Preston Vs Hull

Preston North End will host Hull City at Deepdale on Boxing Day for a crucial match at the bottom of the Championship standings. Both sides are engaged in a battle to avoid relegation, with Hull City managing to climb out of the relegation zone after securing an important victory over the weekend. Meanwhile, Preston North End, currently four points ahead of their visitors in 18th place, will be hoping to get back to winning ways and further distance themselves from the relegation zone. 

The match is set to provide both teams with an opportunity to make significant strides in their bid to escape the lower reaches of the table. Preston North End, managed by Paul Heckingbottom, return to Deepdale looking to recover from a setback just before Christmas that halted their promising unbeaten run. The team had been performing well in the months leading up to the festive period but were unable to maintain their momentum following a tough defeat against Queens Park Rangers.

Heckingbottom’s team, after having played 22 matches, finds itself sitting in 18th place in the Championship, with 23 points to its name. Their campaign has been a mixed bag, with the team struggling to secure victories. In fact, Preston’s tally of four wins is among the lowest in the division. Despite this, they managed to put together a commendable six-match unbeaten run between mid-November and mid-December, which helped them move up the table temporarily. However, that streak was somewhat misleading, as only one of the six matches ended in a victory. A 2-0 win away at Cardiff City was the only bright spot during that run, as they followed it with a series of draws against Derby County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, and Sheffield Wednesday.

Preston's most recent matches have seen them fall short of the consistency they had shown earlier in the season. Against Leeds United, they were held to a 1-1 draw in a match where they were unlucky not to secure all three points. Preston looked set to earn a valuable win before being pegged back late, with an unfortunate own goal by Jack Whatmough in the dying minutes. Their next fixture saw them travel to Queens Park Rangers, where they were defeated 2-1 despite leading at halftime through Milutin Osmajic’s goal. Jimmy Dunne's 89th-minute strike proved to be the difference as Preston failed to hold on to their slim lead.

Those back-to-back late collapses left the team feeling disappointed, and they now face the challenge of bouncing back from these setbacks. On Boxing Day, they will be eager to return to winning ways in front of their home fans and secure a fifth victory of the season. A win would give them a much-needed boost, potentially allowing them to climb into the mid-table and create a buffer between themselves and the relegation zone.

Hull City, meanwhile, will be hoping to continue their upward trajectory after securing a much-needed victory in their last match. The Tigers have had a challenging start to the season, struggling under former manager Tim Walter and briefly under interim manager Andy Dawson. The team earned only 15 points from their first 19 matches, a dismal return that left them in the relegation zone. With their survival hopes dwindling, Hull City turned to Ruben Selles in December in an attempt to steer the club away from danger.

Selles’ arrival initially did little to reverse the team’s fortunes, as Hull City’s struggles continued. His first match in charge saw them hold Watford to a 1-1 draw, but this was followed by another defeat, this time a 2-1 loss to Coventry City. These results left Hull City at the bottom of the table, having suffered 11 losses from their opening 21 matches. The mood around the club was understandably bleak, and many were concerned that their Championship status was in serious jeopardy.

However, Hull City finally found a way to turn things around when they hosted Swansea City at the MKM Stadium on Saturday. The match marked a breakthrough for the team, as they secured their first Championship win in 13 matches. Hull City went ahead in the game through Joao Pedro’s goal, but Swansea responded with an equalizer. Just when it seemed that the match would end in another draw, Mason Burstow fired Hull City to a 2-1 victory, scoring the decisive goal in the 80th minute. 

That victory was a much-needed morale boost for Hull City, as it lifted them out of the relegation zone for the first time in months. While the team is still far from secure, with only a single point separating them from the relegation spots, the win provided hope that they could begin to build a winning streak under Selles. If they can maintain their form, they may be able to create a significant gap between themselves and the teams at risk of relegation.

For both teams, this Boxing Day clash represents an opportunity to pick up crucial points in the fight for survival. Preston North End will be looking to show their resilience after recent disappointments and get back to winning ways at home. Meanwhile, Hull City will be eager to continue their resurgence and build on their recent success, hoping that the momentum from their victory over Swansea can carry them further away from the drop zone.

Both teams have had their share of struggles this season, and their performances in the upcoming match will be key to determining their respective fates in the Championship. Preston North End will need to find a way to improve their attacking play and secure more victories, while Hull City will be hoping to build on their recent triumph and make a push for safety in the coming weeks. With so much at stake, this promises to be a crucial match in the battle for survival at the bottom end of the table.

The encounter at Deepdale is sure to be a tense and closely contested affair. Preston North End's home advantage could play a significant role, as the team will be desperate to make amends for their recent slip-ups. However, Hull City’s recent victory has given them renewed confidence, and they will be eager to build on that success. As both teams look to move further away from the relegation zone, the result of this match could have far-reaching consequences for the rest of their campaigns.