Championship

Craven Cottage

Saturday 30th October 2021 -  12:30
Fulham
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West Brom
Stream on WBA TV
Key Events

Fulham preview

Two sides on the prowl for Premier League promotion go head-to-head at Craven Cottage on Saturday lunchtime, with Albion travelling down to the capital to face Fulham (ko 12.30pm).

The Baggies sit one point and one place behind the Londoners in third ahead of this weekend’s Sky Bet Championship showdown.

Both Albion and Fulham will be full of confidence having recorded convincing victories in the last round of fixtures. Valérien Ismaël’s men beat Bristol City 3-0 at The Hawthorns on Saturday, while Fulham chalked up an eye-catching 4-0 win at in-form Nottingham Forest a day later.

Saturday’s early kick-off gives each team the opportunity to close the gap on leaders AFC Bournemouth, with the Cherries five points ahead of Fulham and six clear of West Bromwich Albion.

How to follow the game

You can follow every kick at the Cottage live with Baggies-biased commentary from Gez Mulholland and Andy Johnson on WBA TV Matchday. Coverage starts at 12.20pm.

A Match Pass is on offer for just £2.50 and will include a full match replay, available to watch on demand on WBA TV. Click here to buy.

Existing subscribers and Match Pass purchasers can listen here.

WBA TV Matchday

Opposition 

Saturday’s hosts Fulham are flying high having won three on the bounce in the Sky Bet Championship, scoring 10 goals in the process.

The Londoners are the division’s top scorers so far this season, hitting a total of 33 goals which is eight more than the Championship’s second highest team, West Bromwich Albion.

Fulham will be after a swift return to the top flight after suffering relegation last term. With players to call on such as Serbia forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, creative midfielders Harry Wilson and Bobby Reid, as well as defenders Tim Ream and Tosin Adarabioyo, the Cottagers are widely tipped to finish in the top two.

Marco Silva is the man in charge, appointed in the summer following spells in England with Hull City, Watford and Everton.

The 44-year-old has been tasked with leading the Londoners to the Premier League, and he’ll be satisfied with the start he has made to life at Craven Cottage. 

Fulham are averaging more than two points per game having accumulated 29 from their opening 14 matches, winning nine, drawing two and losing three.

Fulham celebrate their fourth goal at Nottingham Forest on Sunday

Classic match

Albion edged past Fulham in a thrilling League Cup tie down at Craven Cottage in October, 2005.

Robert Earnshaw gave the Baggies the lead in London, only for Luis Boa Morte to equalise.

The visitors thought they had won it when Kanu scored minutes from the end, but Heidar Helguson's header took the game to extra-time.

And it was during the additional period that Albion won it. Junichi Inamoto fired the ball into the top corner from all of 30 yards to secure safe passage in the cup.

Did you know?

Albion won't just be after the three points on Saturday to be able to jump back ahead of Fulham into the automatic promotion places in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Baggies will also want to end their long wait for a league win at Craven Cottage, a run which has stretched over 54 years.

The last West Bromwich Albion league win in the white part of west London came on Saturday, October 7 1967 in the old Division One.

Semi Ajayi scored against Fulham the last time we visited Craven Cottage in the Championship in 2019

Away kit colours

Albion will be wearing their yellow third kit on Saturday in London.

You can order it here.

LV BET’s latest odds

Albion are measured at 33/9 (3.45) to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage and move up to second in the Championship table.

Having found the back of the net 25 times in 14 league games, LV BET has the Baggies at 17/10 (2.70) to score over 1.5 goals this Saturday.

West Bromwich Albion are at 29/10 (3.90) to go into half-time with a lead, as they have done in their two previous fixtures.

He can’t stop scoring! It’s six goals in six appearances for West Bromwich Albion’s top scorer, Karlan Grant, who once again comes in at 47/20 (3.35) to score his eighth of the season and at 13/2 (7.50) to be the first one on the scoresheet. 

Check out the new LV BET Bet £10 Get £10 customer offer here. 18+ begambleaware.org. Terms apply. Odds are subject to change.

LV BET

Fulham report

Fulham condemned Albion to defeat during their Sky Bet Championship clash at Craven Cottage, in a game which saw both sides reduced to 10 men. 

Aleksandar Mitrovic's first-half brace gave the home side a strong lead at the interval, and the forward completed his hat-trick eight minutes from time to take the game away from Valérien Ismaël's side. 

Darnell Furlong and Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo were both dismissed for late challenges, but they didn't affect the end result as the Baggies left the capital empty-handed. 

The Baggies started with physicality but the hosts found space with balls over the top, winning a number of corners but failing to threaten from them. But a contentious penalty decision allowed the Cottagers to swing the game in their favour during the first half.

Karlan Grant was robbed of possession inside the Albion half, prompting a Fulham counter-attack which ended when Bartley was judged to have fouled Mitrovic inside the box.

Referee Michael Salisbury immediately pointed to the spot, and Fulham’s target man squeezed the ball past Sam Johnstone to give Marco Silva’s men the lead.

Despite falling behind, Ismaël's side responded well and almost equalised immediately when Grant lashed a bouncing ball wide of the post before Fulham stopper Marek Rodak saved two close-range Bartley headers.

But Albion’s best chance of the half fell to Matt Clarke, who connected well with a fast ball to guide a header towards the top left corner. Home keeper Rodak, however, sprawled across his goal to claw the ball away from danger.

Unfortunately, the visitors’ positive response was undone before the interval when pressure on Robert Snodgrass forced the Scotsman into a loose pass back to goal, leaving Mitrovic the task of poking the ball beyond Johnstone as the home side took a two-goal lead in at the break.

Ismaël’s side began the second half in determined fashion and came close to finding the back of the net when Conor Townsend’s fierce drive across goal flashed over the stretching leg of Jordan Hugill at the back post.

Headed opportunities kept coming for Baggies defender Bartley, who glanced an effort over the bar and Jake Livermore was nearly on the end of another Townsend cross inside the box. But the pace of the ball didn’t favour Albion’s skipper, as he poked the delivery over the crossbar.

Chances of a Baggies fightback, though, were damaged 20 minutes from time. Fulham winger Harry Wilson threatened with a direct run through the middle until Furlong’s trip denied him a shot at goal, leaving Salisbury no choice but to dismiss the Albion No.2.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone did well to palm Adarabioyo's goal-bound effort away from danger as the game came to a close, but he couldn’t prevent Mitrovic completing his hat-trick as the hosts made the most of their numerical advantage. 

But like Albion, Fulham would end the game with 10 men when Adarabioyo's lunge on Grady Diangana was deemed worthy of a sending off. The red card didn't change the final score, though, as Albion suffered their third defeat on the road.

Albion: Johnstone; Ajayi, Bartley, Clarke; Furlong, Livermore, Snodgrass, Townsend; Phillips (Diangana 59), Hugill (Robinson 59), Grant (Molumby 73).

Substitutes: Button, Kipre, Bryan, Reach. 

Attendance: 18,103