“I fancy them to win this one more than I do Newcastle” Chris Sutton makes SHOCKING Fulham prediction over the MAGPIES revealing why he want Newcastle to lose.
Newcastle United will resume their Premier League campaign on Saturday with a challenging away match against Fulham.
Despite a somewhat disappointing summer transfer window, the Magpies have had an impressive start to the season. They remain unbeaten in the Premier League, winning three of their first four matches.
A victory on Saturday could see Newcastle move to the top of the table, at least temporarily, ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Arsenal.
However, despite their strong results, former Celtic player Chris Sutton remains unconvinced by Newcastle’s overall performance. He predicts a 1-1 draw against Fulham in what he expects to be a tight contest at Craven Cottage.
In his BBC Sport column, Sutton wrote: “Fulham won nine and lost eight of their 19 home Premier League games last season, and I usually back them at Craven Cottage. They should have beaten West Ham last weekend, as they had opportunities to extend their lead before Danny Ings’ last-minute equaliser for the Hammers.
“Newcastle are still a bit of a mystery to me because I haven’t been overly impressed with them so far. Eventually, Eddie Howe’s team will face a setback, but right now, they’re finding ways to win, relying more on individual brilliance than cohesive team play. I called Fulham’s 1-1 draw last week correctly, so I’m going for the same scoreline again… although I think Fulham might edge it over Newcastle.”
Newcastle are currently dealing with injury concerns surrounding Alexander Isak, who was subbed off at halftime against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend due to an eye issue. He has also since picked up a toe injury, making him doubtful for the Fulham game, according to the *Daily Mail*.
Eddie Howe is also without Callum Wilson, who has yet to feature this season due to a back injury. With both Isak and Wilson potentially unavailable, Howe is likely to deploy Anthony Gordon as their forward this weekend.
Defensively, Howe is not expected to make significant changes, with Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, and Lewis Hall expected to retain their places. In midfield, Sandro Tonali could finally make his first Premier League start since returning from suspension.