Two sides in need of three points lock horns in the Premier League this weekend as Fulham take on Newcastle United.
Fulham come into this game 15th in the league with nine points from nine games. The Cottagers had a tough start to the campaign but have shown steady improvements in recent weeks, with manager Alvaro Arbeloa making noticeable tweaks to his team's style.
They come into this game having taken seven points from their last three games after recording wins against Hull (1-0) and Coventry (1-0) before drawing 1-1 away at Aston Villa last weekend. The result at Villa Park was a good one but the performance was more encouraging, with the Cottagers the better side.
Even amidst their early season the struggles Fulham have remained competitive. They haven't lost a game by more than one goal all season and have one of the better defensive records of the teams in the bottom half, conceding 11 goals in nine games.
Newcastle, on the other hand, look to be in trouble. The Magpies sit 13th with 11 points from nine games but their trajectory is more worrying, with the team losing three of their last four league games and five of their last seven in all competitions.
The team has fallen to recent defeats at the hands of Leeds and Coventry by commanding 4-1 scorelines, and on Monday night they succumbed to a 0-1 home loss to Everton, a very disappointing result that resulted in a chorus of boos at full-time.
As a result, these two teams are facing each other amidst very contrasting trajectories and we think that'll favour the home side.
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle
