Chris Hughton’s Norwich City host West London side Fulham at Carrow Road, with both teams needing a win in the battle for points to avoid relegation, with six points separating the two sides.
Team News
Andrew Pilkington, Elliot Bennett and Alexander Tettey will miss out for the hosts. Fulham will be without Brede Hangeland, while Hugo Rodellega and Dimitar Berbatov are battling to be fit.
Interesting Stats
Norwich have lost just three home of 17 Premier League home games.
Fulham are unbeaten against the Canaries in their last 12 games in all competitions.
Fulham’s joint-biggest win in Premier League history was 6-0 against Norwich in May 2005.
Key Players:
Leroy Fer
The recruit from Eredivisie side FC Twente has been one of the signings of the summer for Chris Hughton’s side, netting three goals with one assist. The box-to-box midfielder has played 15 games so far for his new side, averaging a ground 50-50 every 7.22 minutes and an aerial duel every 22.94 minutes, with a tackle success rate of 73.58%; also, his ability to read the game has resulted in 18 interceptions so far this season.
Going forward, the Dutch midfielder has created 17 chances for his team-mates, while completing 24/34 dribbles.
Fer is averaging a shot every 79 minutes, with a shot on target every 119 minutes; he has three goals from a total of 18 shots, resulting in a respectable chance conversion rate of 17%.
Steve Sidwell
The former Reading and Chelsea man has been one of Fulham’s brightest sparks of their very poor season.
Steve Sidwell, like Leroy Fer, is the box-to-box component in the Fulham midfield, along with fellow Englishman Scott Parker in the Fulham midfield.
The energetic duo will need to be on top form against Norwich City, as Fulham’s away form lacks desire and most importantly points.
Sidwell is averaging a ground 50-50 every 9.39 minutes, with an aerial duel every 29.36 minutes – resulting in a tackle success rate of 89.36%, from a total of 47 tackles.
Like his Dutch opponent, Sidwell has bagged three goals for his side, but lacks the creative mind of Fer. The Fulham midfielder has created just 9 chances for his team-mates, attempting just 13 dribbles, of which he has successfully completed 9.
Although, Sidwell does has a better chance conversion rate than Fer (19%), with three goals from a total of 16 shots, averaging a shot every 86 minutes.
