Fulham - Newcastle United predictions and free betting tips [06/04/2024]

On Saturday, 6th April within the 32nd round of the Premier League, Fulham will host Newcastle on home ground. This past Tuesday, the "Cottagers" succumbed to Nottingham Forest with a score of 3:1, while the "Magpies" tied with Everton (1:1) and trailed the top four by 15 points.

Fulham

Fulham currently holds the 13th position in the Premier League table and will likely conclude the season without achieving any significant objectives. Since returning from the international break in March, the "Cottagers" have been underperforming: they managed a 3:3 draw with the struggling Sheffield United last weekend followed by a 3:1 defeat to crisis-stricken Nottingham Forest this week. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood both got on the scoresheet before Marco Silva decided to switch three of his squad members just after the half-hour mark, but the Portuguese's decision proved futile: Morgan Gibbs-White extended the "Forester's" lead shortly before the break. These disappointing outcomes dealt a serious blow to the hosts' faint hopes of making the European competition zone, given that the gap to the top five now stands at 13 points! 

However, missteps are rare for the Cottagers at Craven Cottage: they've gathered 28 points from 15 home clashes (7th best record in the division), scoring 29 goals while conceding 15. Fulham's manager, Marco Silva, will be able to count on an optimal line-up as there are no injuries in the hosts' camp. Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz has scored 8 goals in the last 8 league matches and is likely to lead the attack, outperforming experienced Raul Jimenez. Joao Palhinha (4 goals) and Andreas Pereira (1 goal and 7 assists) orchestrate the "Cottagers'" midfield play, while Willian, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Harrison Reid will replace Sasa Lukic and Alex Iwobi respectively; Timothy Castagne will challenge Kenny Tete for the right-back spot.

Newcastle

Newcastle has failed to live up to fans' expectations this season, currently occupying a modest 8th place in the Premier League table, trailing the top six by 4 points. The Champions League may be out of reach, but the lower-ranked European competition spot is still a realistic target. Meanwhile, the "Magpies" have had a mixed bag of results lately: Eddie Howe's men have won just 2 of their last 6 matches, tied twice and lost twice. After a dramatic 4:3 victory over West Ham last weekend, the black-and-whites couldn't overcome Everton at home (1:1) last week - Dominic Calvert-Lewin responded to Alexander Isak's penalty goal. It's worth noting that 7 of the visitors' last 9 away games ended in a defeat. 

What's even more challenging for the team's fans is that Eddie Howe's men haven't been able to keep a clean sheet on the road for 11 consecutive matches. The match squad still lacks key goalkeeper Pope, Botman, Joelinton and Wilson (7 goals), along with promising 17-year-old midfielder Mylie. Trippier's fitness is questionable, as are Livramento (centre-back) and Almiron (midfielder), plus Targett. Lascelles only spent 16 minutes on the pitch against Everton and sustained a heavy injury, ruling him out for the next 6 months. Finally, Anthony Gordon (9 goals and 6 assists) will serve a suspension, just like Italian Tonali. Harvey Barnes, who netted twice against West Ham, should appear on the flank to assist Swedish striker Isak (14 goals). Lewis Hall will take over the right defensive wing, pushing Jacob Murphy to the bench. 

Head-to-Head

Each of Newcastle's last three away games against London teams ended in defeats. However, Fulham hasn't been able to overcome the "Magpies" for five consecutive encounters, including a 2:0 debacle in the FA Cup at Craven Cottage at the end of January.

Match Prediction: Fulham – Newcastle

As terrible as Fulham's performance against Nottingham Forest midweek was, the "Cottagers" have been delivering impressive performances in front of their home fans and lack the squad losses that the visitors face. Newcastle holds only the 14th position when it comes to the number of points earned on the road (less than 1 on average per match), and their defensive problems seem to be compounding with each round. I think that Marco Silva's players will be eager to make up for their failure in their last match and will come out on top with a handicap of 0.