Fulham: 44 league matches in the bank, 6 from this season and the rest from last season. Hull City: 50 league matches in the bank, 6 from this season and the rest from last season in the Championship.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
Fulham -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 20th of 20 after 6 games, with 2 points. Last season it finished 11th of 20 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (7th to 13th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 6 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side new to its division. Against that block it has won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1. Away against them: won 0 of 1.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 1, drew 4, lost 9 of 14 (0.50 a game); against the middle block won 6, drew 2, lost 6 of 14 (1.43 a game); against the bottom block won 8, drew 3, lost 4 of 15 (1.80 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1 (0.00 a game).
Hull City -- away
Where it stands
Stands 8th of 20 after 6 games, with 9 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came up from the Championship, where it finished 6th of 24.
Its block
New to the division this season, so it takes no block from last season's final table.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (7th to 13th). Against that block it has won 6, drew 5, lost 6 of 17 -- 23 points of 51. At home against them: won 3 of 9. Away against them: won 3 of 8.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 10, drew 3, lost 5 of 18 (1.83 a game); against the middle block won 6, drew 5, lost 6 of 17 (1.35 a game); against the bottom block won 7, drew 4, lost 3 of 14 (1.79 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 0 of 1 (3.00 a game).
Built 07:05 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.