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Premier League Final Day Betting: Portsmouth v Fulham

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Harry Redknapp has stated that Pompey will not be relenting in the Premier League ahead of the FA Cup final. But is it inevitable that their players will find it difficult to concentrate on their home game against Fulham? We asked Andrew French.

While the other teams involved in the relegation dogfight will have been encouraged by Harry Redknapp's assertion that he will field a full-strength Portsmouth team on Sunday, such is the head of steam that Fulham have mustered it probably wouldn't matter too much what sort of line-up they faced at Fratton Park.

For weeks, the West London club were mentioned in the same breath as Derby when discussing the relegation permutations, but their victory over fellow strugglers Birmingham lifted them out of the bottom three for the first time this year. They have their fate in their own hands and are clearly the form team among those still battling to avoid the drop.

Roy Hodgson's side have won three of their last four and, perhaps most importantly, have claimed back-to-back away victories. For a team that couldn't buy a point on the road for most of the season, this has been the key transformation at just the right time.

Portsmouth, on the other hand, are apparently marking time until next weekend's FA Cup Final. Redknapp has stated: "I will field a full-strength side as I owe that to other people in the relegation battle." So, no fear of the reserves being rolled out on Sunday, but quite how far the Pompey players will be extending themselves this weekend has to be open to debate.

A cup final at Wembley Stadium less than week away, and you have one league game left which counts only for league position and nothing more. Would you be diving into 50-50s, getting your head in the way of a flying boot or chasing lost causes?

Fulham are favourites at [2.16] and that says it all really. Their away record, league position and general form this season would usually make them outsiders for this game, but for the circumstances we've gone into here.

I'd have to be backing them. They showed very few nerves as they dispatched Birmingham in an equally vital game last weekend - and if anything, the pressure may have just eased slightly as now even a draw in this game could be enough to keep them up.

However, a Fulham victory is my idea of the outcome. Laying Portsmouth at [3.6] is probably the next best alternative, while the draw is priced at [3.75].

If there is one slightly nagging doubt in my mind it's that Pompey have been extremely difficult to beat at Fratton Park this season. They have lost just three home Premiership games - and only the 'big four' can boast fewer defeats on their own patch.

Having said that, they have neither won nor scored in the two home fixtures since winning their FA Cup semi-final. It may only be subconscious, but taking the foot off the gas with such a big game on the horizon does happen.

Fulham are overdue some success at the South Coast venue - they have won just once there in eight visits, although none of those trips to Hampshire can have been in such important circumstances.

The London club will be delighted with a 1-0 win, a scoreline that can be backed at [8.0]. If they do get ahead, it's hard to imagine them chasing a second too hard and risking getting caught out at the back.

Ideally, they'd want to keep it tight initially, get their goal and then run the clock down. While such games rarely follow any sort of best-laid plans, I'll be backing Draw/Fulham at [6.4] in the half-time/full-time market.

I'd also consider backing a one-goal winning margin at [2.0], which at least covers the option of Portsmouth turning party-poopers and nicking a narrow victory.