- This is a monumental, make or break six-pointer that will consign Fulham to the Championship after seven seasons at this level, if they lose to Birmingham and either Bolton (home to Sunderland) or Reading (home to Tottenham) avoid defeat.
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Alternatively, Birmingham's single season stay in the Premier League will be at an end, if they lose and both Reading and Bolton win.
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If this clash at Craven Cottage ends all square, and both Bolton and Reading win, Fulham will once again be relegated.
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Both Fulham and Birmingham have accumulated their lowest ever equivalent points in a Premier League season.
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The Cottagers won 2-3 at Manchester City last Saturday, but have not registered back-to-back victories in 70 Premier League outings.
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Between them, these sides have conceded 119 Premier League goals this season.
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Birmingham have not lost a league game on Fulham turf, since the Cottagers' 2-0 victory in the old Second Division on Boxing Day 1968.
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Fulham's last home top-flight maximum over Blues was 3-1 on 2 September 1964.
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Fulham's only victory in nine Premier League matches against Birmingham was 1-2 at St Andrews on 22 January 2005, with goals from Andrew Cole (penalty) and Papa Bouba Diop.
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The Cottagers have gained only two wins in 22 league meetings with Birmingham.
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Roy Hodgson was a manager-in-waiting when these clubs met at St Andrews on 29 December, and watched the action from the stands.
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Hoping to achieve successive victories for the first time, since Sheffield United (h) and Newcastle (a) were defeated on 26 August and 9 September 2006.
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Won three of the last seven.
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Won four of 16 league games under Roy Hodgson.
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Stuck in 19th place since drawing at Birmingham in their last game of 2007.
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The current tally of 30 points after 36 games is six points fewer than their previous lowest to this stage 12 months ago, when they went on to finish in 16th place, with a club Premier League low 39 points.
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The next draw will be their 75th all-time in the Premier League.
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Ahead of only Derby in four categories; won six (Derby one), dropped 78 points (Derby 97), averaged 0.83 points per game (County 0.31), and used 33 players (only the Rams have used more, 34).
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Beaten only two other bottom-half clubs this term; Bolton and Reading (twice).
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Of the goals they have conceded, 68% have been shipped in the second half; 41 of 60.
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Won one of the last five at home (1-0, against Everton on 16 March) and lost the other four. Unbeaten in eight home matches against Midlands' clubs; winning four and drawn four since the 2-3 victory by Birmingham on 28 December 2004.
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Clint DEMPSEY, David HEALY and Diomansy KAMARA are Fulham's joint top scorers with six goals each.
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DEMPSEY is the club's leading marksman in the Premier League, with six.
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Chris BAIRD, Paul KONCHESKY, Elliot OMOZUSI, Moritz VOLZ, Hameur BOUAZZA and Leon ANDREASEN have all been sent off. No club has had more than six players dismissed in Premier League competition this season.
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If selected:-
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Simon DAVIES will be making his 50th league appearance in a Fulham shirt.
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- Birmingham have not lost in 12 league visits to Fulham (seven wins, five draws).
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Gained two points from the last 12.
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Won one of the last eight (3-1, home to Manchester City on 29 March).
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Failed to score in one of 12 (the 2-0 loss against Wigan at the JJB Stadium on 5 April).
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On the longest current sequence of 17 matches without a clean sheet; the most recent was the 3-0 home win over Middlesbrough on Boxing Day last year. Kept just three clean sheets in total; only doomed Derby have managed so few.
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Won four of 22 league games under Alex McLeish.
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Need three more points from the two remaining matches to prevent this from being the clubs lowest ever total in this league. That mark is currently 34 in the relegation campaign of 2005-06.
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A league high proportion of 67% of their goals have come from set pieces (corners, free-kicks and penalties); 28 of 42.
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Lost the last four away, against Portsmouth, Reading, Wigan and Aston Villa, and picked up two points from a last available 30 on the road from 1-1 draws at Arsenal and West Ham, since their last away victory. The 2-3 triumph over Tottenham at White Hart Lane on 2 December was their only maximum in 16 on the road.
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The goalless draw against Liverpool at Anfield on 22 September is their only clean sheet away from home.
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Gained one win and two draws from their last three trips to London, and not lost in the capital, since the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, in their first game of the season on 12 August.
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Mikael FORSSELL is Birmingham's top scorer with nine Premier League goals.
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Garry O'CONNOR is a double shy of 50 goals in English and Scottish league football (Hibernian and Birmingham).
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Stephen KELLY has played every minute of every one of Birmingham's Premier League games this season. KELLY is the only outfield player still with a genuine ever-present record in the Premier League this season.
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If selected:-
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Maik TAYLOR will be keeping goal against a former club. The 36 year old Northern Ireland international made 232 appearances (184 in the league) for Fulham between November 1997 and his loan and then £1.5m transfer to St Andrews, in August 2003.
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Franck QUEUDRUE will also be facing a former club. The 29 year old defender made 32 appearances (29 in the league) and scored one league goal for the Cottagers between July 2006 and his £2m move to Birmingham in August 2007.
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| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
|
FULHAM |
Draw |
BIRM |
| League |
20 |
23 |
26 |
| Premier |
1 |
5 |
3 |
| HEAD TO HEAD at CRAVEN COTTAGE |
|
FULHAM |
Draw |
BIRM |
| League |
12 |
11 |
11 |
| Premier |
0 |
2 |
0 |
LAST CORRESPONDING FIXTURE
At Craven Cottage on 13-08-2005
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|
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Warner, Volz, Rehman, Knight, Niclas Jensen, Malbranque, Legwinski (Elrich, 89 ), Claus Jensen, Boa Morte, McBride, Radzinski (John, 45)
Subs not used: Helguson, Ricardo Batista, Leacock,
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Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Upson, Cunningham, Clapham, Pennant, Butt, Clemence, Gray, Heskey (Morrison, 87 ), Pandiani (Forssell, 71)
Subs not used Izzet, Lazaridis, Vaesen,
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Yellow card:
Legwinski
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Yellow card:
Clemence, Upson
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| Red Card: |
Red Card:
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Attendance:
16550 |
Referee:
R Styles (Hampshire) |
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