Leeds United’s seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end at Newcastle United, where they lost 4-3 heartbreakingly earlier this month.
The Whites dusted themselves off, and despite making several changes to their team, they comfortably dispatched Derby in the third round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over the weekend.
Leeds will now turn their attention towards the Premier League game against Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday. They will hope to start another run of positive results at home this weekend.
However, Opta’s predictions for the game at Elland Road will leave Leeds fans underwhelmed, who should be more confident about getting a good result at home against the Cottagers.
Opta’s Leeds United vs Fulham prediction will shock the home fans
Leeds sit 16th in the Premier League table, and have managed to build an eight-point lead over West Ham, who occupy the last relegation spot in the Premier League table.
The Whites have looked good against more established sides in the Premier League, and had the referee shown more common sense, they could have left Newcastle with a win.
Fulham are ninth in the table, and did beat Leeds at Craven Cottage earlier in the season via a late Gabriel Gudmundsson own goal.
However, Leeds have more than stood up against top-half teams in the league this season, especially at home, but Opta’s predictions do not reflect that reality.
Opta has only given Leeds a less than 37 per cent chance of beating Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday, while the away side also have similar odds of winning this weekend.
The predictions have given more than a 25 per cent chance of the two teams sharing the points with a draw in West Yorkshire on Saturday afternoon.
Leeds fans have reasons to feel baffled by the predictions
Leeds have often looked imperious at home, and teams such as Liverpool have found it hard to play at Elland Road this season. In fact, Chelsea suffered a 3-1 defeat against Leeds in West Yorkshire.
The home form was always going to be a huge factor for Leeds, and a wobbly run. The Whites have turned their home form around and have got better on the road.
Manchester United had to work hard to leave Elland Road with a point in Leeds’ last home game, so fans have reasons to believe that they can beat Fulham.
However, the less than 37 per cent chance of a home win prediction will be baffling for Leeds fans, who may think their side have more than a decent chance of getting all three points on Saturday.
| Form | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 1.82 |
| Away | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 17 | -6 | 1.10 |
| Overall | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 1.48 |
Fulham’s away form makes the prediction even more confusing, as they have been distinctly average on the road in the Premier League this season.
Despite what Opta has predicted, Leeds will back themselves to beat Fulham and further widen the gap with the relegation zone this weekend.
