Fulham welcome relegation-threatened Burnley to Craven Cottage for a Premier League clash this Saturday. The Cottagers have entered a critical phase of their season, looking to translate their dominant possession into clinical finishing after failing to score since mid-February.
Marco Silva’s side will endeavour to complete their first league double over the Clarets since 1950-51 after securing a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor in December.
After finishing 11th in the Premier League table last season, Fulham find themselves in the exact same position after 30 games this term, with 41 points notched up after recording 12 wins, a division-low five draws, and 13 defeats.
The Cottagers are looking to end a three-match winless run in all competitions. After back-to-back 1-0 home defeats to West Ham and Southampton (FA Cup), they played out a goalless stalemate with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last weekend, registering just one shot on target from six attempts.
Fulham have recently lost their clinical in front of goal and Marco Silva’s side last went three Premier League matches without a goal in December 2023, a run which included a 2-0 home defeat to this weekend’s opponents Burnley.
However, Burnley haven't been in-form either. Since claiming an important 3-2 Premier League victory at Crystal Palace in mid-February, Burnley have failed to win any of their last five matches in all competitions, exiting the FA Cup fifth round to third-tier side Mansfield before recording two draws and two defeats in the top flight.
The Clarets can take positives from holding top-10 sides Chelsea and Bournemouth to draws, playing out a goalless stalemate with the Cherries at Turf Moor last weekend, but Scott Parker’s side are desperate for victories in their quest to pull off the great escape.
With just eight games remaining, Burnley remain 19th in the Premier League and sit eight points adrift of safety. Four of the Clarets’ next five fixtures are against teams currently in the bottom half of the table and failure to capitalise on this run could seal their fate.
A run of three away wins in their last four league visits to Fulham bodes well ahead of Saturday’s contest, while four of their 10 points collected across the last 21 Premier League games have come away against London clubs (three at Palace, one at Chelsea).
Burnley’s defensive record on the road leaves a lot to be desired, though, as they have kept only one clean sheet in their last 41 Premier League away matches, conceding in each of their last 25 since the aforementioned 2-0 victory at Fulham over two years ago.
Fulham beat Burnley away when the teams last met. It was a 3-2 scoreline at Turf Moor. The past 7 H2H matches have resulted in four Burnley wins, two draws and one Fulham success.
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Marco Silva manages a Fulham squad with few long-term absentees but some lingering creative doubts. Notably, Emile Smith Rowe remains a major doubt after a knock kept him out of the weekend draw.
Consequently, teenage starlet Joshua King is poised to keep his place in the number 10 role behind Raúl Jiménez. Notably, Harry Wilson is the statistical standout; he has been involved in 15 goals this season and needs just one more to reach double figures.
Bernd Leno will start in goal behind a settled back four of Kenny Tete, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Antonee Robinson. In midfield, Alex Iwobi and former Burnley man Sander Berge will anchor the side, while Oscar Bobb competes for a start on the flank.
Notably, Fulham have the oldest average starting XI in the Premier League this season and will look to use that experience to break down a Burnley side that has conceded in 25 consecutive away games.
Fulham Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi; Wilson, King, Bobb; Jimenez
Burnley predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Martin Dubravka (GK), Kyle Walker, Bashir Humphreys, Maxime Esteve, Quilindschy Hartman, Josh Laurent, James Ward-Prowse, Marcus Edwards, Hannibal Mejbri, Jaidon Anthony, Zian Flemming.
