Fulham run the risk of losing the spark that threatened to save their Premier League status as they look toward a colossally important clash with Leeds at Craven Cottage on Friday (Watch live at 4 pm ET, on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
After picking up points every time out during a recent five-game unbeaten run (2W-3D-0L) to close the gap between themselves and 17th place in the Premier League table, Fulham have lost two of their last three games and again look likeliest of three candidates to be relegated to the EFL Championship. Scott Parker’s side has played a game more already and still sits two points behind 17th-place Newcastle United, who are set to visit 16th-place Brighton & Hove Albion a point above them this weekend.
As likely (or unlikely) victories go, Fulham won’t have many better opportunities the rest of the season. Leeds are losers of four of their last six Premier League games (1W-1D-4L) and look like a side quickly running out of gas three-quarters of the way through a season in which they employed a high-intensity, pressing style of play against some of the biggest clubs in the world. No doubt about it, a number of hard lessons were learned, but Leeds sit 10 points clear of the drop with 10 games left to play so it’s safe to say it was all taken to heart.
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Here is everything you need to know ahead of Fulham - Leeds this Friday with team news, odds, stream link and more.
Team news: Fulham - Leeds (INJURY REPORT)
QUESTIONABLE: Bobby De Cordova-Reid (knock), Marek Rodak (finger) | OUT: Tom Cairney (knee)
Here's your Fulham XI that will be tackling #FULLEE! 🪖 pic.twitter.com/p3ikrjU8af
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) March 19, 2021
Leeds: QUESTIONABLE: Patrick Bamford (thigh), Rodrigo (undisclosed), Pablo Hernandez (undisclosed) | OUT: Liam Cooper (illness), Adam Forshaw (groin), Leif Davis (knock)
📋 Marcelo Bielsa names an unchanged side to the one that held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw last weekend
— Leeds United (@LUFC) March 19, 2021
Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)
Fulham (+145) | Leeds (+185) | Draw (+230)
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Prediction
Leeds have largely feasted on sides like Fulham — from the bottom half of the table, desperate to play with lots of possession and defend higher up the field themselves — largely due to the fact that’s their game and they earned their way to the Premier League playing that way. More than anything else, Marcelo Bielsa’s side has struggled against low-block defenses. Parker is all about the former, and that could spell trouble for the Cottagers. Fulham 0-2 Leeds.
How to watch Fulham - Leeds: stream and start time
Kickoff: 4 pm ET Friday
TV: NBCSN
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com
