Premier League: Fulham’s Big Chance to Close in on Top 5

Fulham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Fulham are having a fantastic return to the Premier League. Under the guidance of Marco Silva, not only are the newly promoted Cottagers virtually safe from relegation, but they are just one win away from tying fifth-place Newcastle on points.

Fulham will look to get that win this weekend as they host Wolves, who are in the midst of that relegation scrap at the moment.

Julen Lopetegui’s side are still struggling to score goals, and with Fulham’s defence looking strong of late, the Premier League 2023 odds of this being a high-scoring game look slim.

Talking Points

Fulham’s improved defence delivering results

Fulham are back on track. After back-to-back 1-0 defeats to the two sides directly above them in the Premier League table – Newcastle and Tottenham – the Cottagers are unbeaten in their last three games and have claimed consecutive wins against Nottingham Forest and Brighton.

Fulham’s defence has seen a massive improvement in recent weeks. Marco Silva’s side have kept three straight clean sheets and have conceded just 4 goals in their last 9 Premier League matches. That’s tied with Newcastle for the best defensive record in the league during that time.

Although, Fulham were slightly fortunate to escape the Amex with a 1-0 win. They were significantly outshot, 21-5, with Brighton emerging with a 2.2-0.3 advantage in terms of xG. But the Seagulls failed to take their chances, which allowed Manor Solomon to come off the bench to score Fulham’s winning goal.

Star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic missed the Brighton match due to a slight knock. The Serb has been in the midst of a slump to start 2023 as he’s gone without a goal in each of his last six matches.

But the Cottagers have managed to stay in games due to their strong defence, and they will fancy their chances of claiming another clean sheet against Wolves, who are the co-lowest scorers in the Premier League.

Wolves’ scoring woes continue

Wolves emerged from the relegation zone after back-to-back wins against Liverpool and Southampton, but they are not out of the woods yet. They are in 15th place in the table with 23 points, just two points clear of the drop, after losing a crucial six-pointer 1-0 against Bournemouth last weekend.

Despite a lion’s share of possession and a 15-5 shot advantage, Wolves once again failed to find a breakthrough. Wolves are tied with Everton for the fewest goals this season with just 17 in 23 games.

Matheus Cunha created a host of Premier League 2023 highlights as he had 6 of Wolves’ 15 shots against Bournemouth, but the Brazilian striker – who did not score this season for Atletico Madrid – is still searching for his first goal for Wolves. Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez also came on as substitutes, but they too are still waiting for their first Premier League goal this season.

Co-leading scorer Daniel Podence (5 goals) missed the match with a groin injury, but he could be back to give Wolves’ attack a boost. Although, the Portuguese winger has started just one of his last six appearances, so he may need to settle for a spot on the bench.

History

Fulham and Wolves have met 13 times in total in the Premier League. Wolves have a 6-2 advantage in wins, with 5 draws.

But even dating back to their championship days, Wolves have had the better of Fulham. Wolves have won 8 of their last 12 matches, with 3 draws and just one defeat.

Wolves have gone five games unbeaten against Fulham in the Premier League. The matches between the two clubs have been quite low-scoring, with just 6 total goals scored in those 5 games.

Betting Tip

Despite Fulham’s success this season, SBOTOP odds still have them as only slight 2.29 favourites to get the home win. Wolves are priced at 2.85, while a draw is 3.20.

The signs point toward this match being a fairly low-scoring one. Both attacks have not been all that prolific – Wolves’ especially so – while the two defences are quite capable.

Recent Premier League meetings between the teams have seen no more than two goals in total, and this upcoming matchup will likely follow suit.

 

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