It’s first against the second-placed. It’s Fulham’s certified goal-machine Aleksandar Mitrovic against Scott Parker, the man who left Craven Cottage to take charge of promotion rivals Bournemouth. Matches don’t come any tastier than this!We’ll find out which team is closer to getting back up the top-tier at the halfway mark of the season. Fulham are currently a point closer to the promised land. Also, they boast home advantage and the league’s best striker tonight.Birds fly, fish swim, Mitro scores goalsAleksandar Mitrovic has already scored an amazing 21 goals in the Championship and is arguably one of the most influential players that played for the Cottagers in recent years. He scored in every game he’s played in between mid-October and late November. It was an eight-game scoring run that was only halted in the last matchday’s 1-1 draw with Preston North End. He didn’t feature in the match before that one, the poor 0-0 draw with Derby County. Still, ‘Mitro’ is a force to be reckoned with and is going to be the go-to guy for the West London team.It’s going to be an emotional night for Scott Parker, the man who ended his playing days with Fulham before getting his managerial career started there. Tonight, he’ll be in the away dugout. There will surely be warm applauses for the former England international but Mitrovic will certainly have a point to prove after being benched by Parker last season as Fulham slid down from the Premier League.🗣 “I had a good relationship with the @FulhamFC fans. I’d like to think they appreciate the job I did.”Scott Parker returns to Craven Cottage tonight – and there’s an absolute blockbuster in store in SW6 💥Watch #FULBOU live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm tonight 📺 pic.twitter.com/jQ9p3PNV1x— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 3, 2021 Speaking to the media ahead of tonight’s game, Parker played down Mitro’s fine form.”I think there are threats all over the pitch. Obviously, Mitrovic has scored goals at this level and again this season in half the games has got some numbers. But I think it is fair to say their threat is from set plays and of course all over the pitch, where there is a goal threat there.”Parker knows that his successor Marco Silva will have a few aces up his sleeve, but stopping the big Serbian is definitely the number one task for the Cherries’ defence.
Speaking of Bournemouth, they’ve also been experiencing a dip in form – that’s why they let Fulham leapfrog them in the table. The team from the south coast only has a single win in their last five games. They drew the last two games, at Millwall (2-2) and against Coventry City (1-1). Their recent form may not be on their side, but tradition certainly is. Fulham haven’t beaten Bournemouth at home since 1992! In those days, both clubs were playing in the third tier, far away from the lure of the Premier League. They played six times at Craven Cottage since – with the home team getting just two draws and losing four times.But Fulham didn’t have revenge-hungry Aleksandar Mitrovic.EFL CHAMPIONSHIP – Round 21Friday22.45: (1.90) Fulham (3.50) Bournemouth (4.10)Saturday15.30: (3.00) Coventry (3.10) WBA (2.50)18.00: (2.20) Blackburn (3.35) Preston (3.35)18.00: (2.80) Blackpool (3.00) Luton (2.75)18.00: (2.55) Bristol City (3.10) Derby (2.90)18.00: (3.05) Cardiff (3.25) Sheffield Utd (2.40)18.00: (2.85) Barnsley (3.00) Huddersfield (2.70)18.00: (2.50) Reading (3.20) Hull (2.95)18.00: (2.10) Middlesbrough. (3.20) Swansea (3.80)18.00: (2.30) Millwall (2.95) Birmingham (3.60)18.00: (1.82) Nott.Forest (3.45) Peterborough (4.70)Sunday17.30: (2.40) QPR (3.20) Stoke (3.10)***odds are subject to change