The Premier League's bottom two sides come face-to-face when Fulham and Huddersfield clash on Saturday, in what could certainly be a relegation 'six-pointer'.
Fulham are currently four points adrift of Premier League safety, whilst Huddersfield fell to the bottom of the table following their defeat to Manchester United. As a result, the meeting between the two could be one of the most important matches this season for either club. The first half of the season is up, and both sides need to start picking up points sooner rather than later.
Both sides have had trouble keeping clean sheets this year, meaning there could be plenty of goals in this one.
Here's 90min's preview of the crucial match.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Saturday 29 December |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 15:00 (BST) |
| Where Is it Played? | Craven Cottage |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | Gillette Soccer Saturday/BT Sport Score |
| Referee? | Kevin Friend |
Team News
Fulham come into the match with almost a full squad. Midfielder
Huddersfield will still be without star midfielder Aaron Mooy as a result of his knee injury, whilst Danny Williams, Tommy Smith and Abdelhamid Sabiri also remain sidelined. Jonathan Hogg has now returned to training following their injury issues and could feature for the Terriers.
Predicted Lineups
| Fulham | Rico; Christie, Odoi, Mawson, Bryan; Cairney, Chambers, Seri, Sessegnon; Mitrovic, Kamara. |
| Huddersfield | Lossl; Jorgensen, Kongolo, Schindler; Hadergjonaj, Bacuna, Billing, Hogg, Lowe; Mounie, Pritchard. |
Head to Head Record
The two sides have met seven times in their history, and it is Fulham who have had the edge in the past, with four wins to their name. They have met just once in the Premier League, with November's clash between the two also proving to be Huddersfield's first victory over the Cottagers.
Fulham have netted 16 goals during the seven matches, whilst Huddersfield have managed just five. Fulham managed to put nine past Huddersfield in two matches in the 2016/17 Championship season, and they will be keen to channel that prolific form once again.
An own goal from Fulham's Timothy Fosu-Mensah decided November's match, and Huddersfield certainly need their strikers to start firing soon.
Recent Form
After keeping their first clean sheet of the season, Fulham's fortunes continued to improve as they climbed away from the bottom of the league with an impressive 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, they have not won a game in over a month, and they will be looking to change that as soon as possible.
As for Huddersfield, they could hardly be on a worse run of form. The 3-1 defeat to United was the Terriers' sixth consecutive defeat, and they now find themselves propping up the rest of the division, five points adrift of safety.
Here's how the two have performed in their last five matches:
| Fulham | Huddersfield |
| Fulham 1-1 Wolves (26/12) | Man Utd 3-1 Huddersfield (26/12) |
| Newcastle 0-0 Fulham (22/12) | Huddersfield 1-3 Southampton (22/12) |
| Fulham 0-2 West Ham (15/12) | Huddersfield 0-1 Newcastle (15/12) |
| Man Utd 4-1 Fulham (8/12) | Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield (8/12) |
| Fulham 1-1 Leicester (5/12) | Bournemouth 2-1 Huddersfield (4/12) |
Prediction
This game could certainly be an exhibition of determined attacking play, but it could also prove to be a cagey affair as the two sides simply hope to avoid defeat. For the neutrals, let's hope it's the former.
Huddersfield are currently on a run of six consecutive defeats, and they need to start picking up points before the path to safety becomes too steep. The same can certainly be said for Fulham, although they have show glimpses of the ability which could ultimately preserve their Premier League status.
Fulham have not struggled in front of goal this season, and they will feel as though they have more than enough quality to earn a positive result on Saturday.
Prediction: Fulham 2-0 Huddersfield
Source : 90min