Paul Merson has made his prediction for this weekend’s clash between Newcastle United and Fulham, and is expecting a big win for the Magpies.
The two sides meet at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon, and the former Arsenal man is adamant about who will come out on top.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Newcastle. Without a doubt.
“You’re never going to stay up if you can’t keep a clean sheet. West Ham beat Fulham in second gear, a struggling Manchester United the week before were 3-0 up in no time.
“Huddersfield have got a chance of staying up because they may only need to score one goal to win a football match, with a good defence, but Fulham need to score two or three each week to even get near.
“I really can’t see Fulham keeping a clean sheet between now and the end of the season. They could be cut adrift, it’s getting to that stage of the season. I’m not sure what this appointment of Claudio Ranieri has brought Fulham.”
OPINION
Fulham are such a strange proposition that it’s difficult to know what Newcastle will be facing on Saturday. Merson is right to highlight their shambolic defence, and a resurgent Magpies’ side, spearheaded by Salmon Rondon, will fancy their chances of bagging a few in front of their home fans. That being said, for a side rooted to the foot of the table, the Cottagers offer an awful lot going forward, and the Toon Army aren’t exactly infallible at the back. Rafa Benitez’s side will know all too well just how much of a handful Aleksandar Mitrovic can be, and the Londoners pose threats from out wide too. Jamaal Lascelles should feature, and the return of their captain in recent weeks will hopefully begin to pay dividends, but right now, the Magpies look pretty temperamental too. They should have enough to see this one out, but it could be an unusually high scoring match for what should be a cagey affair.