Fulham return to Premier League action after the international break with a first London derby of the season this afternoon against West Ham United at Craven Cottage. Marco Silva was in bullish mood during his pre-match press conference, insisting that whilst Joachim Andersen and Sander Berge will be in the squad, that all of his summer signings will have to earn a spot in the starting eleven and he would be entirely comfortable naming an unchanged side for the fourth league fixture in a row.
Both Berge and Andersen featured for their nations during the international break and they would probably improve a Fulham side that has looked scratchy in the early weeks of the season. Berge would add more ballast to an unbalanced midfield and showed an encouraging mix of grit and guile off the bench at Ipswich a fortnight ago. The Norwegian is more of a conventional central midfielder than either Andreas Pereira or Sasa Lukic, but Silva’s loyalty to the former Manchester United man is absolute, whilst dropping the Serbian – arguably Fulham’s most consistent performer so far – would be baffling. Anderson’s entrance to the side would come at the expense of Issa Diop, who was the Whites’ most resolute defender at Portman Road and would be relishing the opportunity to shine against his former employers this afternoon.
The Hammers have yet to hit their stride after a summer of spending followed the replacement of David Moyes in the London Stadium dugout with Julen Lopetegui. The new arrivals included former Fulham academy graduate Max Kilman from Wolves, Manchester United right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, holding midfielder Guido Rodriguez, the lively Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville and deadly German striker Niklas Füllkrug. Classy centre half Jean Clair Todibo came in on loan and Cesar Solar, a deadline day signing from Paris Saint-Germain, could be in line to make his debut.
Former Fulham loanee Alphonse Areola should receive a rapturous reception from the Craven Cottage crowd following his sensational displays during his lockdown loan in the 2020/2021 campaign. The French goalkeeper is line for a return to Lopetegui’s side having recovered from the back injury that saw him substituted at half time during the Hammers’ defeat at the hands of Manchester City. United’s only win of the league campaign to date came in a London derby, when they registered a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace, which was their only clean sheet in their last 21 Premier League matches.
The Whites will be looking for a third consecutive league victory over the Hammers for the first time since 1966 following their comprehensive dismantling of Moyes’ men home and away last term. The key will be for Silva’s side to play the game on their own terms: his side were too passive for much of a frustrating afternoon at Portman Road and the Portuguese head coach has been clear about the quality that today’s opposition pose. West Ham might ranked second bottom of the Premier League table in terms of shots faced – a hint as to how the summer upheaval might have impacted upon their start to the season – but they possess serious quality in the final third. Jarrod Bowen has proven predictably deadly away from home in the past twelve months, whilst the evergreen Miguel Antonio will doubtless soon click into gear after a misfiring start to the new campaign.
Games against the Hammers are never dull – but this afternoon is an opportunity for Silva’s side to match their manager’s ambition by taking this game by the scruff of the neck.
MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Andersen, Bassey; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Iwobi, Smith Rowe; Muniz. Subs: Benda, Castagne, Sessegnon, Diop, Reed, Cairney, Pereira, Wilson, Jimenez.
