Fulham are the Championship's entertainers...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham are the Championship's entertainers... but will it be enough for them to return to the Premier League?

    Fulham have scored 78 goals in the Championship - more than any other side
    Fulham broke into the top six with their third win in a row on Monday
    Slavisa Jokanovic believes his side can improve even more in the coming weeks

Brighton are set to go up to the Premier League as Champions with Rafa Benitez's Newcastle looking a safe bet to join them in the top tier.

But who will be the third team to make it through the lottery of the play-offs? Reading and Huddersfield have been in the top six for much of the season and look certain to be there after May 7.

As it stands the other two spots are filled by Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham – who replaced Leeds on Monday.


Fulham climbed into the top six of the Championship following a 3-1 win over Aston Villa

And the team from west London are certainly the form team at the moment and appear to be hitting a good run at just the right time.

Having sold last season's two top scorers, Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele, in the summer many feared Fulham would struggle this term.

But despite selling two players who produced 36 league goals last season, Fulham have done the opposite of struggle in front of goal and are in fact the league's top scorers with 78 goals – two more than Newcastle.

A quick glance at the top scorers in the division and Leeds striker Chris Wood is at the top of the pile with 25 goals, Brighton's Glenn Murray and Bristol City's Tammy Abraham are next with 22 and the list goes on to players who have scored 11 goals, but no Fulham players appear on it.

Fulham's top scorers in the League this season are Chris Martin and midfielder Tom Cairney who both have 10 goals – Cairney also has 10 assists. Below that Fulham have nine players who have scored four goals or more.

Sone Aluko, Stefan Johansen, Floyd Ayite, Lucas Piazon, Neeskens Kebano have all chipped in with important goals this season. 

Another goalscorer is 16-year-old left back Ryan Sessegnon who has scored five league goals this season – and has been a revelation in his first season in the first team.


Neeskens Kebano celebrates scoring the third goal for Fulham against Aston Villa

FULHAM - THE ENTERTAINERS

	Amount	Rank
Shots per game	15.5	1st
Open play goals	59	1st
Average possession	62.60%	1st
Passes per game	574	1st
Passing accuracy	83.40%	1st

Joint top scorer Martin saw red against Norwich on Good Friday and is in the middle of his three game suspension. But the benefit of Fulham spreading the goals around is that they are not too reliant on Martin in front of goal, like they were with McCormack and Dembele last season.

Since seeing red before half time at Carrow Road, Fulham have scored five goals in one and a half games and five different players have scored. 

In fact Fulham are the most entertaining sides in the second tier with the most shots per game, the most open play goals, more possession and passes per game than any other team and the best passing accuracy in the division.


16-year-old left back Ryan Sessegnon celebrates scoring his fifth league goal of the season

With all that going for Fulham it is easy to see why many are fancying Slavisa Jokanovic's side to make it back to the Premier League.

Alan Curbishley says that now Fulham are in the top six, they are there to stay.

He told Football on 5: 'They've all been fearing Fulham, I think Fulham in seventh spot, picking up these results and now Fulham have jumped in there.

'You don't see them dropping out now and someone will have to come out now.


Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic believes his side can get better still in the remaining games

'They seem to be the only team playing without fear and I think Leeds have been gripped by a little bit of fear recently, same as Newcastle, and one or two others in there and it's going to go right to the wire.'

Despite the plaudits, Jokanovic believes his side still have more to offer in their final three games of the season against Huddersfield, Brentford and Sheffield Wednesday.

He said: 'I believe space exists in front of us to be more competitive and more aggressive and to play better football.

'We need to be optimistic and push ourselves and show ambition, working all day and when we have chance to compete we need to want it more and more.


Tom Cairney has been one of Fulham's most influential players with 10 goals and 10 assists

'One day when we are completely satisfied, this day we will be very dangerous for all of us and we try to be better all the minutes and seconds in the moment.

'In this moment, where we are right now, with three games before the end of the regular part of the Championship, I still believe we can be better and can be more competitive and more solid and faster, more clinical, interpret better the situation and what is happening around us.'

With their manager believing their is more to come and the experts saying they are the feared team, will The Championship's entertainers Fulham return to the Premier League after three years away? Time will tell but they are certainly looking like the real deal.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4432918/Fulham-hitting-form-right-time-promotion.html#ixzz4exjLqouy
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[Southcoastffc]

Wow! First in shots, open play goals, possession, passes and passing accuracy.  That's impressive.  it'd be revealing to see similar stats in terms of the defensive elements of the game.

[WhiteJC]

 :bump:

[Burt]

82 goals now

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I must admit I was one of those who couldn't see us getting the goals having sold Dembele and McCormack.

[Twig]

Make that 82 goals scored.