Fulham vs West Ham United
The top London club in the Premier League table will take on the capital’s lowest-placed side when West Ham United and Fulham clash for a London derby at Craven Cottage.
The Hammers are still flying high in fifth place after another impressive win at Aston Villa in midweek. Meanwhile, 18th-placed Fulham fell to Leicester City as they remain eight points from safety.
David Moyes’ side has been playing with more attacking potency in recent weeks, and the Premier League 2021 odds will have them favoured against a Fulham side that is still finding it tough to score goals.
Talking Points
Fulham momentum fading
Fulham’s survival bid took another hit as they fell 2-0 at home to Leicester City in midweek. First-half goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and James Justin condemned the Cottagers to their third defeat in their last five matches and extended their winless drought to 11 league matches (7 draws, 4 defeats).
Scott Parker’s side was suddenly looking more competitive after a change to a more conservative formation saw them go on a run of five straight draws.
But over the last few games, Parker has opted for a more attacking 3-4-3 formation in a bid to add goals and attacking production to his side. The Cottagers controlled 57 per cent of possession against Leicester but were still outshot, 9-8.
Aleksandar Mitrovic contributed three of their shots but was again unable to provide a goal. The Serbian striker has had a disappointing season, scoring just 2 goals in his 17 Premier League appearances.
Fulham have signed striker Josh Maja on loan from Bordeaux to try and bolster their attacking options, but it seems unlikely the 22-year-old can make much of a difference. He had also scored just 2 goals in 17 appearances in France’s Ligue 1 this season.
With Mitrovic misfiring, Parker could choose to shake things up by bringing Ivan Cavaleiro and Bobby De Cordova-Reid back in the starting line-up. The two scored in their 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion.
Hammers’ attack coming alive
West Ham’s terrific run of Premier League 2021 results continues. They bounced back from their 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool by grabbing a 3-1 away win at Aston Villa in midweek.
Tomas Soucek, who has shattered expectations this season with his brilliant performances, gave the Hammers the lead. Then, on-loan Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard bagged a brace in a brilliant debut.
The Hammers have now won seven of their eight matches this calendar year, including five of six in the league.
David Moyes has his side playing with so much confidence at the moment. It’s particularly encouraging to West Ham fans that Moyes now has the team playing with more attacking intent. The Hammers have scored three goals in two of their last three league games while attempting 17 or more shots on both occasions.
Soucek has been in sensational scoring form this season with a team-leading 8 goals, while Michail Antonio has also been a significant contributor (2 goals, 3 assists in his last 5 games).
Said Benrahma has quickly established himself as a regular starter thanks to a string of fine performances, and Lingard’s arrival now figures to add more depth in the attacking midfield places along with Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals.
Defender Ryan Fredricks got the surprise start on the right against Aston Villa, presumably to provide added defensive cover for Jack Grealish. But Bowen is likely to return to the right wing against Fulham.
History
West Ham have dominated Fulham in their recent derby meetings. The Hammers have a significant 10-3 advantage in terms of wins, with 3 draws.
West Ham won their first meeting this season at London Stadium 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Soucek. The Hammers also did the double over Fulham the last time they were in the Premier League in 2018-19. They won 2-0 in their last visit to Craven Cottage, with Michail Antonio getting on the scoresheet.
Betting Tip
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Fulham vs West Ham United | 1X2 West Ham United @ 2.13 |
| February 7, 01:30 (GMT+8) |
SBOTOP odds have West Ham installed as 2.13 favourites to beat Fulham, who are priced at 3.40 to pull off the upset win at Craven Cottage. A draw is 3.15.
It’s hard to go against West Ham in the form they’re currently in. Their attack is firing on all cylinders with Moyes giving his side the license to turn on the style.
The fact that Fulham have started to open themselves up more in recent games to score goals also bodes well for the Hammers, who should find it easier to break the Cottagers down. Look for West Ham to add another win to their growing collection in 2021.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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