Fulham eye end to two-game winless run in Brighton clash.
[introduction]
After the draw with Tottenham, the Cottagers take on the Seagulls, hoping to get back to winning ways. Fulham vs. Brighton & Hove Albion kicks off at 19:30 [GMT] on Thursday, December 5, at Craven Cottage.
[home]
Fulham failed to win for a second straight game [DWWLD] after a 1-1 draw away at Tottenham in the London Derby on Sunday. The Cottagers dominated the game, but they went behind against the run of play when Brennan Johnson [54′] finished off a well-worked team effort. However, Tom Cairney [67′] restored parity for Marco Silva’s side before he got sent off in the 83rd minute. “I think that everybody should recognise that the team who deserved to win this afternoon was ourselves. We deserved to win,” Silva said after the game. “We played our way, with our identity, on the pitch,” he added. Fulham slipped to 10th place following this defeat, having picked up 19 points [5W, 4D, 4L], four points off the top four. The West London side will take on Brighton, hoping to maintain their unbeaten run in this fixture. The Cottagers have not lost any of the eight Premier League meetings against the visitors [4W, 4D, 0L]. However, the hosts have won just one of their last six midweek Premier League games [1W, 1D, 4L]. Silva is expected to leave Raúl Jiménez in attack when he deploys the 4—2—3—1 formation. Weekend hero, Cairney is suspended for this clash following his sending off in the last game against Spurs.
[away]
Brighton [DLWWD] were looking to pick up three Premier League victories in a row at the weekend, but they failed to do so after being held to a 1-1 draw by bottom-placed Southampton. Kaoru Mitoma [29’] headed home just before the half-hour mark to put the Seagulls ahead, but Flynn Downes [59′] restored parity for the Saints in the second half. “Disappointment is part of football. Negative experiences are part of the process, and we didn’t deserve more today, so we have to keep improving,” Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler said in his post-match presser. Despite the draw, Brighton moved one spot up the table into 4th place with 23 points [6W, 5D, 2L], just as many as 5th-placed Manchester City. The Seagulls will take on the side that they have faced the most in the PL without winning, hoping for a historic maiden win. However, Brighton have won none of their last nine PL away fixtures against London clubs [0W, 4D, 5L]. In addition, they have also failed to win any of their last six midweek PL away games since a 2-0 win at Bournemouth in April 2023. A 4—4—2 with João Pedro and Danny Welbeck in attack is expected for Thursday’s fixture.
