Paul Merson expects Fulham to have focus elsewhere as they take on Newcastle United on Saturday
Fulham head to St James' Park on Saturday for a traditional 3 pm kick-off with Newcastle United hoping to build on their Champions League success in midweek.
The last time Newcastle won in the Champions League, they followed it up with a win in the Premier League, and Eddie Howe's side will be looking to do the same again on Saturday.
For whatever reason, the wins just haven't been coming for Newcastle in the league this season, while the performances have deserved more.
Paul Merson draws a parallel to Fulham, who he thinks deserve more points than they have on the board this season.
Paul Merson sees a big win for Newcastle on Saturday
In his score prediction for Sportskeeda, however, he feels Fulham will be eying a cup run and could slip up on Saturday as a result.
"I can't believe where Newcastle are in the league table. I thought they were going to be top six at this stage, but they are 14th instead! But even their next opponents Fulham have underperformed so far this season. I'm not sure underperformed is the right word though, because there were games where Fulham deserved more in my opinion, but at least in terms of results, it has not gone according to plan at all.
"When Newcastle play with energy, close teams down quickly and press high up the pitch, they are a great team. But as soon as the energy drops and they get tired, it's a huge struggle for them. I have a feeling they will move up the table soon though. Newcastle have a good team, the midfield is great and with Anthony Gordon and Nick Woltemade hitting form, they can soon go on a roll, winning three-four games on the spin! I'm not worried about them at all.
"Fulham did well against Arsenal. But that defeat was their third straight loss in the Premier League. Unfortunately for them, I expect that run to continue this weekend as well. Fulham have Wycombe coming up in the fourth round of the EFL Cup next week and I think they will have one eye on that game. Marco Silva's team should look to have a real go at enjoying a deep cup run.
"Prediction: Newcastle United 3-1 Fulham"
Newcastle need to build up momentum with three consecutive games at home
That's the kind of win we'll all be hoping for on Saturday, although, would it be too greedy to ask for a clean sheet too?
Newcastle really need to get the points on the board between now and the next international break, which, like the last one, could really halt their momentum.
Fulham will be the second of three consecutive games at home, all in different competitions, and a clean sweep would be fantastic.
