Fresh from ending their eleven-game winless away league run with a superb stoppage-time success at Manchester United last weekend, Fulham will be hoping to extend the feelgood factor with a victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at Craven Cottage this afternoon. The Red Devils might not be the force they were, but winning in Fergie time is still something to be savoured – especially as Marco Silva’s side have endured plenty of heartbreak against United over the past two seasons. The win, voted the LMA’s performance of the week, was thoroughly deserved and contained a whole host of outstanding performances with Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi returning to the starting line-up after their AFCON exertions with crucial goals, Sasa Lukic sensational in midfield and Rodrigo Muniz, now up for the Premier League player of the month award, magnificent up front again.
Consistency has proven elusive for Silva’s side this season. Fulham will go in search of back-to-back league wins for only the second time this term today and will hope to end something of a barren recent run at home. Victory over Bournemouth last month, inspired by Muniz’s brace, is only their own win in the last five fixtures at Craven Cottage. They are undefeated in seven Premier League outings against the Seagulls, who have endured something of a patchy start to 2024 winning just two of seven matches since the turn of the year.
Roberto de Zerbi’s injury-ravaged outfit were rather powerpuff in a meek midweek FA Cup exit at Wolverhampton Wanderers, managing a mere two shots on target as they were knocked out by an early goal from former Fulham midfielder Mario Lemina. Albion are still seventh in the top flight and travel to Roma in the last sixteen of the Europa League next week, having won their last four games to qualify for the knockout stages in some style. de Zerbi, linked with replacing the embattled Eric ten Haag at Old Trafford this week, insisted his focus remains with Brighton and admitted that he was hoping to see the ‘true’ Evan Ferguson again at Craven Cottage. The Irish international is contention to return from an ankle injury at Fulham having failed to score in his last sixteen matches.
de Zerbi confirmed during his press conference on Thursday that Tariq Lamptey, Joel Veltman and Danny Welbeck are all available to join Ferguson in his matchday squad but the Seagulls are still without the services of João Pedro, Solly March, Jack Hinshelwood, James Milner, Solly March and now Kaoru Mitoma, who will be out for the remainder of the season with a back injury. Former Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour will serve the second game of his three-match suspension after being harshly red-carded against Everton last weekend.
Fulham’s injury concerns have dissipated somewhat with only Raul Jimenez still sidelined with a hamstring problem. Harrison Reed has recovered from the nasty eye injury that forced him off at United, whilst Willian was back in training later this week. A previously threadbare matchday squad now seems much stronger and the impact made off the bench, in different ways, by captain Tom Cairney and Adama Traore at Old Trafford was eye-catching. Silva made six changes last weekend to great effect – surprising a sloppy United with their intensity and ambition – and the Fulham boss will weigh up whether to go with the same starting line-up again after Harrison Reed and Willian were passed fit to feature. Cairney’s clever ball retention could be valuable against a side that likes to retain possession – Brighton saw 72% of the ball at Molineux – whilst there must be a temptation to bring Willian straight back into the starting line-up given what a big difference the Brazilian continues to make to this Fulham side.
MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Bassey; Reed, Cairney; Iwobi, Willian, Pereira; Muniz. Subs: Rodak, Tete, Ream, Diop, Lukic, Wilson, Traore, De Cordova-Reid, Broja.
