Fulham have been eased out to 17/10 in bwin’s Premier League relegation odds after stunning Liverpool with a 1-0 win at Anfield.
Mario Lemina’s maiden goal for the club on the stroke of half-time made it three wins and a couple of draws in their last six games for the Cottagers.
Scott Parker said: “A win like this galvanises, not that we needed it or a result to give us belief or an understanding of what we can do, as it’s constantly been there.
“While results can give you that extra bit of belief, this is a team which has real belief.
“What is happening around us, who we are dragging in, is irrelevant and remains to be the case.
“It is about us, wanting to get better and keep moving in the right direction – and that will not change. We will carry on for the remainder of the season in the same vein.
“All I ask from the team is that there is a work ethic and constant belief, an understanding of what we need to do to get results and not let the bumps cripple us.”
Fulham are now only in the bottom three on goal difference after moving up to 26 points from 28 matches.
Brighton are on the same mark after losing 2-1 at home to Leicester but have played a game less and can be backed at 7/2 for the drop.
Adam Lallana’s first Albion goal gave the Seagulls a deserved half-time lead but strikes from Kelechi Iheanacho and Daniel Amartey turned things around.
Following a third successive defeat, Graham Potter said: “It’s a sore feeling, that’s for sure.
“Even though I didn’t think we were so much at our best, I thought we maybe could have got something from the game.
“First half we were good, we were close to getting the second and then Leicester responded in the second half.
“I thought second half we gave the ball away too cheaply, missed too many passes. I think a defeat is maybe harsh on us, but this is a harsh league.”
Pressure mounting on Magpies
Newcastle are one point above the drop zone after 27 outings following their goalless draw at West Brom and are quoted at Evens to fall.
Steve Bruce was content to end a week when Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin joined his crippling injury list with a solid result.
“To be without them and get a point really pleased me,” said Bruce. “The attitude and spirit is what got them the point.
“We are disappointed we didn’t win but the one thing which was vitally important was we didn’t get beaten, with the problems we have had over the past five or six days and, more importantly, the injuries.
“The reason why we got a point was the togetherness and attitude. We lacked a bit of quality but without the big players the team had to roll up their sleeves and take a point if that’s what it was going to be.”
That result left West Brom on 18 points from 28 games and they are 1/50 for a quick return to the Championship in bwin’s Premier League relegation odds.
Sam Allardyce said: “The big disappointment is we didn’t finish Newcastle off. We’re giving ourselves a great platform to finish teams off but we fail to do so.
“It means we have to win the next game to stay alive. It’ll mean at one stage we will have to win every single game that’s left.”
Sheffield United are even further adrift on 14 points after losing 2-0 at home to Southampton and they are 1/100 to go down.
Burnley could yet be dragged into a relegation battle but are 6/1 to fall after a 1-1 draw with Arsenal put them on 30 points.
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