English Premier
2018-12-22 - Newcastle United vs Fulham
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 22nd December 2018 - Kick Off 3pm
Newcastle United
There is an optimism of a change in the ownership of Newcastle United and the fans will also be feeling much better by some of the results their team have been achieving on the field. Rafa Benitez deserves a lot of credit for keeping this squad battling as hard as they are and the 0-1 win at Huddersfield Town last time out was a huge result for the club.
It was a win that moved Newcastle United up to 14th in the Premier League table and they are now 4 points clear of the bottom three, although with work still to do. The first port of call will be improving the form at St James' Park where Newcastle United are 2-0-7 in the Premier League this season having scored 7 goals and conceded 15 in those games.
Newcastle United seem to find a result whenever they look to be slipping down the League table and that was the case last weekend as they snapped a 3 game run without a win during which time they had been beaten twice. Both losses came at home against West Ham United and Wolves after The Magpies had previously beaten Watford and Bournemouth here.
DeAndre Yedlin is suspended, while Jonjo Shelvey and Kenedy are expected to miss out. Frederico Fernandez is hopeful of a return from injury.
Fulham
There was a feel-good factor about the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as manager of Fulham and the Italian is well liked by the media as well as the majority of football fans. However Fulham will need more than just a well liked manager if they are going to escape the drop and the limp defeat to West Ham United at Craven Cottage would have disappointed Ranieri.
Now they face what many would consider to be a relegation rival and Fulham are desperate for points as they sit bottom of the Premier League table and 3 points behind 17th placed Southampton. The away record is the worst in the Premier League where Fulham are 0-1-8 so far this season having scored 6 goals and conceded 24.
Fulham recently beat Southampton in Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge, but they have not won any of 4 League games since then and have lost 3 of those. They have now lost 7 straight away games in all competitions and Fulham have conceded at least two goals in 6 of those as the players have lost confidence.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is back from suspension, but Kevin McDonald and Ryan Sessegnon are both doubts.
Head to Head
Two seasons ago Fulham did the League double over Newcastle United when both played in the Championship, but it was the latter who were promoted as Fulham had to wait another season.
Newcastle United had been unbeaten in 4 home games against Fulham and had won 3 in a row before that defeat in March 2017.
Prediction
This is a huge game for both Newcastle United and Fulham ahead of the start of a difficult festive period and both managers have to be targeting the three points here.
You have to think Aleksandr Mitrovic is going to be fired up for this fixture having been sold by Newcastle United to Fulham, but the in-form striker looks to be Solomon Rondon who was the main replacement for him.
That could prove to be the difference on the day with Newcastle United playing with a little more confidence after winning at Huddersfield Town last week. They also have found goals a little easier to come by in recent weeks and now they face a Fulham team who have to be feeling really low even under a new manager.
Fulham just don't look good enough at either end of the pitch and the lack of intensity in the second half of their 0-2 defeat to West Ham United last weekend would have hurt Claudio Ranieri. The Italian needs to find answers very quickly as Fulham are in what looked to be a decent portion of their schedule, but results have not been there and it is hard to see that changing at St James' Park.
Like I said, perhaps Mitrovic fires Fulham up and they can surprise, but Newcastle United look to be playing with enough belief to win this one. Fulham's away record is pretty atrocious and they concede far too many goals so I will back the home team on the Asian Handicap which will return half the stake in the event of a draw.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Newcastle United 2-0 Fulham
