Leeds United put up a good fight but ultimately lost 4-3 away at reigning champions Liverpool in their Premier League (PL) return, in what was the fifth match from their last seven in all competitions that featured over 3.5 goals. Fulham visited here as recently as June, when Leeds ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, keeping a clean sheet as they’ve done in their last seven competitive home wins.
Indeed, the ‘Peacocks’ finished last season unbeaten in eight home league matches (W7, D1), conceding just a single goal in the process! The majority of the goals Leeds scored during that period arrived after HT (61.11%), but six of the eight matches witnessed at least one first-half strike.
Fulham, meanwhile, lost 3-0 at home to Arsenal in their PL return, but curiously finished the 2019/20 season unbeaten in the last six matches that they played away from Craven Cottage (W4, D2 - including extra-time). Aside from that recent 3-0 reversal at Leeds, the ‘Cottagers’ are unbeaten in their four prior visits here (W1, D3) - four matches that yielded a meagre 1.25 total goals on average.
Just like their PL opener, 32 of Fulham’s league games last term saw the same HT/FT outcome. That was an unwanted theme in their last PL campaign too (2018/19), with their 20 HT/FT defeats an all-time PL high. Furthermore, Fulham’s 81 goals conceded that term is the most by any PL side since they conceded 85 back in 2013/14.
Players to watch: Patrick Bamford (LEE) has scored in two straight games against Fulham, and notched a first-half goal on matchday one. Meanwhile, Aleksandar Mitrović scored 26 Championship goals last season, and Fulham are unbeaten in the last nine games that he found the net.
Hot stat: Leeds haven’t conceded before HT in any of their last nine competitive home matches.