, with a 3-2 top-flight win at Elland Road in October followed by a 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round success on home soil in February.
Marco Silva and co will be looking to register their first league double over the West Yorkshire side since 1959-60, and a victory is also required if they wish to build positive momentum ahead of a tricky run of fixtures against in-form Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Team news and Injury
Fulham striker and top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic will serve the fourth of his eight-game suspension this weekend and will not be available for selection until May 13.
The Cottagers are also without injured duo Neeskens Kebano (Achilles) and Layvin Kurzawa (knee), while Daniel James on loan from Leeds is ineligible to face his parent club.
The absence of James will likely see Carlos Vinicius lead the line, while Wilson could retain his place on the right flank ahead of Bobby Decordova-Reid and Manor Solomon.
As for Leeds, Tyler Adams (thigh) and Stuart Dallas (thigh) both remain sidelined through injury, while injury-prone striker Patrick Bamford sustained a calf issue in the defeat to Liverpool and is a doubt for Saturday.
Javi Gracia is sure to ponder changes, particularly in defence, following the last two performances, with captain Liam Cooper, Maximilian Wober and Luke Ayling all looking to force their way back into the starting lineup.
Midfielder Adam Forshaw will be looking to start his first Leeds game since December at the expense of either Marc Roca or Weston McKennie, while Sinisterra – who limped off with a lower leg issue against Liverpool should be fit to continue on the left flank ahead of Wilfried Gnonto.
Fulham vs Leeds United head-to head stats
Leeds United have a good record against Fulham and have won 26 out of the 62 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Fulham’s 21 victories.
Fulham won the reverse fixture by a 3-2 scoreline and will be looking to complete a league double over Leeds United for the first time since the 1959-60 campaign. Leeds United won this fixture by a 2-1 margin in the 2020-21 season and have not won consecutive league games away from home against Fulham since 1956.
Fulham have already defeated Leeds United on two occasions in all competitions this season and have secured three victories against the same opponent in a single season on only three previous occasions.
Leeds United have lost all five of their Premier League games in London this season and have conceded 16 goals in these matches.
Fulham vs Leeds united Prediction
Fulham have stepped up to the plate this season and were impressive against Everton last week. The Cottagers have a strong squad at their disposal and will need to be at their best in this match.
Leeds United have conceded 11 goals in their last two games and are in desperate need of a robust performance. Fulham are the better team at the moment, however, and should be able to win this game.
