Newcastle United vs Fulham

Newcastle United and Fulham are set to trade tackles at St James’ Park in an exciting Premier League showdown.

These are dark times for Newcastle United fans as a severe injury crisis contributed to the club’s abysmal three-game losing streak in all competitions. Following back-to-back three-goal margin defeats to Everton and Tottenham, the ‘Magpies’ spurned a halftime lead in a 2-1 home loss to AC Milan in midweek Champions League action, earning the wooden spoon as a result. Bowing out of European football could be a blessing in disguise for manager Eddie Howe, who bids to turn around his side’s fortunes after dropping seven points below fourth-placed Manchester City. The immediate home return bodes well. Except for a 2-1 loss to Liverpool in August, the Tyneside giants have won all seven remaining Premier League outings at St James’ Park this season by a combined score of 18-2.

On the other hand, Fulham’s unexpected rise to prominence after taking more than enough time to adapt to life after Aleksandar Mitrovic has seen them win three of their last four league matches (L1), including a mind-blowing 5-0 home triumph against West Ham in the previous round. Indeed, Marco Silva’s men are firing on all cylinders, netting 3+ goals in their last four Premier League games for the first time since October 1961 en route to closing the gap on their hosts to only five points. However, there’s no room for complacency, with the ‘Cottagers’ seeking their first away league victory since mid-August (D3, L4). That return is a carbon-copy of Fulham’s seven-game away record against Newcastle, suggesting their hopes of building on back-to-back 5-0 wins for the first time in the club’s top-flight history look far-fetched.