Fulham vs Sunderland
If you would have said at the start of the Premier League season that Sunderland, newly promoted to the top-flight following success in last season’s Championship play-off final, would lie fourth in the top flight in mid-November, few would have believed you.
Indeed, even the most ardent and optimistic people would have struggled to foresee their club in such a position. Yet here we are, 11 games in, and you can’t not admire the work of manager Régis Le Bris, as this SBOTOP writer recently acknowledged.
A victory at Chelsea and a stirring comeback to earn a point at home to leaders Arsenal last time out are among their achievements to date, and that is some going, especially given they were one of the favourites for the drop at the start of the campaign.
So as the Wearsiders head to west London by the Thames on Saturday, they have every reason to believe they can deliver yet more Premier League 2025 highlights.
Talking Points
In many ways, there is a synergy with them and their hosts this weekend.
Certainly, when Fulham were promoted in 2022, they were also tipped for a swift return, yet defied the doubters, and their subsequent top-flight seasons have seen them talked about as outsiders for a European place, rather than getting dragged into any drop zone.
Manager Marco Silva possibly knows, deep down, that had they been able to keep onto the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Joao Palhinha in recent years, they may well have reached Europe. Now, though, they are hovering too close for comfort.
In 15th spot, you may think they are fairly comfortable, but only three points separate Newcastle in 14th place from Nottingham Forest, who are one off the bottom.
To avoid relegation becoming a watchword, it is games just like this one, against the newly promoted sides, that they have to win.
An obvious place to look for flaws is that the Cottagers are simply not scoring enough.
As mentioned on these pages before, three of Fulham’s 12 Premier League goals have been opposition own goals, benefiting from those in their three wins to date. Indeed, own goals are their leading scorer so far, one ahead of Ryan Sessegnon and Harry Wilson (two goals each).
They will have a confident Wilson in their ranks as he returns from international duty and a midweek hat-trick on the night he captained his country for the first time.
There will be extra onus on him after the news that Rodrigo Muniz will be out until the New Year with a hamstring injury.
One question remains, then: can shot-shy Fulham start scoring or is Sunderland’s dream return going to continue? We wait and see.
History
Two of English football’s historic clubs, they first met in the third round of the FA Cup in 1935 at Roker Park, a tie which the hosts edged by the odd goal in five.
It was October 1949 when they next met in their first-ever league encounter, again won by Sunderland on home turf with a 2-0 scoreline.
The Wearsiders also sealed victory in the first-ever game at Craven Cottage later that season. Both matches were in Division One.
It was a new millennium by the time they locked horns in the Premier League for the first time.
August 2001 saw the newly promoted Cottagers win 2-0 with goals in the final 20 minutes from Barry Hayles and Louis Saha.
Mixed fortunes for both clubs in the last decade mean they last met in the Premier League in January 2014 when the visitors won 4-1 at Craven Cottage.
They have since met four times in the FA Cup, most recently in a fourth-round replay in 2023 when Wilson, Andreas Pereira, and Layvin Kurzawa scored the goals in a 3-2 Fulham win in the North East.
Their last league meeting was in 2018 in the Championship when Joel Asoro put Sunderland in front before Fulham came back to secure a 2-1 home success, thanks to goals from Lucas Piazon and Mitrovic.
Overall, Sunderland have tasted victory on 26 occasions compared to 20 Fulham wins and 20 draws.
Betting Tip
Our Premier League 2025 betting odds give Fulham the edge on home turf. Silva’s side are priced 1X2 @ 2.13, the same odds of which are on offer with Asian Handicap -0.50.
Sunderland can be backed 1X2 @ 3.27 and Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.09 and 0.00 @ 2.61.
Another attractive bet – we do offer them – and one that has caught my eye is the 1X2 Draw @ 3.06.
This game has goals in it and that is reflected in Over 2.50 @ 2.19, Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.97 and 4-6 @ 3.84, but also 0-1 @ 2.73 which suggests this will be a tight affair. I think so too and am going to go for a bet I have never placed before.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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