Day 10: Fulham

Everyday, from now until Christmas Eve, we will take a look at a Premier League club and rate their season so far. Today, it is Fulham’s turn to be put under the microscope as we continue our Premier League Christmas Countdown.

Fulham’s form has been decent so far this season, losing just four of their 15 matches, but some of their defeats and especially some of their draws have been disappointing. Marco Silva’s side have their sights set on a push for Europe this season, but they aren’t the only ones, which could make their task difficult.

A Slow Start

Fulham started their Premier League campaign at Old Trafford where they lost 1-0, despite having chances to make life more difficult for Manchester United. Joshua Zirkzee scored the only goal late on in the match. They won their first home game of the season 2-1 against newly promoted Leicester thanks to an Alex Iwobi winner.

They faced Ipswich at the end of August in a match that most expected them to win, however they were held to a 1-1 draw, the Tractor Boy’s first Premier League point in 20 years. This was the first of two consecutive 1-1 draws that really should have been wins, as they followed up with a home point against West Ham.

Ups and Downs

September ended with two solid wins for Fulham. First they beat Newcastle 3-1 at home thanks to goals from Raul Jimenez, Emile Smith-Rowe and Reiss Nelson. Newcastle dominated the possession, but Fulham had the better chances, as shown by the final scoreline. Their second win of the month was also a bit of a shock as they defeated high flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

October was a tough month for the Cottagers as they had to face both Manchester City and Aston Villa. They managed to challenge the champions at the Etihad with the game finishing 3-2 to City. Despite taking the lead against Aston Villa, Fulham were defeated 3-1 at home. They had the majority of the possession, but not the chances and Aston Villa punished them for that. The month ended with another disappointing result, this time a draw against Everton.

Progress is Progress

November saw some progress from Fulham as they returned to winning ways against Brentford at the Cottage. Despite dominating the game, it took them until the 92nd minute to find an equaliser following Brentford’s first half strike. A second goal from Harry Wilson just a few minutes later secured three points for Fulham.

They continued on this form into their next game as they beat Crystal Palace 2-0. Daichi Kamada saw himself sent off in the second half of a miserable afternoon for the Eagles. Now on a bit of a roll, Fulham were predicted by most to win comfortably at home to struggling Wolves, but despite taking the lead, they were smashed 4-1 which probably saved Gary O’Neil’s job.

December has been a lot better as they are so far undefeated. They have faced both Tottenham and Arsenal this month, but managed to claim a point in each. In between these two games was 3-1 home win over Brighton, despite managing just two shots on target. Next up is their toughest test yet as they travel to Anfield on Saturday.

Player of the Season

I have been impressed by quite a few Fulham players so far this season such as Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson, but by far their best player has been Alex Iwobi. The former Arsenal man has five goals and three assists this season, his goal scoring only getting equalled in the Fulham team by Jimenez.

Season Rank: B

End of Season Prediction: 11th

Check out our Christmas Countdown article from yesterday.