Match Preview
Fulham vrs Brighton and Hove Albion
Premier League Match Day 13 2021 at Craven Cottage
Wednesday 16th December 2020 KO: 20:00
Referee:
Robert Jones (Wirral)
Live on Amazon Prime Video
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Fulham welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to Craven Cottage on Wednesday evening knowing that victory will move them outside of the Premier League relegation zone.
Meanwhile, the Seagulls make the trip to Craven Cottage on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Leicester City, a result which has left the club just two points above the bottom three.
When Fulham shipped three first-half goals against Everton last month, there was the feeling that Scott Parker would soon be removed from his role in the dugout.
However, claiming four points from games with Leicester City, Manchester City and Liverpool has changed the mood at Craven Cottage ahead of the club's most important fixture of the season so far.
While there would have been disappointment after failing to hold onto a lead against the champions, earning a deserved share of the spoils in front of a 2,000-strong crowd would have lifted everyone associated with the West Londoners.
With Newcastle United to follow the meeting with Brighton, Parker will acknowledge that this could be a make-or-break period for both himself and the overall direction of the club.
There are signs that this squad of players are beginning to make progress at both ends of the pitch, but their recent work will be undone if they suffer a ninth defeat in 13 matches on Wednesday.
At a time when Fulham appear to be on an upward trajectory, the same cannot be said of Brighton, who continue to be held back by their inconsistency.
Since earning points from games against Aston Villa and Liverpool, back-to-back setbacks have come versus Southampton and Leicester.
Although Brighton had their moments during the opening quarter, the game at the King Power Stadium on Sunday was the first time that Brighton had not been competitive in a league fixture all season.
Graham Potter will not be particularly concerned at this stage of the season, but the manner of their defeat at the weekend has upped the stakes ahead of a relegation double-header with their next opponents and Sheffield United.
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Fulham's home victory in the most recent meeting, in January 2019, ended a run of six league matches without a win against Brighton, drawing one and losing five.
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None of the 21 league meetings at Fulham have been drawn.
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Brighton have scored multiple goals in each of their past seven league matches in this fixture.
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The away side has taken a 2-0 lead in both previous Premier League meetings between Fulham and Brighton but have failed to win both times - Brighton came back to draw 2-2 at home in September 2018, while Fulham won 4-2 at Craven Cottage in January 2019.
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Fulham have earned four points from their past three league games, as many as in their previous nine top-flight fixtures this season.
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The Cottagers can lose five of their opening seven home matches in a Premier League season for the second time, having done so in 2013-14.
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Only Sheffield United have kept fewer Premier League clean sheets than Fulham's one this season.
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Fulham have trailed for 528 minutes in the division this season, more than any other club.
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Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored in successive Premier League appearances against Brighton, netting three goals in total. The only player to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances for Fulham against a single opponent is Clint Dempsey vs Bolton between April 2011 and April 2012.
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Bobby De Cordova-Reid has scored in his last three home Premier League games, the first Fulham player to do that since Dimitar Berbatov in April 2013; no Cottagers player has ever netted in four consecutive home Premier League games, while the last Fulham player to score in four home league appearances in a row was Ross McCormack in April 2015.
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Only their opponents Brighton (5) have conceded more penalty goals than Fulham in the Premier League this season (4), with their last two goals conceded coming from penalties. The Cottagers have never conceded a penalty goal in three consecutive Premier League games.
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Brighton's tally of two wins is their joint fewest after 12 games of a top-flight season. Both of those victories came away from home.
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The Seagulls have the worst Premier League record on a Wednesday - drawing four and losing four of their eight matches.
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Albion have won only three of their 18 Premier League matches in London, drawing five and losing 10.
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Pascal Gross has been directly involved in four of Brighton's last five Premier League goals, scoring two and setting up two.