Newcastle United vs Fulham: Match Preview, Predictions, Team News, Lineups
This Saturday, Newcastle United will host Fulham at St James’ Park for an exciting Premier League match. Both teams are currently positioned in the bottom half of the league table. Newcastle sits in 14th place with nine points, while Fulham trails closely in 15th, just one point behind.
Match Preview
The Magpies have made a solid start defensively, boasting five clean sheets so far, tied with Arsenal for the best record in the league. Despite this, Newcastle’s games have produced minimal scoring, with only 14 goals across eight matches—seven scored and seven conceded.
Newcastle has had a rocky start to the season. Their record includes two wins, three draws, and three losses. Both victories occurred at home against teams currently in the relegation zone: a narrow 1-0 win over Wolverhampton and a more comfortable 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest. However, a recent setback occurred when they lost 2-1 to Brighton last weekend.
In a recent Champions League fixture, Newcastle bounced back impressively, defeating Benfica 3-0 at home. Anthony Gordon netted the first goal, followed by a brace from Harvey Barnes.
Previous Encounters
In their last encounter at St James’ Park, last February, Newcastle suffered a 2-1 loss to Fulham. Historically, they have not lost consecutive home matches to Fulham since the 1950-51 season.
Fulham began the season on a high note with three straight wins earlier in September. However, they have since faced a difficult stretch, losing their last three Premier League matches against Aston Villa, Bournemouth, and Arsenal. Their most recent defeat was a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal, where they managed just one shot on target.
Head coach Marco Silva emphasized the need for his team to adopt a more aggressive approach to secure positive results.
Team Performance
As of now, Fulham ranks low in terms of offensive productivity, with only 23 shots on target this season—only Burnley and Sunderland have fewer. Their average of 2.9 shots on target per game is a record low for them in top-flight history. Additionally, Fulham’s defense has been porous, with just one clean sheet in their last 17 league fixtures.
Team News
Newcastle United
- Tino Livramento and Yoane Wissa are sidelined due to knee injuries.
- Lewis Hall is struggling with a hamstring issue.
- Sandro Tonali is uncertain with an unspecified injury.
- Joelinton has recovered and is expected to return to the starting lineup.
Newcastle’s possible lineup includes: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Barnes, Woltemade, Gordon.
Fulham
- Joachim Andersen will miss the game with a hamstring injury.
- Antonee Robinson and Rodrigo Muniz are also out due to injuries.
- Harry Wilson is a doubt due to a knock.
- Sasa Lukic may return after recovering from a groin issue.
Fulham’s probable lineup features: Leno; Castagne, Cuenca, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Lukic; Traore, King, Iwobi; Jimenez.
Match Prediction
Given both teams’ inconsistent performances, this Saturday’s match is expected to be competitive. However, Newcastle’s strong defensive record gives them an edge. A predicted score for the encounter is Newcastle United 2, Fulham 0, as they look to leverage their home advantage and improve their league standing.
