English Premier
2018-11-05 - Huddersfield Town vs Fulham
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Monday 5th November 2018 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Huddersfield Town
This will feel like a really long season for David Wagner and the Huddersfield Town fans if they can't earn a win this weekend. There is already a mini-gap developing between those teams in the bottom four places and the rest of the Premier League and Huddersfield Town have to be worried about being cut off if they are beaten on Monday Night Football.
A defeat at Watford last weekend has moved Huddersfield Town to bottom of the Premier League table as Newcastle United earned a point at Southampton and have the superior goal difference. Most teams looking to avoid relegation chase a 40 point mark, but Huddersfield Town have earned just 3 points from a possible 30. The home form has been a real letdown for The Terriers who have a 0-1-4 record at the John Smith's Stadium and have conceded 7 goals without scoring.
Huddersfield Town have not won any of their 11 games played in all competitions in the 2018/19 season and they have now fallen to defeat 8 times after the 3-0 crushing defeat at Vicarage Road last weekend. Aside from the opening weekend 0-3 defeat to Chelsea, Huddersfield Town have only conceded 4 goals in their last 4 games here, but have lost 3 in a row because they simply haven't scored.
Danny Williams remains a doubt, but Terence Kongolo, Tom Smith, Abdelhamid Sabiri and Rajiv van La Parra are all hoping to be passed fit.
Fulham
Prior to the fixtures last weekend there were rumours that Slavisa Jokanovic had just two Premier League games to save his job as manager of Fulham despite guiding this club back to the top flight in May. Sentiment doesn't count for a lot in football and Fulham don't want to make an immediate return to the Championship so results are the only thing that matter to the board.
A 0-3 home loss to Bournemouth last weekend has really increased the pressure on Fulham and you do have to fear for Jokanovic if they are beaten here with just one League game at Anfield to come before the international break. Defensively Fulham are a mess and it is not a big surprise to see them in 18th place in the Premier League table thanks to an inferior goal difference compared with Cardiff City. The Cottagers have a 0-1-4 away record where they have scored 5 goals and conceded 15.
Fulham beat Millwall in the League Cup Third Round, but they have followed that result with 5 consecutive losses in all competitions and they have conceded at least twice in all of those games. They have lost 4 of their last 5 away games, including the last 3 in a row, and Fulham have conceded at least twice in all 5 away Premier League games played.
Joe Bryan is edging closer to a return to the team.
Head to Head
Huddersfield Town and Fulham last met in the 2016/17 Championship season and it was Fulham who won both League games by a 5-0 and 1-4 scoreline.
Huddersfield Town have not won any of their last 5 home games against Fulham and they have lost 3 of their last 4 here against them.
Prediction
Monday Night Football comes from the John Smith's Stadium and there is no doubting the importance of this fixture between Huddersfield Town and Fulham.
Two clubs inside the bottom three playing in November might not be a critical time of the season, but neither Huddersfield Town or Fulham dare to lose this game. In fact you may even argue that both David Wagner and Slavisa Jokanovic have to win this game for different reasons.
Jokanovic's case is simply that he needs to win to remain in his job as manager of Fulham. The 0-3 home defeat to Bournemouth has put Jokanovic on the brink of being shown the exit and you have to imagine a defeat here and one at Liverpool next weekend is likely going to be results where the board say enough is enough.
David Wagner is less likely to lose his job even if Huddersfield Town were to be relegated, but he will be conscious of the fact that anything less than a win would speed The Terriers towards the trapdoor. They have already failed to beat Cardiff City at home this season and a failure to beat another relegation rival will make it very difficult to know where the points are going to come from.
They are facing a Fulham team who have really struggled at the back and even a Huddersfield Town team that have yet to score at home should be able to take advantage. It has been a mix of poor finishing and some misfortune which has prevented Huddersfield Town from scoring goals in the last couple of games here and I do think that can be turned around against a Fulham team who just don't defend well.
On the other hand I am fully expecting Jokanovic to stick by his principles and set Fulham up to attack. They have shown they can score goals in the Premier League and the manager will likely live or die by his principles at this stage of his tenure when all the pressure is building on him.
It does feel like a game that will produce at least three goals.
That may be a surprising suggestion, but Fulham really do defend so poorly that I am expecting Huddersfield Town to find some good chances in this one. Remember Cardiff City had scored just four goals in 8 Premier League games before doubling that against Fulham, while the West London club have conceded at least twice in all 5 away games played in the League.
Huddersfield Town have only kept one clean sheet, so Fulham have to feel they can create chances having scored twice at Brighton and Cardiff City. The last time these teams played in the same Division two seasons ago saw them share out at least five goals in both League games and I think we are going to see goals when they meet on Monday.
At odds against I think backing three goals or more to be shared out is an option.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Huddersfield Town 2-1 Fulham
