Is FFC’s form crisis worsening?
For much of the first half of the season, Fulham FC were among the Championship’s hottest promotion candidates, but the west Londoners have since squandered that status. After five winless matchdays in a row, FFC even had to give way from the direct promotion places before the situation-related winter break.
On Saturday, the “Cottagers” will play their first competitive match of the new calendar year. In the FA Cup, the west Londoners face an away game against league rivals Bristol.
This season, the two clubs have already met in Bristol. The visitors from the capital missed out on an away win against the Robins for the third time in a row. It would therefore not be surprising if the away misery in Bristol continues in the upcoming cup match.
Bristol City have, after all, only lost two of their last seven home games at the Ashton Gate Stadium. Moreover, the “Robins” also have the edge in terms of match practice. Unlike the visitors, who have been struggling with match cancellations for just under three weeks, Bristol City have played two competitive matches in that period.
Bristol – Statistics & current form
Bristol City managed a small liberation last week, after all, there was the first time after three winless matchdays in a row again the maximum points for the “Robins”. Head coach Nigel Pearson’s team extended their lead over the relegation places. Nevertheless, the primary goal of the “Robins” remains to stay in the league.
The starting positions for the promotion play-offs are still within reach, but Bristol City are by no means among the potential promotion candidates this season after the weak first half of the season. Bristol still lack the consistency needed for promotion to the English top flight, and even participation in the play-offs would be a big surprise.
For now, however, the focus is on the upcoming cup match against Fulham FC. In the league, Bristol City have already scored against the team relegated from the English top flight. If they can even win this time, Bristol vs. Fulham offers odds of 5.25 for tip 1. This would also mean that the “Robins” would enter the round of the last 32 in the FA Cup for the third time in the last four seasons.
Can Bristol break down FFC’s defensive bulwark?
The performance of the attack will be the most important factor in the cup match against the West Londoners. After all, Saturday’s opponents in the Championship have the strongest defensive bulwark in the league. In total, the upcoming opponents have conceded only 19 goals in 23 matchdays. However, Fulham conceded one of the 19 goals against Bristol City.
Considering how strong the attack of the “Robins” has been in recent weeks, it cannot be ruled out that Bristol will also score at least one goal this time. Pearson’s team scored eight goals in the last four matches – an average of two goals per game.
Andreas Weimann, who with twelve goals and four assists leads Bristol City’s internal goalscoring charts, has played a major part in this. Most recently, Weimann’s hat-trick almost single-handedly gave the Robins three points in the Championship. If the Austrian leads his team to victory again, odds of 5.25 are paid out for tip 1 in Bristol vs Fulham.
Predicted Bristol line-up:
O’Leary – Vyner, Kalas, Atkinson, Silva – King, Scott, Massengo – Weimann, Martin, O’Dowda
Last matches played by Bristol:
Championship
01/02 2022 – Bristol City 3 – 2 Millwall
12/30 2021 – Bristol City 1 – 2 Queens Park Rangers
12/18 2021 – Bristol City 2 – 3 Huddersfield
12/11 2021 – Hull 2 – 2 Bristol City
12/04 2021 – Bristol City 1 – 0 Derby
Fulham – Statistics & current form
The Londoners’ primary goal this season is to be promoted back to the English top flight. Fulham already set the course for this in the first half of the Championship, but the negative trend towards the end of the first half of the season was by no means to be glossed over. Because FFC did not win any of the last five games in the Championship, even the competition passed them by.
In the meantime, head coach Marco Silva’s team is “only” in a starting position for the play-offs. Since their last competitive match almost three weeks ago, Fulham FC have not played a single match. Due to the personnel problems after the numerous positive tests, a large part of the professional team had to go into quarantine.
This weekend, FFC will make their comeback. In the FA Cup, the “Cottagers” not only want to end their ongoing form crisis, but also reach the fourth round of the prestigious cup competition for the third time in a row. Since the 2018/19 season, Fulham have so far always featured in the FA Cup fourth round.
FFC with defiance in FA Cup?
Ahead of the upcoming away game, FFC’s recent record away from home is encouraging. After all, Silva’s side have remained unbeaten in their last five away games. Among other things, there was an emphatic victory at Blackburn Rovers in this period. Fulham won 7-0 at their direct promotion rivals, who are now in second place.
It is therefore not at all surprising that the west Londoners are favourites for the cup tie, despite their ongoing results crisis. Meanwhile, bettors looking to back Bristol vs Fulham can pick up odds of up to 1.73. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the last time FFC won an away game at the Robins was almost four years ago.
FFC head coach Marco Silva can draw on a full complement of players for the away game in Bristol and does not have any serious absentees.
Predicted Fulham line-up:
Gazzaniga – Odoi, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson – Reed, Cairney – Wilson, Carvalho, Reid – Muniz
Last matches played by Fulham:
Championship
12/20 2021 – Fulham 0 – 1 Sheffield United
12/11 2021 – Luton 1 – 1 Fulham
12/03 2021 – Fulham 1 – 1 Bournemouth
11/27 2021 – Preston 1 – 1 Fulham
11/24 2021 – Fulham 0 – 0 Derby
Bristol – Fulham Direct comparison / H2H record
This is the 52nd time the two clubs have met across competitions. So far, the ‘Cottagers’ lead the head-to-head comparison against Bristol City with a record of 20-13-18. However, Fulham have not won a competitive match against the Robins since February 2017. Meanwhile, FFC have been winless against Bristol for five competitive matches in a row.
This includes the match in the first leg of the current 2021/22 Championship, which is the third time in a row that the capital city side have missed out on an away win at Bristol City.
Bristol – Fulham Tip
The league competition is far more important for the “Cottagers” from West London than the FA Cup. After all, FFC is aiming for direct promotion back to the English top flight in the Championship. The double burden of the cup competition is therefore not at all convenient for FFC, especially as they already have a tough away game against Reading FC on the agenda next week.
Bristol City, on the other hand, have little chance of making the play-offs in the league, which makes the cup competition all the more important for the “Robins”. Bristol already made a splash in the FA Cup last season and fought their way into the last 16. Bets on an underdog coup are therefore by no means out of the question this weekend.
An underdog bet on the “Robins” is supported by their recent record against Fulham. Bristol have not lost any of their last five games against the “Cottagers”. It is quite possible that this series will be extended at the Ashton Gate Stadium. Especially as FFC are winless for five games in a row.
With a stake of four units, we would like to bet on Bristol vs. Fulham at odds of 5.25 on the host team.
