It is a Premier League clash between two out of sorts teams as Fulham and West Ham United square off in a London Derby at Craven Cottage.
Things have not been going well for Fulham in recent weeks as they head into Friday’s clash off the back of four straight defeats across all competitions. Morale appears to be low at Craven Cottage with top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic starting an eight-match suspension while Willian is also ruled out.
Fulham suffered a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth in their previous Premier League fixture. They took the lead early in the first half through Andreas Pereira but were unable to hold on for the win and conceded twice after the break.
While things have been slightly better at Craven Cottage, Fulham’s home form is still erratic at the moment. They have claimed just two wins in their last five home matches and were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal in their previous fixture in front of their fans.
Pressure is mounting on manager David Moyes as West Ham continue to slip ever closer to the relegation zone. They are currently 15th on the standings, level on 27 points with Bournemouth, who are in the bottom three.
Things appear to be worsening for West Ham as they have claimed just two wins from their last eight Premier League matches. They were particularly woeful in their midweek Premier League fixture, suffering a 5-1 home defeat to Newcastle United.
One of the problems plaguing West Ham this season is a poor record on their travels as they are winless in their last 11 away matches in the Premier League. They have also struggled in attack, scoring just once in their last four matches on the road.
How the bookies view it
The bookies appear to be split on this one with a win for Fulham priced at 9/5 by bet365 while Unibet is offering odds of 8/5 for a West Ham victory. A draw is set at odds of 23/10 by BoyleSports.
Head to head
West Ham have a 23-13 advantage with 10 draws from 46 previous matches against Fulham. The Hammers claimed a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture while the last two meetings at Craven Cottage ended in draws.
Players to watch
With Fulham missing some attacking quality, they will be keen to tighten up at the back and avoid conceding. Tim Ream and Issa Diop are likely to continue in central defence and will be hoping to lead the Cottagers to a clean sheet at 9/4 with bet365.
If West Ham are going to beat the drop this season, the defence is likely to play a pivotal role. They will be keen to take advantage of Fulham’s attacking problems and with Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd at the back, a clean sheet could be considered at 9/4 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Fulham and West Ham United currently struggling in attack, BTTS could be on the cards at evens with BetVictor. Four of the last five meetings have produced under 2.5 goals and a similar outcome is priced at 7/10 with Unibet.
Both teams have battled to a halftime draw in three of their last four meetings and a repeat is priced at 11/10 Unibet.
This English Premier League match between Fulham and West Ham United will be played on Apr 8, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Fulham vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
