AFCB Vital Match Zone

Battle Of The Top Two – Can Parker come out on top?

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Written by billythekid

The win at Coventry on Saturday was the third game in succession that our side have kept a clean sheet (well done Mark Travers). It was a very important result and good to get three goals. Also, some credit must be given to our manager Scott Parker with his team selection by bringing Jamal Lowe in to give more support up front to Dominic Solanke and it worked. This will give our team a good boost going into our next game, which is second versus first in the table at Dean Court on Saturday at 3 pm, our visitors are top of the table and now promoted Fulham.

The positions of the two clubs were the same when AFCB visited Craven Cottage at the beginning of December. The game ended honours even in a 1-1 draw. After a goalless first half which was partly down to two first-half blocks within seconds of each other from Steve Cook, the crowd were not expecting what was to come immediately from the kickoff for the second half, some probably not yet back in their seats. In a clever training ground move with a few passes and then a long ball from Philip Billing which Dominic Solanke already anticipated put the ball into the net, 0-1. Fulham equalised in the 84th minute through Tosin Adarabioyo who scored his first goal for his club and that was how the game ended. With 21 games played by both sides, Fulham were top with 43 points, AFCB 2nd 42 points.

Since that game, Marco Silva’s side on their away trips have beaten Reading 0-7, Stoke City 2-3, the two games against Hull City and Cardiff City ending 0-1, Swansea City 1-5, QPR 0-2 and Middlesbrough 0-1. They have drawn with Luton Town and Barnsley 1-1 and lost 1-0 against West Brom and 2-1 against Derby County. At home they have W 6, D 1, L 3.
The table on Saturday night after 41 games, Fulham were top with 83 points, AFCB 2nd 77 points.
Since then Fulham played on Tuesday night at home against Preston and won 3-0.

The last time the two teams met at Dean Court was three years ago in the Premier League on Saturday 20th April 2019. Their caretaker manager was Scott Parker, he had taken over at Fulham on the 28th February from the previous manager Claudio Ranieri. Fulham were second from bottom of the Premier League and 10 points away from safety. When Scott Parker brought his Fulham side to Dean Court, they had already been relegated. They won the game 8 minutes into the second half from the penalty spot, the scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and it was Fulham’s first and only win away from home that season. At the end of the season, Scott Parker was made permanent manager at Fulham.

In our league games at home against Fulham, AFCB have W 8, D 3, L 3.
In all competitions, AFCB have W 13, D 10, L 11.

AFCB v Fulham

AFCB Win

AFCB Win

Draw

Draw

Fulham Win

Fulham Win

AFCB Team News
No updates on any new injuries, so hopefully we go into this game with a strong squad.

AFCB Player To Watch
Dominic Solanke the second-highest scorer in the Championship with 26 league goals, scored a brace in his last game and has 6 assists. But it will be about the team on the today, winning the midfield battles and our defenders being on top form and not making mistakes. Hope Mark Travers is in his usual top form.

Fulham Team News
Terence Kongolo has been out injured, otherwise they have a strong squad to pick from.

Fulham Player To Watch
Aleksandar Mitrovic is the leading scorer in the Championship with 40 league goals in 40 games and has 7 assists. He has smashed the Championship record and still has 4 more games to go. They have a number of players to watch, but Harry Wilson has scored 10 goals and leads with 15 assists.

The Man In Charge
Graham Scott is the referee for this top of the table game.
He has only been the referee once at our games this season and that was the FA Cup game against Boreham Wood.

Your say…

AFCBade wrote…

Really need to stop Fulham from winning to ensure they give Nottingham Forest a right go midweek.

I would take a point now but it seems that the best way to play Fulham is to attack as Barnsley and Coventry have done. Best attack vs the best defence in the league so far and hope it is still like that at 5 o’clock!

Amazingly only two more Saturdays left of the regular season after this game. – Join the conversation, click here.

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