Fulham were held to a 1-1 draw by Wolves last time out, which was a disappointing result underlining what has been a poor run of form for the Cottagers. Having won just one of their last six matches, Fulham have slipped out of contention for the European spots, so this final match of the season doesn’t have much importance. 

It’s a similar story for Newcastle, although their recent form has been much more positive since Bruno Guimaraes has returned. They beat West Ham 3-1 last time out, meaning over 2.5 goals has landed in 17 of their last 21 matches across all competitions. BTTS has also landed in 19 of those games, which shows just how open Newcastle games tend to be. 

The sides have already met twice this season - once in the EFL Cup, and once in the league, and both matches finished 2-1 to Newcastle.

Newcastle have been one of the best teams in the division for generating corners this season, as they are averaging 10.94 per game in the league. That includes 6.05 corners for, and 4.89 corners conceded on average per game. Fulham haven’t been as expansive, but their average of 10.55 corners per game is also impressive, and the corner split is more even. The sides last met in the EFL Cup in December, and there were exactly 10 corners in that game, with five apiece. 

Given the context of the league, both sides should be front-footed in their approach here as they aim to finish the season on a high and provide some entertainment for the home crowd. Fulham tend to perform better on home turf, but it’s Newcastle who arrive in better form, so there is very little to split the two teams.

Nick Woltemade arrived as Newcastle's marquee summer signing, but the former Stuttgart man has failed to make a notable impact on his first season in the Premier League. Woltemade hit the ground running, and he scored in five of his first six starts for Newcastle, but his form faded after that. 

The German international managed to find the back of the net against West Ham last time out, which should act as a confidence booster for him to kick on. Woltemade has started the last couple of games for Newcastle in an advanced midfield role, playing just behind William Osula, where he is given a bit more freedom to try and pick out pockets of space in the final third. 

Woltemade started against Fulham in the reverse fixture, and although he failed to land this selection, he did have two shots. Once again, he should find chances in the final third.

Issa Diop has stepped up to fill the void left by the suspended Joachim Andersen at centre back for Fulham, and the Moroccan looks set to start this weekend again. Diop is averaging 0.97 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, but his appearances have been quite rare, and he has been lacking match sharpness. Diop made his first start in over four weeks against Wolves last time out, and he accounted for one of his sides’ eight infringements. Even before that, he recorded one foul against Bournemouth, despite only playing the second half. 

Diop has registered a foul in each of his last six consecutive starts, and he has also been carded twice in that stretch. The centre back tends to step out of the defensive line to contest duels, which means he is sometimes forced into cynical fouls.

Sasa Lukic is one booking away from hitting double figures this season, which is impressive considering he has been hindered by injuries and has only played 26 league matches. The Serbian is averaging 2.75 fouls per 90 in the league, which is one of the highest of any player in the division, and he has been carded in three of his last five starts since returning from injury.  

Lukic also has a notable record against Newcastle, and he was on the scoresheet when he last faced them in the EFL Cup. He was booked shortly after scoring, meaning he has landed this selection in three of his last five appearances against the Magpies. Lukic is averaging an eye-catching 3.87 fouls per 90 from his seven appearances against Newcastle, and he should be kept busy on the defensive front again this weekend.

Calvin Bassey has been a solid performer at the back for Fulham this season, and the Nigerian has become a key player since Joachim Andersen has been suspended. He is adept when it comes to drawing contact, and using that to buy soft free kicks to allow Fulham to establish themselves in possession. Bassey was fouled four times against Wolves last time out, taking his average to 1.46 fouls drawn per 90 for the season. He has been fouled seven times in his last two starts alone, highlighting an uptick in the absence of Andersen. 

Bassey should find duels against Osula this weekend, which is a matchup to keep an eye on. The Newcastle striker is incredibly aggressive in his press, and he is averaging 2.12 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season. That figure rises to 2.47 when playing away.

Osula has established himself as Newcastle's first-choice striker over the final weeks of the season, keeping Yoane Wissa on the bench, and he has recorded multiple infringements in four of his last six. In that time, he has also bagged five goals - landing this selection in three of those matches. One of those blanks came against Arsenal in a 1-0 defeat, but this upcoming clash against Fulham promises to be a much easier matchup. 

Osula is incredibly raw in his play, but he has hit a rich vein of form at the end of the campaign, and he will hope to end the season on a high. The 22-year-old has bags of potential, and he should be looking forward to facing Fulham at this particular time, especially as Newcastle have won both meetings against them this season, and the Cottagers are missing Andersen.