Fulham return to the Premiership action after hammering Tottenham in the FA Cup, with the Cottagers looking to further improve their league position. Newcastle haven’t been in action at the weekend but they still managed to disappoint their fans, having sold star striker Andy Carroll to Liverpool.

Craven Cottage again becoming a fortress

Our previous articles featured full explanation of Fulham’s early season struggles so I won’t get at it again, but will rather focus on team’s recent uptrend in form. It was clearly just a matter of time before the Cottagers kick-started their season and they are now again the team that are a real force to be reckoned with at home, even if their away performances leave a lot to be desired. Fulham not only recorded comprehensive wins over West Brom and Stoke in the Premiership, but they also trashed Peterborough and Tottenham in the FA Cup, and now aim to extend the home winning run to five games. Following the 4:0 victory over Tottenham, Fulham players can be forgiven for believing they can do something similar against Newcastle, especially as the team will be stronger than few days ago.

New signings Gael Kakuta and Eidur Gudjohnsen could play some part, but Dickson Etuhu remains injury doubt. Briggs, Schwarzer, Senderos and Zamora are still unavailable.

No more Andy Carroll to save the day

Newcastle United owners fought like mad to hold onto their most prized asset, but they could do nothing but let Andy Carroll leave when Liverpool decided to splash £35 million on the promising striker. With the transfer window now closed, the Magpies will have to wait until the summer before spending the cash on new players, meaning they could have problems in trying to keep the respectable league position. Having lost four of their last six away games, Newcastle should be in for a difficult evening at Craven Cottage, especially as their own fans could turn against owner Mike Ashley for letting Carroll leave. With few important players unavailable for this clash, Newcastle don’t look capable of stopping high-flying Fulham side.

Loan signing from Aston Villa, Stephen Ireland is likely to start, but Cheikh Tiote serves the final match of his three-game ban. Hatem Ben Arfa, Dan Gosling, Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor and Alan Smith remain sidelined.

Verdict

Having won their last four home games, beating a side like Tottenham 4:0 in the process, Fulham have got to be considered the favourites here. Newcastle don’t look too impressive at the moment, especially on the travels, while it goes without saying Andy Carroll will be sorely missed. Therefore, my advice is to back Fulham here.

Our prediction: Home win

Odds: 2.10 (11/10)

Bookmaker: Bodog