After emerging unbeaten from a week that saw his side take on Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur and somehow securing the services of João Palhinha for another at least another four months, Marco Silva’s attention turns to the dauting prospect of travelling to Manchester to take on the league leaders, who look as devastating as they did when winning the treble last term. Fulham pushed Pep Guardiola’s side all the way in both fixtures last term – and the stoppage-time defeat at the Etihad Stadium, courtesy of a contentious penalty earned by Kevin de Bruyne, still stings.
A brooding Silva will almost certainly be dismayed that his playing squad wasn’t strengthened by significant additions on transfer deadline day. He has been reunited with Alex Iwobi, whom he signed from Arsenal when he was in charge of Everton, whilst a last-gasp loan deal for AC Milan left back Fodé Ballo-Touré also went through but Fulham failed to replace Aleksandar Mitrovic despite having more than three weeks to sign another striker after the Serbian number nine departed for Saudi Arabia in acrimonious circumstances.
The collapse of Palhinha’s proposed move to Bayern Munich might have caused an outbreak of joy amongst the Fulham fanbase yesterday evening, but any joy was shortlived. Silva and his coaching staff will now have to reintegrate the Premier League’s tenacious tackler, who will be perturbed by the failure of his big-money move, into his first-team squad but they are entitled to feel underwhelmed at Fulham hierarchy’s floundering which has left London’s oldest professional club unable to build on their best season in fifteen years.
Silva will send his charges out to take on City safe in the knowledge that getting a result is a ridiculously tall order. They can draw heart from two terrific displays in the past seven days. Fulham somehow eeked out a draw at the Emirates last weekend despite being 2-1 – and a man – down with three minutes to play. They did produced their best football of a tricky start to the season in the draw against Spurs on Tuesday night before triumphing on penalties, something that must be celebrated given the Whites’ woeful record from twelve yards. But Silva is not someone for resting his laurels, as we have already seen. He will want his team to prove their Premier League credentials against this afternoon.
The task is made harder by a series of injury concerns in central midfield – combined by that failure to get bodies in. Sasa Lukic, who put in probably his finest performance in a Fulham shirt against the Gunners, is out whilst Tom Cairney will need a late fitness test on the knee problem that he picked up against Spurs and it is remains to be seen whether Palhinha is in the right frame of mind to face the champions. His old mentor might have no chance but to play him only hours after he was filming an announcement video at the Allianz Arena. Brazilian winger Willian is also ruled out with a thigh complaint.
Silva does at least have both Tim Ream and Calvin Bassey available again after their recent red cards and it will be straight choice between the pair as to who partners Issa Diop, who was immense at Arsenal. The Whites have held onto Tosin Adarabioyo after the former Manchester City defender’s move to Monaco also fell through on deadline day, whilst Timothy Castagne is also available having signed too late to make his debut against Spurs on Tuesday.
The Whites will need to be at their very best to record their first win over City in twenty attempts since a brace from Clint Dempsey and a superb strike from Dickson Etuhu secured a stunning success for Roy Hodgson’s side at Eastlands in 2009. The hosts, looking equal their own English league record for their most wins against a domestic (currently fifteen against Watford, if you were wondering), could welcome Phil Foden back to the starting line-up after the England playmaker shrugged off sickness to set up the winner at Sheffield United as a second half substitute. John Stones and Manuel Akanji are available again, but Guardiola himself will again be absent as he recovers from back surgery with touchline duties in the hands of his loyal lieutenant Juanma Lillo.
MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Diop, Ream; Reed, Palhinha; Traore, Decordova-Reid, Pereira; Jimenez. Subs: Rodak, Bassey, Castagne, Francois, Cairney, Harris, Wilson, Vinicius, Muniz.
i don’t think Palhinha wil play today.i think he need some time to accetp the real world,he will back with his speacial passion but not today.and is iwobi available today?
Agree that Palhinha is unlikely to start. With Lukic injured, that makes us very short in defensive midfield. Maybe Francois has to play? But why not Iwobi in for Willian? I would also start Bassey rather than Ream. Tim has looked shaky this season and we need strength and speed against Man City.
Ah, just spotted that Iwobi signed too late to be eligible today.
Ream should call it a day, his pace (or lack of it) is hurting us. Legend for the club but there comes a time when you must admit that you have given all you had to give. Ream should be guiding the defence from the sideline