Preview: Fulham vs Leeds United - prediction, team news, lineups

Still searching for their first Premier League win of the new season, Fulham play host to newly-promoted Leeds United at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.

The two teams butt heads for the first time since April 2023 when the Cottagers secured a 2-1 home victory in the top flight.

Match preview

Fulham headed into the international break frustrated and disappointed after they were beaten 2-0 by West London rivals Chelsea in a Premier League contest mired in VAR controversy at Stamford Bridge.

Teenage starlet Joshua King had a fairytale first senior goal chalked off following a VAR review after Rodrigo Muniz was penalised for a “careless challenge” in the build-up, before Ryan Sessegnon was judged to have handled the ball in the penalty area, allowing Enzo Fernandez to double Chelsea’s advantage after Joao Pedro had headed home the opener.

Marco Silva fumed at referee Robert Jones and slammed the ‘unbelievable’ VAR decisions against his Fulham side, who have now conceded a penalty in each of their last five Premier League games - the joint-longest run by any team along with Wimbledon (August 1999) and Norwich City (August/September 2011). No side has ever given away a penalty in six consecutive PL matches.

Fulham are one of only four Premier League teams who are yet to win this term having accumulated just two points across their opening three fixtures. The Cottagers are now in danger of failing to win any of their opening four games of a top-flight campaign for just the fourth time in their history after 1951-52 (seven), 2011-12 and 2020-21 (both six).

Silva’s side have also gone 12 Premier League games without keeping a clean sheet and have kept only five across their last 43 league fixtures; only West Ham United (22) have registered fewer top-flight clean sheets than Fulham since 2022-23. However, the Cottagers have won their last three meetings with Leeds which bodes well ahead of Saturday’s contest.

Leeds began life back in the big time with a narrow 1-0 win over Everton in front of a rocking Elland Road crowd, but last season’s Championship title winners have since failed to win any of their last three matches in all competitions.

A heavy 5-0 defeat at Arsenal was followed by a disappointing penalty-shootout loss to Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup second round, before the Whites registered just one shot on target in a goalless statement at home to Newcastle in their most recent Premier League fixture prior to the international break.

Nevertheless, head coach Daniel Farke has taken positives from how his side have collected four points from their opening three Premier League games and have kept two clean sheets in the process. The German has stressed the importance of “rock-solid defending” for any newly-promoted club in their quest to avoid the drop.

Leeds will also need to address their poor from in London, as they travel to Craven Cottage this weekend having lost each of their last eight away Premier League games in the capital, conceding 26 goals in the process. The Whites last endured a longer top-flight losing streak in London between 1925 and 1930 (12 in a row).

Fulham Premier League form:

D D L

Fulham form (all competitions):

D D W L

Leeds United Premier League form:

W L D

Leeds United form (all competitions):

W L L D

Team News

Fulham’s only injury concern is with defender Issa Diop, who is nursing an unspecified knock and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Antonee Robinson should be fit to start his first league game of the season at left-back, which could see Timothy Castagne drop out of the side, while Calvin Bassey, Joachim Andersen and Kenny Tete are set to retain their places in the back four.

Attackers Kevin, Samuel Chukwueze and Jonah Kusi-Asare all joined the Cottagers on deadline day - the former has arrived for a club-record fee - and they are all in contention to earn a place in the matchday squad, but it remains to be seen if Silva will be tempted to name any of the trio in his starting lineup.

As for Leeds, goalkeeper Lucas Perri has been ruled out of the next two games after sustaining a thigh injury in the draw with Newcastle. Karl Darlow is expected to take his place between the sticks.

Farke has confirmed that both Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka have returned to training this week after spells on the sidelines with knee injuries and a late call will be made on their availability for Saturday.

Forwards Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe will also be assessed as they are nursing knocks. Dominic Calvert-Lewin could therefore be handed his first league start for the Whites up front, while Daniel James and Willy Gnonto operate on the flanks.

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Sessegnon, King, Iwobi; Jimenez

Leeds United possible starting lineup:

Darlow; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Stach, Gruev, Longstaff; James, Calvert-Lewin, Gnonto

We say: Fulham 2-1 Leeds United

The last four Premier League encounters between Fulham and Leeds have produced 18 goals (4.5 per game), with both teams finding the net on each occasions, and another end-to-end contest could be in store this weekend.

Boosted by the arrival of three new players, Fulham will be considered as slight favourites on home soil against a newly-promoted team, though, and they may just have enough to edge past their West Yorkshire-based counterparts.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.