Both hoping to get off the mark for 2024-25 at the second attempt, Fulham and Leicester City collide at Craven Cottage in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The Cottagers opened the new campaign with a slender 1-0 loss to Manchester United, while Steve Cooper's crop impressively fought back to hold Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw.
Match preview
![Marco Silva, who talked up Fulham s attackers after they netted four times to confirm Luton's relegation from the Premier League in a 4-2 victory at Kenilworth Road, May 5, 2024 [on August 8, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/marco-silva.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Marco Silva, who talked up Fulham s attackers after they netted four times to confirm Luton's relegation from the Premier League in a 4-2 victory at Kenilworth Road, May 5, 2024 [on August 8, 2024]")
© Imago
Bestowed with the honour of opening the new Premier League season alongside Man United, Fulham initially looked set to hold out for a creditable point at the Theatre of Dreams last Friday, where Marco Silva's men repelled several futile attacks from Erik ten Hag's team.
However, Fulham also failed to make the most of any openings that arose, and with three minutes of normal time remaining, Man United new boy Joshua Zirkzee met Alejandro Garnacho's delivery with a delicate first-time finish into the far corner.
Only a shocking Garnacho miss right at the death prevented a heavier defeat for Fulham, whose manager Silva could certainly reflect on the pleasing aspects of that one-goal reserve, although pleasing aspects do not equal points for the capital outfit.
Early Craven Cottage success has also been hard for Fulham to come by in recent years, as the hosts have to go back to 2012-13 for the last time that they won their first Premier League home game of a season, losing four of their next five such clashes.
In addition, Silva's men only took one point from the last 12 on offer at Craven Cottage last term, although those three losses came to Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United, while that lone 1-1 draw came against a high-flying Crystal Palace.
© Imago
Speaking of two-goal stalemates, Leicester should not have had a hope of springing a turnaround against Tottenham on Monday, where Cooper's men were blown away by their visitors in the first half, but the Lilywhites only had Pedro Porro's goal to show for it.
The elusive second goal just would not come for Tottenham - who were thwarted on several occasions by Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen - and with Ange Postecoglou's defence at sixes and sevens early in the second half, Jamie Vardy - the 37-year-old Big Six tormentor - took full advantage.
However, the Leicester talisman - whom Cooper claimed would miss the opener through injury - then spurned a gilt-edged chance to complete the Leicester fightback, but the Foxes still looked the more likely to score again until Rodrigo Bentancur's severe head injury brought their momentum to a grinding halt.
Nevertheless, Leicester now head to London on the back of winning more away games than any other side in England's top four tiers last season (14), but prior to their top-flight relegation in 2023, they went winless in eight straight matches on rival territory.
Their fifth and most recent loss in that sequence was a 5-3 beatdown at Craven Cottage in May 2023 - where they were 4-0 down inside 51 minutes - which also marked Fulham's third win from their last four matches against their newly-promoted visitors.
- L
Team News
© Imago
With no Fulham players picking up injuries or red cards at Man United, head coach Silva is expected to have a clean bill of health for Saturday's game and now has Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge at his disposal following his arrival from Burnley.
Berge - who was also supposedly wanted by Manchester United - will not be thrown straight into the starting lineup for his full debut on Saturday, though, so Sasa Lukic, Emile Smith Rowe and Andreas Pereira should all hold their places.
The hosts have also welcomed Danish defender Joachim Andersen back to the club from Crystal Palace soon, but Calvin Bassey and Issa Diop should continue to form the central barrier in front of Bernd Leno for now.
Regarding Leicester's availability, winger Abdul Fatawu was the unfortunate soul involved in the head clash with Bentancur on Monday night, but the 20-year-old escaped unscathed and managed to complete the full 90 at the King Power.
However, none of Luke Thomas (unspecified), Conor Coady (thigh) or Patson Daka (ankle) were involved in the Spurs stalemate, but while the latter two will definitely sit this one out too, Thomas might force his way back into the ranks.
Similarly to Fulham, the Foxes could also hand a debut to their new midfield enforcer Oliver Skipp, but the ex-Tottenham man should only make the bench as Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi and Facundo Buonanotte operate centrally.
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Pereira, Lukic; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Muniz
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Winks, Ndidi; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Decordova-Reid; Vardy
We say: Fulham 1-1 Leicester City
Despite both failing to come out on top on matchday one, Saturday's competitors arguably had more positives than negatives to evaluate, even if Leicester were atrocious in the first 45 against Tottenham before cleaning up their act in the second.
A similarly slow start may not prove fatal against a Fulham side whose lack of penetration let them down at Old Trafford, though, and we can see the points being split evenly in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
