Birmingham City travel to Fulham on Saturday afternoon not only looking to end a run of three games without a win, but also score their first goal since October 20.
Fulham welcome the Blues to Craven Cottage having seen their recent unbeaten spell come to an end in midweek, but with striker Moussa Dembele firing on all cylinders they will fancy themselves to get back to winning ways.
Fulham
© Getty Images
When Fulham lost 3-0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of September, there may have been concerns at Craven Cottage regarding the possibility of spending a second successive campaign trying to move away from the relegation zone.
However, a five-game unbeaten spell, which included a goalless draw away at Middlesbrough and two four-goal hauls against Reading and Bristol City, has ensured that the West Londoners remain within touching distance of the top 10, despite their defeat to Burnley in midweek.
Losing 3-1 at one of the division's in-form sides should not be met with too much negativity, with Kit Symons's men still in the game until a third goal in added-on time, but it is important that they head into the next international break on a positive note.
Aside from the Wolves setback, their form at home has been fairly encouraging. Their only other defeat came against Brighton & Hove Albion, who remain unbeaten, and their last home outing saw them register a 4-2 victory over a Reading side who had arrived at Craven Cottage having won four of their last five matches.
The major plus point for Symons over the past three weeks has been the form of Dembele, who has five goals to his name during that period. The form of the 19-year-old has reportedly resulted in interest from the Premier League but Symons will be keen to keep his player's feet on the ground as he strikes up a potentially key partnership with Ross McCormack.
Recent form: DDDWWL
Birmingham City
© Getty Images
Much has been made of Birmingham City's terrific start to the season, with the Blues considered a surprise occupant of a top-six place since the opening weeks of the campaign, but manager Gary Rowett now faces a fight on his hands to temper expectations at St Andrew's.
After their 1-0 victory away at Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham reached as high as second in the standings - a position considered unthinkable at the start of August - but since that match, they have lost two of their three games and failed to score a goal.
The West Midlands outfit have been far from a free-scoring side this season - they have scored more than twice in a game on just one occasion - but the flat performances against both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers will be worrying for Rowett, who would have expected a solid return from those two games.
On a positive note, Birmingham remain in a playoff spot ahead of the next batch of fixtures, but a five-point margin has now been established between themselves and what is slowly turning out to be a runaway top five and defeat at the weekend could see them fall as low as ninth.
With the international break lurking, this feels like an important fixture for the club. Failure to leave Craven Cottage with at least a draw would undo a considerable amount of their hard work during the opening 15 games, and leave the club chasing teams who possess more resources to strengthen their promotion charges during the January transfer window.
Recent form: WWWDDL
Team News
© Getty Images
On-loan full-back Luke Garbutt could come into the Fulham starting lineup after Ryan Fredericks picked up an injury against Burnley.
Midfielder Ben Pringle may also earn a recall should Symons opt for more creativity in midfield.
After witnessing his team record their third successive blank, Rowett is expected to make changes for the trip to West London.
One of Jon Toral or Jacques Maghoma could potentially replace David Cotterill, who has played 120 minutes during the last two games after returning from injury last weekend.
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Lewis, Stearman, Burn, Ream, Garbutt, Cairney, O'Hara, Pringle, Husband, McCormack, Dembele
Birmingham City possible starting lineup:
Kuszczak, Caddis, Morrison, Spector, Grounds, Gleeson, Davis, Toral, Maghoma, Gray, Donaldson
Head To Head
The head-to-head record between the two clubs over 84 matches is close, with Birmingham registering 30 victories and Fulham narrowly behind with 27 wins.
Despite the Blues holding the advantage from a historical perspective, the Cottagers are unbeaten in the five most recent meetings, with just one defeat being suffered in eight outings.
Birmingham have not won at Craven Cottage since 2004, when they edged a five-goal thriller in the Premier League.
We say: Fulham 2-1 Birmingham City
A few weeks ago, Birmingham would have been clear favourites to emerge from this fixture with a result, but the tables have turned and it would now be considered a surprise if Fulham did not move to within two points of the Blues in the table.
No Data Analysis info
