West Ham United and Fulham will lock Horns in a mid-table clash on match week 16 of the 2023/2024 Premier League season, in the busy pre-Christmas Premier League schedule.
The London derby will take place at Craven Cottage at 2pm GMT on Sunday 10th December. It will be one of the more exciting matches of that weekend, with two teams aiming for a top half finish with eyes on qualifying for UEFA Europa Conference League football.
After finishing 10th last season, Fulham is aiming for a better finish and a Europa Conference League berth. The London side did not enjoy the best start to their season as they won two of their first seven Premier League games, but they look like a team finding stability again under Marco Silva, buoyed by their 3-2 win over Wolves last night.
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Hull City | 5 January 2017 | 25 May 2017 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 36.36 |
| Watford | 27 May 2017 | 21 January 2018 | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 30.77 |
| Everton | 31 May 2018 | 5 December 2019 | 60 | 24 | 12 | 24 | 40.00 |
| Fulham | 1 July 2021 | Present | 110 | 53 | 22 | 35 | 48.18 |
The new contract signed, which will see him extend his stay at the club till 2026, also helps matters as the Portuguese coach has seen his excellent work rewarded. When speaking about his extension, he praised his team’s work ethic, ambition and the fan support he has received during his time there.
“When both sides are content and want to go on working together, that’s always a positive indicator. The coach stated on the team’s website. “We’ve had two fantastic seasons, and our goal is to maintain this club in the Premier League, which is vital for its future. The commitment and ambition that these players have shown since day one has been the key to what we have achieved and will always remain so, along with the unconditional support of our fans, which are fundamental,”
Silva said as he praised his players for their accomplishments in the first two seasons.
The new contract will certainly be a morale boost for players and fans of the club, and the players will be happy and comfortable knowing they are in the midst of a long-term and progressive project which Silva leads.
In the short term, though, they will be looking to get one over on West Ham in this match, especially after they came to Craven Cottage last season and lost 1-0 to the Hammers.
The Hammers, on the other hand, are in a more stable position now than they were last season. They have spent shrewdly in the transfer market after the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal and have Butler a squad capable of handling league and cup duties across several competitions.
In terms of progress, they are one step ahead of Fulham in their respective projects and are now looking for consistent performances on the European stage.
This will be a match West Ham will have massive confidence and belief in winning as they are unbeaten against Fulham in their last three League trips to Craven Cottage.
Match Tickets
Fulham FC vs West Ham United tickets are up for sale on the websites of both clubs. As usual, it is expected to sell out in the coming week, which means that fans will have to turn to ticket reselling websites for a chance to get their tickets to the game.
Craven Cottage is one of the smaller and more intimate grounds in the Premier League with a 20,000 capacity ground, but the support for the team is excellent. Fans will show up in good numbers for this crucial match against the Hammers, so a sell-out crowd is to be expected.
The game will be played at Craven Cottage on Sunday, 10th December 2023, at 3:00 PM. Fans in and around the United Kingdom, where Sky Sports’ coverage reaches, will be able to enjoy the game at that time.
The Premier League is broadcast to 212 total provinces in the world, which means that fans outside the United Kingdom have to tune in to one of the league’s broadcast partners in their province for the game.
Team news
Fulham possess a decent squad that can cover for various injury issues. Still, presently, they are without five players: Adama Traore, Issa Diop, Kenny Tete, Steven-Andreas Benda and Tosin Adarabioyo.
West Ham, on the other hand, has a clean bill of health presently. This is something only some of the teams in the division can boast of, and they will hope that their current injury status remains the same beyond this match and into the festive period.
Lineups
Fulham will expect to play their most potent squad for the visit of West Ham. Tim Ream and Calvin Bassey will look to continue their partnership of left-footed centre-backs, while Joao Palhinha will continue to anchor the Cottager’s midfield.
Fulham: Leno, Robinson, Ream, Bassey, Castagne, Reed, Palhinha, Iwobi; Willian, Reid, Jimenez.
The Hammers are spoilt for choice all over the pitch with the quality and strength in depth they possess. With a clean bill of health, David Moyes has a strong pool of players to pick from. He will be considering the schedule as well as the Europa League game that follows this one and will choose his squad pragmatically.
West Ham United: Areola; Creswell, Aguerd, Zouma, Coufal, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Benrahma, Paqueta, Bowen, Antonio
Prediction
On a weekend with lots of exciting action, this may be one of the games to look at. Fulham and West Ham have gone into the season with similar goals in mind in terms of final League positioning, and this match could close or widen the gap between both sides on the table.
The Cottagers will be looking to end their dreadful run of results against the Hammers, while the away team will want to prove why they’ve historically been the better team.
It will be a cagey affair between the two sides, with chances coming at a premium, but West Ham will have enough about them to go away from this London Derby with a positive result.
Prediction: Fulham 0-1 West Ham
