Match Previews

Fulham team news: Lallana absent and Veltman being assessed

All you need to know about Tuesday night's Premier League game at Craven Cottage.

By Bruce Talbot • 29 August 2022

Albion try to extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season on Tuesday when we travel to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham.

We briefly led the Premier League table during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Leeds United but start the fixture in fourth place with ten points from four games. 

Fulham have made a good start to their campaign following promotion. They took the lead at Arsenal on Saturday through Aleksandar Mitrovic, before the Gunners hit back to win 2-1. Five of the six goals Fulham have conceded this season have come in the second half but five points from 12 represents a solid opening for Marco Silva’s side and they are unbeaten in their two previous home games against us in the Premier League, winning 4-2 in 2019 and drawing 0-0 in 2020.

Team News

Adam Lallana will be out until the end of September with a calf problem. Jeremy Sarmiento is back in training but won't be risked tomorrow and Jakub Moder is still absent.

Graham Potter said in his pre-match press conference that Joel Veltman was being assessed after coming off with a stiff neck against Leeds but that he felt better when he reported for training on Monday.

Player to Watch

Aleksandar Mitrovic leads Fulham's celebrations after scoring at Arsenal.

Serbia striker Mitrovic has already scored more goals (4) than in the entirety of the 2020/21 campaign when he netted three times. The 27-year-old, who started his Premier League career with Newcastle United, rattled in 48 Championship goals last season, a new record for the second tier. He netted twice in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool on the opening day and he then scored in Fulham’s 3-2 win over Brentford last time out at Craven Cottage.

Stats and Facts

Fulham are unbeaten in all four of their Premier League games against Brighton (W1 D3), with both meetings the last time the sides met in 2020-21 ending goalless.

We lost 11 of their first 13 away league games against Fulham (W2) between 1929 and 1985 but have since won five of their last nine at the Cottagers since 1988 (D1 L3).

Albion have kept a clean sheet in each of their last seven Premier League games against promoted sides (W5 D2) since a 1-0 loss at West Brom in February 2021. That defeat to the Baggies is our only loss against a promoted side in their last 15 such games (W7 D7).

The Whites have won just one of their last 16 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games (D7 L8), though that was a home victory over us on a Tuesday in January 2019.

Albion have failed to win a single midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) Premier League game last season, drawing three and losing four. Their previous three such matches before this saw them draw with Chelsea and pick up victories over Liverpool and Manchester City.

Following away wins against Manchester United and West Ham United this season, Brighton are looking to win their opening three away league games in a campaign for only the fourth time, also doing so in 1953-54, 1957-58 (both Third Division South) and 2011-12 (Championship).

Fulham have picked up four points in their first two home Premier League matches this season (W1 D1), a tally that took them six home games to reach in their last top-flight campaign in 2020-21 (W1 D1 L4). The Cottagers are looking for consecutive home Premier League wins for the first time since April 2019.

Brighton have won their last two away Premier League matches, their seventh run of consecutive away top-flight wins. The Seagulls have never managed three away wins in a row in the English top-flight.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored three goals in his two Premier League starts against Brighton. His goals against the Seagulls accounted for 27% of his total strikes in the 2018-19 campaign (3/11).

Fulham manager Marco Silva has lost his last five Premier League games against English managers (one each vs Dean Smith, Eddie Howe, Chris Wilder, Sean Dyche and Graham Potter). The last manager to lose more consecutively against Englishmen was Mick McCarthy between 2003 and 2005 with Sunderland (10 in a row).

Match Officials

Referee - Thomas Bramall

Assistant Referee 1 - Constantine Hatzidakis

Assistant Referee 2 - Daniel Robathan

Fourth Official - Stuart Attwell

Video Assistant Referee - Paul Tierney

Additional Video Assistant Referee - Natalie Aspinall