Match Preview
Fulham vrs Southampton
Premier League Match Day 17 22/23 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 31st December 2022 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Graham Scott (Oxfordshire)
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Fulham and rock-bottom Southampton meet at Craven Cottage on New Year's Eve after returning to Premier League action in contrasting style.
While the Cottagers cruised to victory at Crystal Palace in their Boxing Day fixture, Saints slumped to another top-flight defeat despite a change of management just before the World Cup break.
Not for the first time, Fulham talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic was central to gaining three valuable points for his club on Monday, when Marco Silva's side put London rivals Crystal Palace to the sword at Selhurst Park.
However, it was the Serbian striker's two assists in a 'Man of the Match' performance which most caught the eye, as the visitors took advantage of a sluggish Palace team that ended the game with just nine men.
Having set up strikes for Bobby Decordova-Reid and captain Tim Ream - the latter a clinical half-volley on the turn - Mitrovic later nodded home his 10th Premier League goal since returning to the top tier in August.
His seamless adaptation mirrors that of his teammates at Craven Cottage this term, as Fulham have claimed a place in the top half of the table - partly by virtue of an away record which matches Chelsea's and surpasses that of Liverpool.
Victory on Boxing Day also ensured a bright start to the second phase of a unique campaign, after losing to both Manchester clubs in the space of a week just before all eyes turned to Qatar. Now, they end a successful year with a relatively kind home fixture, against the league's bottom club.
While Fulham have filled their boots by scoring 27 times in the Premier League so far, the root of Southampton's struggles has been a paltry return of just 13 goals.
Given such a lack of bite in the final third, and a gradual ebbing away of momentum behind his management of the South Coast club, Ralph Hasenhuttl made way for former Luton Town boss Nathan Jones last month - but the latter's top-flight debut certainly did not go to plan on Boxing Day.
Days after overcoming Lincoln City in the EFL Cup, Saints found themselves two goals down at the interval against Brighton, and despite James Ward-Prowse's goal midway through the second half they were consigned to a 3-1 home defeat.
As a result, Southampton have lost each of their last four Premier League fixtures, and they now visit a venue where they have won only once in their last 16 league visits - and not at all since 2014.
With his side sitting 20th approaching the new year, Jones certainly has his work cut out to help them avoid the drop, yet they are still only two points adrift of safety amid a congested bottom half of the table.
Any chance of leapfrogging others to escape the bottom three before 2023 kicks off rests on Saints winning their final match of a calendar year for the first time since 2011 - and Fulham are unlikely to prove accommodating hosts in that regard.
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Fulham have won just one of their last 11 games against Southampton in all competitions.
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But Southampton have won just one of their last 16 away league matches against Fulham (D7, L8) - that was back in 2014.
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Fulham have won just one of their last five home matches in the Premier League (D2, L2).
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They have scored 82 goals in 39 league games in 2022 - it's their highest number of league goals in a single calendar year since netting 85 in 2000.
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The Cottagers have scored 27 Premier League goals in the current campaign, equalling their final total in 2020-21, their most recent season in the top flight.
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Fulham's final league game over each of the last four calendar years have produced a total of just three goals.
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Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 31 goals in 35 league appearances in this calendar year, more than any other player in the top four tiers of English football.
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Southampton have lost their last four Premier League games.
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They have lost eight of their last 10 Premier League away matches, and kept just one clean sheet in their last 22 on the road.
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Saints have won just two of their last 15 Premier League fixtures in London (D4, L9).
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Nathan Jones' side can fail to score multiple goals for a club record-equalling 12th successive top-flight match.
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They haven't won their final league game in any of the last 11 calendar years (D6, L5), last doing so in a 4-1 win against Huddersfield in 2010.
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The only season Southampton were bottom of the top-flight table at the turn of the year was in 1991-92 but they went on to finish 16th and avoid relegation.
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