Fulham vs Bournemouth

Fulham hosts Bournemouth for their last match of 2024. It also marks the halfway point in the season. Kickoff is Sunday at 10 am EST on Peacock (I think - it is difficult for me to even know where to watch Fulham from this undisclosed location).

I never, ever, expected Fulham to go undefeated against Tottenham, Brighton, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea. That is an amazing accomplishment. Meanwhile, Bournemouth are also undefeated in December and sit a point and two places in front of Fulham. I don't think anyone anticipated that this match would be between two teams within a few points of a European spot when the schedule was released.

Fulham continue to face injury related absenses with Nelson and Tete out, and Smith Rowe's staus TBD. However Fulham has still gotten the job done despite injuries with guys like Castagne and Diop stepping up and Marco's decision to play 5 at the back against Chelsea. Fulham's squad depth is a major factor in their December performance.

Bournemouth have also had some head-scratching performances this season, like their loss to Leicester and their two late goals needed to edge past Ipswich. So these two teams should be evenly matched. I think a draw is likely, but Bournemouth's style of playing on the counter could put Fulham in a frustrating position that limits their opportunities to score. This really could go either way and a lot will probably depend on who scores first.