MY ACCOUNT
– Fulham have lost only one of 11 games when facing teams outside the Premier League’s top five
– Southampton sit bottom of the league after losing eight of their last 11 matches
– Recommended bet: Fulham to win
Many suspected that Fulham’s exciting early season form would fade, but the Cottagers have remained impressively resilient and are starting to look like serious top-half challengers ahead of their clash with Southampton.
Marco Silva’s men kicked off their 2022-23 campaign with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool and have proved hard to beat ever since for even the strongest Premier League sides.
Outside of the current top five, only West Ham have beaten them, and each of the top teams have been made to work for their wins against the Cottagers.
Arsenal and Tottenham both suffered late scares in 2-1 wins over Fulham, while Manchester United and Manchester City both netted winners in added time against the Cottagers.
While the Cottagers are looking increasingly likely to avoid a drop straight back down to the second tier, Southampton supporters will be concerned that it is their team who will instead fall.
Saints sit bottom of the Premier League and have conceded six goals in Nathan Jones’ two league matches in charge, dashing any hopes of a new manager bounce.
Team news
Fulham manager Marco Silva is again likely to be without long-term absentees Manor Solomon and Layvin Kurzawa, though there are hopes that left-back Kurzawa is close to returning.
Cottagers forward Neeskens Kebano ruptured his Achilles in November and will be out for most of the rest of the season.
Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is unavailable after rolling his ankle in training and is expected to be out for a few weeks, while left-back Juan Larios also looks set to miss out.
Defensive midfielder Romeo Lavia has an outside chance of returning from a thigh injury, but right-back Tino Livramento will not return from his ACL injury until February, and attacker Theo Walcott faces another couple of weeks out with a calf problem.
The stats
When facing teams outside of the current Premier League top five, Fulham have a superb record of six wins, four draws, and just one defeat from 11 matches, and they have also scored 23 goals and conceded 14.
Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been central to the Cottagers’ impressive start, netting 11 goals in 13 Premier League outings, including goals against Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Southampton have lost eight of their last 11 matches and have won just one, leaving them bottom of the Premier League with just 12 points from 16 games.
New Saints manager Nathan Jones has overseen two Premier League matches, and both have ended in 3-1 defeats. He lost his first game away at Liverpool and at home to Brighton on Boxing Day.
Prediction
Fulham look set to survive with plenty to spare this season and should have few concerns about hosting a struggling Southampton side.
Saints have improved slightly under Jones, with 3-1 defeats slightly harsh scorelines in two tough matches against Liverpool and Brighton. Still, a trip to Craven Cottage will be no easier given the confidence coursing through their hosts.
A pair of added-time defeats to both Manchester giants are the only losses Fulham have suffered in their last seven league outings, and they scored three goals in their victories over Aston Villa, Leeds United and Crystal Palace.
Having scored 15 goals in 17 appearances for club and country, Mitrovic should again be front and centre of the action, and even at 5/6, he looks a solid anytime-scorer addition to any Bet Builder selections.
However, a straight bet on Fulham, which is available at evens with LiveScore Bet, looks like the best bet.
