Official StokeMAD Match preview: Fulham v Stoke

Last updated : 04 May 2010 By Dan Buxton

The Potters travel to Fulham this Wednesday in a game rearranged to a midweek date after the Cottagers had a fixture pile up.

Stoke sit 12th in the Premier League, are looking at a top half finish, and still have a massive game to come on Sunday. Fulham have had a good little run of late and are also fighting for a top half spot.

Stoke have a good away record this season and have already beaten Tottenham, West Ham and Portsmouth whilst only losing to Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Hull and up until the last away game at Chelsea were the only team in the league unbeaten on their travels in 2010. Fulham have had a solid season at home and have won eleven of eighteen home games.

In the 33 matches between these sides at Fulham, the Potters have won 9, the hosts 17 and seven have been drawn. Last time the pair clashed at Craven Cottage the game ended 1-0 to Fulham. Overall Fulham have won 27 times to the Potters 24.

The referee is Peter Walton. He took charge of the Potters when he sent off Ryan Shawcross for the infamous tackle on Aaron Ramsey, a game Stoke lost 3-1, and also the 4-0 away defeats to Portsmouth and Liverpool. Walton has refereed Fulham once this season, a 2-1 win over Everton back in August.

The Met Office report that it will be partly cloudy, temperatures of a chilly 4 degrees celsius, very good visibility and a breezy 7 mph wind.

Prediction: Fulham start well and take the lead after half an hour. Huth draws the scores level just before half time and after many chances in the second half the game ends level