Results| Monday 18/05 |
Arsenal | 1-0 | Burnley |
Eddie Howe hopes Sandro Tonali injury is not serious
EDDIE HOWE is hoping Sandro Tonali will be able to play in Newcastle United's final game of the season at Fulham despite the Italian midfielder hobbling out of yesterday's home win over West Ham.
Tonali was substituted in the early stages of the second half after receiving treatment on a hamstring issue.
The Italian international will be assessed at the Magpies' Darsley Park training complex later today, but with Howe hoping the injury issue is not too serious, there is a decent chance he could be passed fit to play when Newcastle head to Craven Cottage for their final game of the campaign on Sunday.
"I think Sandro felt his hamstring," said Howe. "I don't think it was a big injury, but it was enough for him to come off. We'll see how he is for the final game."
While Newcastle will sign off for the season in south London, yesterday's game provided the opportunity to say goodbye to the club's home fans at St James' Park.
The 3-1 win over West Ham ensured a positive mood at the end of what has been a difficult campaign, with Howe and players cheered as they walked around the pitch after the final whistle.
"I think it was really important that we didn't end on a negative," said the Newcastle boss. "We've had too many home games where we haven't delivered what we wanted to do this season.
"Our home form hasn't been as solid as it has been in previous seasons and that's been a real dent in our season. So, I think to leave on a good feeling is massive for us.
"I think it's about unity. I think it's about showing unity and the connection with the supporters, which was really strong today. That gives me real hope for the future because that connection, for me, is number one.
"I'm very thankful and grateful, and it's never taken for granted. We know this season has been a challenge, and I'm very thankful for everyone who has responded in the way they have."
There have been some notable highs this season – progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League, thrashing Qarabag, beating Manchester United with a dramatic late winner – but also some real lows courtesy of a string of damaging home defeats, a repeated inability to hold on to a lead and two derby defeats at the hands of Sunderland.
"There's been a lot of bruises this year," admitted Howe. "There's been a lot of successes as well, it's been such a mixed campaign. There's been some real up and down moments.
"It's incredible the emotions you do go through as a manager in every season, but this one more than ever because we've had so many games. Every time you get a good result, you're never enjoying it really because you're on to the next one, and then it can swing back the other way.
"I think every experience makes you stronger, and it makes you appreciate the good times. We'll try to come back a better team."
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/26114564.eddie-howe-hopes-sandro-tonali-injury-not-serious/
Player Ratings: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Fulham
Dan Goga-Cooke runs the rule over the Whites after a disappointing day in the Black Country.
I've been left with the unfortunate duties of the Quick Take and Player Ratings double after another abysmal Fulham performance. One that I think would be easier to stomach had it not been for the fact that every team around us did us a favour yesterday. However, as is tradition, we refused to capitalise as we shared the points with 20th-placed, long-time relegated, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Bernd Leno
I don't think there's much he can do about Mane's rocket that saw Wolves take the lead. It was a game where I think his limited distribution hindered Fulham slightly. Wolves' press allowed our back line a lot of time on the ball and Leno isn't the type of goalkeeper who can find those line breaking passes.
Gets bonus points for the interplay with our fans before the penalty as the away end urged him to be the one to take the spot kick. Proper end of season vibes. Given there's nothing to play for now, if we do get a penalty against Newcastle, he should absolutely take it.
Fulhamish Rating: 5.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 59/100
Timothy Castagne
Another decent performance from one of the few players in this squad who seem to have upped their game towards the end of the season. It was hardly Cafu-esque, but he contributed going in both directions and did well to win the penalty.
Fulhamish Rating: 6.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 65/100
Issa Diop
A game that highlighted one of the large reasons why Issa hasn't featured much this year. Defensively, I think he's very competent and brings a good aerial dominance and physicality. It's his lack of confidence on the ball that, particularly in games where we have so much possession, limits us offensively. Wolves were happy for Issa to be on the ball because they knew he couldn't hurt them.
Fulhamish Rating: 6/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 60/100
Calvin Bassey
Like Timo, a player who is not to blame for the dreadful team performances. I thought he was really good, highlights being a couple of vital last ditch tackles and blocks. He's an all-action, full-hearted centre back and you can tell how frustrated he is by what's going on around him.
Fulhamish Rating: 7/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 71/100
Antonee Robinson
One of the funniest moments of the season was being in that away end and hearing the collective reaction to Jedi standing over the penalty. To his credit, it was a very composed spot kick to get his first ever Premier League goal, a nice moment for him.
Unfortunate to slip for the goal and had a good battle with Rodrigo Gomes throughout. He's still nowhere near the player he was last year
Fulhamish Rating: 5.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 64/100
Sander Berge
This game didn't require both Berge and Lukic. We were relying on Sander to provide a creative spark, which we all know is hardly a strength of his. I feel bad for him because he's being misused, but he doesn't help himself with his overly cautious approach. Capped off his performance with a woeful missed header. One of him or Lukic had to be dragged at half-time.
Fulhamish Rating: 4.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 48/100
Sasa Lukic
Two games in a row where Sasa gradually starts to try and do everything in midfield, out of frustration. On several occasions he looked exasperated at the lack of options in front of him and tried embarking on mazy runs or attempted an incredibly ambitious pass. Whilst I appreciate the effort, I think it contributes to Fulham becoming more disjointed as he charges around the pitch just trying to make something happen.
Fulhamish Rating: 5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 54/100
Oscar Bobb
I was pleased to see him start after his performance against Bournemouth. A player that is showing glimpses of the talent that is there, but he's not been the difference we hoped he be, yet. There's a lovely fluidity to the way that he plays, able to sell a body feint brilliantly to get that extra yard on a defender. As with our entire team though, there's just no end product at the moment.
Fulhamish Rating: 5.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 56/100
Emile Smith Rowe
Patience is wearing thin with Emile. He demonstrates an infuriating lethargy, drifting about the pitch with little urgency or intent. It's a gimmick that is reserved for the absolute best in the world, who can produce magic when they do get the ball, not a guy with three goals and zero assists in the league this season.
He gets into some nice pockets of space, but he just has no killer instinct and so little confidence in his own ability to make a difference.
Fulhamish Rating: 4/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 52/100
Alex Iwobi
Surprised at how quickly Alex has returned to fitness after his injury against Brentford. A good save from Sa denied him early on and he tried, as he always does, to be Fulham's creative hub, but it just didn't quite happen. There were good moments when he was out on the left, and similarly when he was in the middle, but he didn't have a sustained impact on the game.
Fulhamish Rating: 5.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 54/100
Rodrigo Muniz
The performances get more and more concerning as the weeks go by. Even when you ignore the fact that he doesn't look even vaguely close to scoring, his overall contribution to the game is insignificant. He seems incapable of holding the ball up and never gets into dangerous positions to hurt the opposition. I concede that we are barely creating any chances for him, but he isn't helping himself.
Fulhamish Rating: 4/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 46/100
Substitutions and manager
Kevin
I was excited to see him introduced so early. I was unfortunately less excited when it became apparent that we weren't going to try and get him into the game at all. When we did get him on the ball, he caused Wolves problems with his directness and flair. His tricks won't always come off, but given how bereft of ideas we look, you need wildcard players like Kev, who will just try and do something.
Fulhamish Rating: 5.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 51/100
Josh King
Came on in a deeper role, which we haven't often seen. I don't think it quite worked as he played so high at times that we couldn't progress the ball. Ended up looking a little bit lost, but the football became so abhorrent towards the end of that game that it was difficult for one young lad to fix it.
Fulhamish Rating: 5.5/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 55/100
Samuel Chukwueze
Had no impact whatsoever when he came on. He isn't taking players on; he's not picking out killer balls. I have no idea what's happened to him, but he looks nothing like the Samu from earlier in the season.
Fulhamish Rating: 4/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 47/100
Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez came on too late to be fairly rated. However, I thought they were both dreadful.
Marco Silva
It's quite impressive that last week, as dreadful as it was, wasn't the nadir of our run-in. This game against Wolves was probably up there with the worst Fulham have been under Marco. There was no intensity, no ambition, no belief that we were going to beat the worst team in the league, and that's troubling.
I wouldn't say that he made many decisions that I disagreed with. As mentioned, we didn't need both Berge and Lukic, but that team was still more than good enough to win yesterday. The problem appears to be motivation. These players don't look like they're all giving 100% and that ultimately is Marco's responsibility. He hasn't been able to get these players sprinting towards the finish line and despite all the talk of every game being a cup-final, we've been abject for weeks.
Fulhamish Rating: 3/10
Fulham fans on Fanalysis: 40/100
https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/player-ratings-wolverhampton-wanderers
Chibuike Nwaiwu: Trabzonspor aim to make Fulham-linked Super Eagles star most expensive sale
Turkish Süper Lig club Trabzonspor are looking to make Super Eagles defender Chibuike Nwaiwu the most expensive sale in Turkish football history, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nwaiwu has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last two years, transitioning from playing for Nigerian giants Enyimba in 2024 to joining Trabzonspor in January for a fee of €5.5 million.
Since arriving at the Black Sea Storm, he has become a mainstay in the starting lineup and played a pivotal role in the club's Süper Lig title push during the second half of the season.
The 22-year-old is an astute defender who possesses a fine balance of physical power and technical skill. Highly versatile, Nwaiwu can comfortably operate on both the left and right sides of central defense, as well as in defensive midfield.
In addition to his defensive prowess, he has a knack for chipping in with occasional goals. Given his age, he is viewed as a high-potential asset with immense room for growth.
His standout performances have already attracted attention from Europe's top five leagues, with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and Premier League side Fulham reportedly in the mix to swoop in for his signature this summer.
Trabzonspor Holding Out for Record Fee for Chibuike Nwaiwu
According to Dik Futbol, Trabzonspor have already received offers in the region of €20 million for the Nigerian international. However, the former Turkish champions are unwilling to do business at that valuation.
Instead, the club has reportedly set their asking price at €40 million.
If met, this fee would shatter Trabzonspor's transfer records. Their current record departure occurred last season when they sold goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır to rivals Galatasaray for €27.5 million.
Selling Nwaiwu for €40 million would not only make him Trabzonspor's biggest export, but it would also stand as the most expensive sale in Süper Lig history.
Nonetheless, the Super Eagles star still has four years remaining on his contract, so Trabzonspor hold the upper hand in negotiations.
Also, Nwaiwu has not expressed any immediate desire to leave the club. Consequently, unless a suitor matches their steep asking price, a transfer appears unlikely this summer.
https://soccernet.ng/2026/05/chibuike-nwaiwu-trabzonspor-fulham.html
Fulham determined to sign £20m Leicester City star with Top now planning a sale
Fulham are very keen on signing a Leicester City star in the summer, with owner Aiyawatt "Top" Srivaddhanaprabha now planning a sale.
Cottagers looking to raid Leicester following relegation
Football finance expert Stefan Borson has revealed Leicester will be forced to reshape their squad in the summer, following relegation from the Championship, and a 'reset' of the entire club is on the cards.
"The parachute payment next season is very important from a profit and loss perspective, not so much from a cash perspective because they've already had the cash.
"They effectively forward-sold the debtor. The big issue that they've got is really how they reset the whole club. When you're in League One, you need to effectively get rid of almost all of the players that you've had that have come in from the Premier League.
"You need to reset the situation. You need to rebuild with players who are more appropriate to League One. You need to reset your wage bill. You might be okay next season, but if it doesn't go well, the season after you're going to be in real trouble, so you need to reset the wage bill."
It was a disastrous campaign for the Foxes, who have suffered back-to-back relegations, and the Cottagers are now looking to raid their former Premier League rivals for one of their key players, with a deal looking increasingly possible.
Fulham determined to sign "special" Leicester forward
According to a report from Sports Boom, Top knows he will be forced to cash-in on Abdul Fatawu this summer, and Fulham are determined to get a deal over the line, having identified the forward as a priority target.
Leicester are thought to value the 22-year-old at around £20m, and they need to sell him this summer, in order to fund a rebuild in League One, as they look to return to the Championship at the first attempt.
There is no shortage of potential suitors waiting in the wings, with Aston Villa, AFC Bournemouth, Galatasaray and RB Leipzig also keen on the 27-cap Ghana international, who received major plaudits from Gary Lineker in the 2024-25 season.
After Leicester defeated Southampton 3-2 in the Premier League, Lineker said: "The game really changed when Abdul Fatawu came on. As a Leicester fan, my kids follow Leicester as well. Every time we see the teamsheet and he's not in it, we go, 'oh no, not again. Why is he not playing? This kid is special.'"
Even though Leicester were ultimately relegated from the second tier, the right-winger had a decent season on a personal level, picking up nine goals and eight assists in 44 Championship matches.
https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-determined-sign-abdul-fatawu-transfer-news-leicester-city/