Fulham vs Bournemouth predictions: Three-goal barrier to be broken at Cottage

- At least three goals have been scored in Bournemouth’s last four away league games
- The last four meetings of these clubs have all featured at least three goals
- Recommended Bet: Back Over 2.5 goals

Fulham will attempt to follow up their Boxing Day win at Chelsea when they host high-flying Bournemouth at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Marco Silva’s men stunned Stamford Bridge with their late comeback in a 2-1 victory that keeps them within touching distance of the Premier League’s top six.

Bournemouth slipped to sixth place after a 0-0 home draw with Crystal Palace, but the Cherries remain one point better off and two places higher than their hosts this weekend.

Team news

Silva altered Fulham’s formation as he made five changes to his side against Chelsea with Joachim Andersen returning to the backline. 

He played alongside Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey in a back three with full-backs Antonee Robinson and Timothy Castagne pushed higher up the pitch into midfield.

Silva could revert to a back four for this clash with Tom Cairney hoping for a recall or teenager Josh King potentially returning to the side.  

Sasa Lukic passed a late fitness test to start against Chelsea but Sander Berge missed out through injury, joining Kenny Tete, Reiss Nelson, Harrison Reed and Emile Smith Rowe on the sidelines. 

As for Bournemouth, Andoni Iraola will again be without the services of injured quintet Marcus Tavernier, Marcos Senesi, Julian Araujo, Luis Sinisterra and Alex Scott.

A Boxing Day booking for Justin Kluivert, his fifth of the season, will see the Dutchman serve a one-match suspension when the Cherries visit Craven Cottage.

That could lead to a start for Tyler Adams in the middle of the park while top scorer Evanilson looks set to come back into the starting XI in place of Turkish striker Enes Unal. 

The stats

Both of Fulham’s goals at Stamford Bridge came from substitutes, taking the club’s collective tally of goals from off the bench to eight — the most of any Premier League club this season.

The Whites, who secured their first win at Stamford Bridge in 45 years, have beaten Bournemouth only once in four Premier League games since pipping the Cherries to the Football League Championship title in 2021-22.

Bournemouth extended their unbeaten run to six games with a 0-0 home draw against Crystal Palace last time out.

It was only the second goalless Premier League game of Andoni Iraola’s 18-month spell in charge of the Cherries.

Prediction

Bournemouth’s Boxing Day clash with Crystal Palace was one of the more entertaining 0-0s with both teams creating enough in the game to warrant goals. 

The Cherries squad still seems to have enough freshness to execute Iraola’s high-intensity brand of football and they should give a good account of themselves at Craven Cottage.

Fulham have been a bit hard to predict at home lately, performing well in the 3-1 win over Brighton and 1-1 draw with Arsenal, but flopping badly in defeat to Wolves and in the recent 0-0 draw with Southampton. 

This game looks unlikely to stay goallless for long with at least three having been scored in all four of the clubs’ meetings since they were promoted together in 2022.

Two-thirds of Fulham’s home league games have featured over 2.5 goals and with a similar fraction of Bournemouth’s away matches having seen at least three shots hit the back of the net, this clash looks like being a good one for goal backers. 

Back Over 2.5 goals at 3/5 with LiveScore Bet.

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