Results| Sunday 29/12 |
| | Man City |
| | Southampton |
| | Forest |
| | Bournemouth |
| | |
| | Wolves |
| | Liverpool |
Fulham 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Dango Ouattara came off the bench to rescue a point for Bournemouth at Fulham as both sides took their unbeaten runs to seven Premier League games.
With the Cherries pushing forward in search of a late leveller, Outtara latched on to a loose ball in the box in the 89th minute and produced a cheeky dink over the onrushing Bernd Leno.
Harry Wilson thought he had given Fulham all three points in the 72nd minute with a superb header from Antonee Robinson's tempting ball into the box.
Mexican striker Raul Jimenez scored his sixth goal of the season to put the hosts ahead in the 40th minute after he capitalised on some poor Cherries defending from a corner.
Bournemouth made it 1-1 six minutes into the second half when Evanilson ended his barren run of seven games without scoring, producing an expertly executed finish from a tight angle.
In a feisty affair, Fulham were incensed in the first half when Cherries midfielder Ryan Christie avoided a red card for a studs-up tackle on Robinson, but the video assistant referee (VAR) review deemed a yellow card sufficient.
Marco Silva's side may well be disappointed not to have claimed victory in an entertaining encounter, with Jimenez coming close to a second goal, but Dean Huijsen was positioned well to head off the line.
With his earlier effort, though, the Fulham forward became the joint-highest scoring Mexican in the Premier League as he drew level with former Manchester United and West Ham frontman Javier Hernandez on 53.
Fulham, who are in eighth place, host Ipswich Town next on 5 January, while sixth-placed Bournemouth welcome Everton to Vitality Stadium a day earlier.
Iraola's Cherries show fighting spirit
Bournemouth fans love manager Andoni Iraola and it is no surprise at all. The Spaniard has taken the Cherries to lofty heights as they sit in sixth spot and their eyes firmly on European football for next season.
They started the game on the front foot and peppered Bernd Leno's goal, with efforts from David Brooks and Antoine Semenyo forcing fine saves from the German.
After Fulham had taken the lead five minutes before the break, Bournemouth came out determined to put things right and equalised through a fabulous Evanilson finish.
And they always pressed for the win, with Philip Billing missing a good chance, and pushing forward even after going behind again.
That never-say-die attitude came through at the end when Ouattara was the calmest man in the stadium as he lifted a lovely finish over Leno.
With their unbeaten run still intact, Iraola's side are now only a point adrift of defending champions Manchester City in fifth as they continue to grow under him.
Fulham in frame for European spot
In one of the most competitive Premier League seasons in recent memory, Fulham are also banging on the door for European football for next term.
The Cottagers have come through a tough December, with games against title hopefuls Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, unscathed and now have reason to believe they can give their fans European football next season.
They would have overtaken Bournemouth in sixth spot had they held on to their lead, but are just two points off Manchester City.
Fulham are enjoying their best run of form under manager Silva after making it seven unbeaten in the league and he will want that to continue in the second half of the campaign.
It has been a year of improvement under him, with left-back Robinson attracting admirers for his impressive work in defence and attack, and Wales winger Wilson coming to the fore with his second goal in successive games.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cr4rkp76p52t
Post-Bournemouth press conference
Marco Silva was left frustrated as his Fulham side were denied a win by a late Dango Ouatarra goal in a 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth.
"Yes, definitely," replied Silva when asked if he was frustrated by the result. "A really tough one to take in a difficult game. We expected a really difficult game, three days after our last game, which was the same for them as well.
"The first-half was difficult for us and we were not able to have the possession that we like to have normally. It was a set piece that made the difference for us, a great one as well, a great ball from Andreas.
"The second-half was our best half. After we made it 2-1, we started to control the game really well. The impact of Tom Cairney was big and he made a big impact on the game. It felt like it was much closer to 3-1 than 2-2 but when the game gets towards the end, we have to be more ruthless.
"Big fight from the players again, great commitment, great attitude and I hope that we can learn from this type of moment because we have to be more ruthless in certain moments. It's another situation for us to learn from but there are many positives from the game we can take."
The game marked the halfway point of Fulham's Premier League season, taking 29 points from 19 games. Although Silva believes his side should have more points, he is satisfied with the first half of the campaign.
"Performance wise, we deserve more points, definitely. I really believe that the way we've been playing, we deserve more points. Overall, the unbeaten run in the last seven games, the way we've played against top sides and the way we've responded with some key players out, we have to be satisfied with the season so far, but there is a feeling that we should have taken more points."
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/december/29/post-bournemouth-press-conference/
Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth: Dango Ouattara chips home to rescue point for the Cherries as surprise packages both extend their unbeaten runs
Fulham twice went in front through goals from Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson
Bournemouth hit back as Evanilson and Dango Ouattara earned them a point
This was always going to be a feast for the footballing senses with two sides flying high and two impressive managers committed to always trying to win.
In the end, nothing could separate Fulham and Bournemouth after four goals, a contentious disallowed goal and Bournemouth's Ryan Christie fortunate to stay on the pitch after a shocking first-half challenge on Antonee Robinson that left Marco Silva disgusted.
The draw meant that both sides are now unbeaten in their last seven - a form record only matched by Liverpool and Arsenal.
Coming into this game, all four of Harry Wilson's goals had come as a substitute. Rewarded with a start by Silva after scoring at Chelsea, Wilson thought he had the winner for Fulham here, only for a Bournemouth substitute to get a last gasp equaliser.
Dango Ouattara held his nerve wonderfully and chipped Bernd Leno to get a deserved point for Andoni Iraola's side after Evanilson had cancelled out Raul Jimenez's opener.
'I'm very proud of the team. It was a hell of an effort. We definitely didn't deserve to lose,' said Iraola.
'It's a tough one to take really,' said Silva, whose side are eighth but have dropped more points (19) from winning positions than anyone else in the top-flight.
As Silva and his players walked out, they were greeted to chants of 'There's only one team in Fulham' following their victory at Stamford Bridge but they started poorly.
Bournemouth's James Hill thought he had his first Premier League goal but his header from a corner was disallowed for a foul by Antoine Semenyo on Joachim Andersen.
On reflection, it was poor of referee Robert Jones to blow the whistle so early and Fulham got away with one.
'The whistle was so early so VAR didn't get a chance. We cannot do anything now,' Iraola bemoaned after.
Against the run of play, Fulham took the lead. From their first corner, Andreas Pereira found the unmarked Jimenez, who headed in with aplomb.
On the brink of half-time, Christie caught Robinson with his studs with the Fulham players furious and Silva was baffled as to how he remained on the pitch, despite a VAR check.
'I don't have any doubts about it. It should have been a red card,' the Fulham boss said. 'When I saw Robinson's leg at half-time, I can't explain why it wasn't a red card'
Iraola disagreed, insisting it was only worth a booking and six minutes after the break, his side had a deserved equaliser, with Hill finding Evanilson, who finished superbly.
Both sides chased a winner and in the 72nd minute, Robinson's right-footed cross found Wilson, whose header was too good for Kepa but Fulham failed to hold on.
Issa Diop carelessly lost the ball and Semenyo passed to Ouattara, who showed great composure. 'It was the perfect decision and a great finish,' said Iraola.
Ultimately, a point was no less than his side deserved as they stayed in sixth and reached the halfway stage of the campaign with a club record 30 points.
This was a Championship clash in 2022 but both Fulham and Bournemouth will enter 2025 with genuine ambitions of qualifying for European football.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14233863/Fulham-Bournemouth-cottagers-cherries.html
Fulham 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Fulham ended 2024 with an entertaining 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth at Craven Cottage.
The visitors came back twice as goals from Raúl Jiménez and Harry Wilson were cancelled out by Evanilson and a late suckerpunch from Dango Ouattara.
There was an early scare as a loose backpass from Jiménez left Bernd Leno in a spot of bother, with Evanilson taking the ball around our shot-stopper, but Leno recovered to deny the Bournemouth striker with an outstretched arm.
The game sparked into life on 10 minutes, with a rasping David Brooks shot from the edge of the area forcing Leno into a diving save, before Kepa made a routine stop to keep out Wilson at the other end.
Wilson – one of the heroes of Boxing Day's derby win at Chelsea – then tried his luck on his weaker right foot, with Kepa gratefully pouncing on his shot.
The early chances kept coming as Leno stood strong to palm away Evanilson's stinging effort from a tight angle after the forward had made a clever darting run behind the Fulham backline.
Leno's best save of the lot came on the half hour mark, rushing out to make a big stop from Semenyo, who chose to go with power rather than placement when one-on-one with the Whites goalkeeper.
The opening goal arrived five minutes before the interval as Jiménez rose highest from an Andreas Pereira corner, with his header nestling into the bottom corner beyond Kepa.
It was almost a dream ending to the first period as Alex Iwobi tried to pick out the top corner from range, but there wasn't quite enough dip on his dangerous strike.
Having been denied by a smart stop earlier in the game, Evanilson got the better of Leno five minutes into the second period. The striker finished emphatically after getting on the end of a perfectly weighted clipped pass by James Hill.
Silva's side were looking for an immediate response and nearly got one as Illia Zabarnyi blocked Wilson's goalbound shot, before Kepa sprung to his left to save Timothy Castagne's well-struck volley.
A chaotic 60 seconds unfolded midway through the half as Jiménez was denied a second goal on two occasions, first by a stunning Kepa save and then from a Dean Huijsen block. A long ball up the other end sent Evanilson through, but Leno rushed out the stop the striker as he closed in on goal.
Wilson, who is making quite the habit out of scoring important goals this season, bagged his second in four days, nodding home Antonee Robinson's cross from the left.
The Welshman was inches away from extending the lead but he couldn't reach Castagne's fizzed ball across the box.
But there was to be late drama as the visitors equalised in the 89th minute as substitute Ouattara calmly chipped the ball over Leno to deny Fulham the three points.
Fulham FC: Leno, Castagne, Diop, Andersen, Bassey, Wilson (Traoré 78'), Andreas Pereira (Cairney 68'), Lukić (King 92'), Iwobi (Smith Rowe 92'), Robinson, Jiménez (Rodrigo Muniz 68')
Subs: Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Traoré, Carlos Vinícius, Cuenca, Benda, King, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe
Bournemouth: Kepa, Hill (Aarons 82'), Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Christie, Cook, Brooks (Ouattara 63'), Billing (Ünal 73'), Semenyo, Evanilson (Winterburn 82')
Subs: Ouattara, Ünal, Aarons, Dennis, Travers, Winterburn, Kinsey, Harris, Rees-Dottin
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/december/29/fulham-2-2-afc-bournemouth/
Late Bournemouth equaliser stops Fulham going sixth
Dango Ouattara scored a late equaliser at Craven Cottage to deny Fulham a win which would have lifted them to sixth in the Premier League table.
The Whites, who are eighth, looked set to grab all three points after Harry Wilson restored their lead – Evanilson had levelled for Bournemouth after Raul Jimenez's opener.
But the Cherries found a second equaliser – after a mistake by Bernd Leno – and rescued a draw.
They were the better side for long spells and thought they had gone ahead just after the half-hour mark when James Hill headed in Lewis Cook's corner, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on Joachim Andersen by Antoine Semenyo.
Fulham took the lead against the run of play courtesy of Jimenez's thumping header from Andreas Pereira's corner.
Bournemouth hit back with a beautifully-worked goal six minutes into the second half.
The outstanding Hill played superb pass in behind Andersen to Evanilson, who lifted the ball over keeper Leno.
But Fulham responded, with Jimenez going close to restoring their lead before Wilson eventually did.
After Bournemouth's on-loan Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga kept out Jimenez's header and Dean Huijsen blocked the Mexican's follow-up, Fulham kept up the pressure and were rewarded when Wilson nodded home Antonee Robinson's cross.
Fulham have ended 2024 unbeaten in seven matches, having lost just one of their past 11.
But they will be disappointed not to have secured another win – and with the manner of the second goal they conceded.
After Leno's poor clearance, Semenyo collided with Fulham defender Issa Diop while trying to capitalise, and the loose ball dropped to Ouattara, who scored with an exquisite finish.
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Diop, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Lukic (King 90+2) , Pereira (Cairney 68), Wilson (Traore 78), Jimenez (Muniz 68) , Iwobi (Smith-Rowe 90+2)
https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-v-bournemouth-report-884442
Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth: Cottagers denied Premier League win by late Dango Ouattara strike
Marco Silva's side extend unbeaten run to seven matches as European dreams remain alive
Dango Ouattara scored an 89th-minute equaliser as Bournemouth snatched a point in a 2-2 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Raul Jimenez scored his sixth Premier League goal of the season before Evanilson struck early in the second half to level. After Harry Wilson scored his second in as many matches, Ouattara came off the bench to force the stalemate in the final minutes.
The draw extended both clubs' unbeaten run to seven matches as Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva's sides continue their bid for European football.
After a nervy opening spell where Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno was forced into action to deny Ryan Christie, Fulham grew into the match through the explosive Antonee Robinson, who continued his recent fine form.
The left-back was deployed further up the field in possession and the Cottagers were reaping the rewards. A neat one-two in their half resulted in Robinson having space to burst up the field, and his sprint led to a pass to Wilson and a shot straight at the keeper.
Bournemouth relished the physical battle and their aerial superiority paid dividends off a corner when James Hill nodded home past Leno. But the referee's whistle was blown for a dubious-looking foul on Joachim Andersen which let Fulham off the hook.
Set-pieces became a theme and Fulham converted one of their own to go a goal up. Andreas Pereira used a whipped technique from the corner and the well-positioned Jimenez used the pace of the ball to guide his effort into the bottom left-hand corner.
Fulham finished the half strongly with a long-range effort by Alex Iwobi which narrowly missed the top corner.
After the break, Bournemouth flew out of the blocks as Evanilson netted a 51st-minute leveller. A cute curved pass by Hill played the striker in behind and once he showed great composure to hold off Andersen, he rifled his effort from close range into the roof of the net.
The contest began to hot up as both sides' eagerness to score saw the match open up. After visiting keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga got down quickly to deny Jimenez's header from six yards out, the Cherries went down the other end, with Leno denying Evanilson in a one-vs-one scenario.
Following his goal in Fulham's 2-1 win over local rivals Chelsea on Boxing Day, Wilson scored in successive matches to put his side ahead.
Robinson, who was at the heart of the move, received the ball on the left, faked the first-time cross before lifting it in with his weaker right foot. Wilson surged in front of his man and left Kepa with no chance when his effort found the bottom corner.
Iraola turned to the bench, and after Bournemouth's press forced the turnover, Ouattara held his nerve, producing a clever chip to finish past Leno.
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-vs-bournemouth-premier-league-result-2024-b1202199.html
Former Premier League star tells Steven Gerrard he wants to quit Al-Ettifaq after just one year in Saudi Arabia - with Fulham move lined up
Former Leicester City and Everton star Demarai Gray wants to leave Al-Ettifaq after just one year amid interest from Fulham.
Gray wants to leave Al-Ettifaq
Has an offer from Fulham
Gerrard ready to sanction move
WHAT HAPPENED?
Per The Sun, the English winger, who moved to Saudi Arabia and signed for Al-Ettifaq last season, has reportedly informed manager Steven Gerrard that he wants to return to the Premier League in the January transfer window amid interest from Fulham. The report further claims that the Liverpool legend will sanction his move if the Cottagers are ready to pay £5million (€6m/$6m).
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Under Marco Silva's tutelage, Fulham have done well in the 2024-25 campaign and they currently find themselves in the top half of the table. With a new window approaching, it is believed that Silva will be handed funds to further bolster the squad so that they can target a European slot. The club are also planning to offload midfielder Andreas Pereira - who has an offer from Palmeiras - to facilitate the Gray transfer.
DID YOU KNOW?
Other than Fulham, fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace have also shown interest in Gray alongside Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas.
WHAT NEXT FOR Al-ETTIFAQ?
Gerrard's side, who have collected 15 points from their first 13 matches and are 11th in the Saudi Pro League, will be next seen in action on January 10 as they take on Al Kholood.
https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/former-premier-league-star-tells-steven-gerrard-he-wants-to-quit-al-ettifaq-after-just-one-year-in-s/blt8eb56833efa75d8b?utm_id=fa3iys5y8hyz9ezk&utm_source_platform=newsnow#cs0b1a55c4fe28922f
Talks progressing as club confident to sign £50k-p/w Fulham ace in JanuaryFulham are now getting closer to losing a member of Marco Silva's squad this January, according to one report, as discussions progress over a potential sale.
Fulham flying high Fulham are enjoying an excellent campaign under Silva, with the Cottagers going to start 2025 in the top half of the Premier League, and they could yet threaten the European places come the end of the campaign.
The west London side have recovered from losing both Joao Palhinha and Tosin in the summer transfer window, adding quality across the board to improve their squad despite such major players departing.
Silva had nothing but praise for his summer signings after the win over Chelsea, a result that made it 10 London derbies unbeaten for Fulham. "The players who have come in have settled really well and the help from the players that we already had was big for them", the Portuguese coach explained.
"The progression has been really great from ourselves. The way we are responding."
Now though, that good feeling around Craven Cottage could come crashing down midseason.
Fulham in danger of losing star creator That comes as reports in Brazil, relayed by Sport Witness, claim that Palmeiras are progressing in talks over a move to sign Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira in the winter window.
The Fulham man has been long-linked with a move away, and quizzed on his future Silva refused to rule out a sale, though he stressed his importance to Fulham.
"He's very important for us, I won't hide it. He's a different player, a player who gives us other things", he explained, before adding "this Palmeiras thing isn't for a conversation between me and him."
Indeed, Andreas is the key creator for Silva's side, with no other player in the Cottagers squad, with only Alex Iwobi providing more shot creating actions than the Brazilian, while only Tom Cairney and Reiss Nelson average more per 90 minutes (having played more than one game).
Andreas Pereira: Fulham's key creator (as of 29th December)| Stat | | Squad rank |
| Shot Creating Actions | 71 | 2nd |
| Shot Creating Actions per 90 | 5.4 | 3rd |
| Key Passes per 90 | 2.83 | 1st |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 5.25 | 5th |
It had been reported last week that Palmeiras had tabled a £16m bid for the midfielder, and that they were willing to increase that to almost £18m to get a deal done.
Now, the player who Silva has previously hailed as "outstanding" is reportedly closer than ever to an exit, with fresh reports claiming that "Palmeiras president Leila Pereira is 'confident of the deal'" and that 'negotiations [are] progressing', albeit slowly.
It is added that there is no agreement yet between the two sides, but that Palmeiras are "optimistic of getting this operation over the line in the upcoming window".
Any departure would come as a major blow to the Cottagers, who have a chance at European football next season on current form. However, given Pereira's outspoken desire to leave in the future, combined with his current £50,000-a-week deal coming to an end in 2026 and Fulham's recent history of replacing their key men and still growing, a sale may well be the best outcome for the long term future of the club.
https://www.footballfancast.com/club-confident-of-signing-fulham-ace-andreas-pereira-in-january-window/
Outtara's late leveller stuns Fulham
Another AFC Bournemouth late show denied Fulham all three points in an end-to-end encounter at Craven Cottage this afternoon. Dango Outtarra punished a mistake by Issa Diop and his deft chip other Bernd Leno was the Cherries' eleventh goal in the final fifteen of matches to cancel out excellent headers from Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson.
The hosts might feel unfortunate that Wilson's header after a well-worked move wasn't enough to claim all three points but Andoni Iriola's men were dogged, diligent in possession and never gave up. It was Bournemouth who had the first chance of the afternoon as centre back Dean Huijsen directed Lewis Cook's corner on goal but saw his header grasped by Bernd Leno. David Brooks pulled the strings in the Bournemouth midfield and went close with two efforts in quick succession.
The returning Wilson, rewarded for scoring on Thursday at Stamford Bridge, looked the most likely source of a Fulham goal. He roamed threateningly along the right flank, although his speculative strike after cutting in onto his left foot was claimed by Kepa Arrizabalaga. The former Chelsea custodian did well to keep out Wilson again shortly afterwards – and Bournemouth finished the first period on the front foot.
Brooks sent Evanislation scampering clear of a square Fulham rearguard, but Leno burst off his line and blocked impressively. Antoine Semenyo, who starred for Bristol City here before earning his big-money move to Bournemouth, was next to test Leno's reflexes with the German goalkeeper adroitly turned Semenyo's strike behind for a corner. James Hill did find the net from the ensuing corner, but referee Robert Jones waved play on.
Instead, it was Fulham who hit the front with a rare goal from a set play. Andreas Pereira used Silva's three centre backs as a decoy as he found Jimenez with an inch-perfect corner. The Mexican glanced an unstoppable header beyond the Cheries' defence. It might have been worse for the visitors, but Ryan Christie escaped a red card for a late lunge at Antonee Robinson. Silva and his coaching staff seethed with anger on the sidelines, but they failed to prepare Fulham for waves of pressure after the interval.
Both Semenyo and Brooks saw shots saved by Leno, but Bournemouth were not to be denied an excellent equaliser – even if Joachim Andersen won't be queuing up to watch the replay. The Danish defender let Evanilson get both goal side and then failed to recover his ground – allowing the Brazilian forward to lift a lovely finish over Leno.
Fulham looked for an immediate riposte with Wilson, whose shot struck Huijensen, and Timothy Castagne, who caught the follow-up impressively but Kepa was well positioned to palm away the shot. The Cottagers came even closer when Jimenez had a header parried out by Kepa and Huijsen scampered back under his crossbar to head away the Mexican's follow-up effort.
But Fulham kept pushing forward and took the lead again when Wilson timed his run into the box to perfection. The Welsh winger nodded him his fifth league goal of the campaign – as he hung in the air impressively -to nod home another excellent cross by Robinson. But the Whites couldn't hold on for an excellent victory as Diop was stripped of possession twenty yards from goal. Enes Unal played in Semenyo, who couldn't find an angle for the shot, and the ball brokely nicely for Outtara to impudently chip Leno and rescue a point for the visitors.
FULHAM (3-4-3): Leno; Andersen, Diop, Bassey; Castagne, A. Robinson, Lukic (King 90+2), Pereira (Cairney 68); Iwobi (Smith Rowe 90+2), Wilson (Traore 78), Jimenez (Muniz 68). Subs (not used): Benda, Cuenca, R. Sessegnon, Godo, Vinicius.
BOOKED: Andersen.
GOALS: Jimenez (40), Wilson (72).
AFC BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Hill (Aarons 82), Kerkez, Zarbanyi, Huijsen; Cook, Christie; Semenyo, Brooks (Ouattara 73), Billing (Unal 73); Evanilson (Winterburn 82). Subs (not used): Dennis, Travis, A. Harris, Kinsey, Rees-Dottin.
BOOKED: Christie, Billing, Unal.
GOALS: Evanilson (61), Ouattara (89).
REFEREE: Rob Jones (Merseyside).
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/outtaras-late-leveller-stuns-fulham/
Fulham must be more ruthless, says Silva
Marco Silva said his Fulham side must be 'more ruthless' after they were denied all three points against AFC Bournemouth by Dango Ouatarra's late equaliser.
Fulham lead twice through headers from Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez but had to settle for a point after defensive errors by Joachim Andersen and Issa Diop.
The Portuguese head coach told his post-match press conference that he was very frustrated after seeing two points slip away in the final stages.
"Yes, definitely. A really tough one to take in a difficult game. We expected a really difficult game, three days after our last game, which was the same for them as well. The first half was difficult for us and we were not able to have the possession that we like to have normally. It was a set piece that made the difference for us, a great one as well, a great ball from Andreas.
The second half was our best half. After we made it 2-1, we started to control the game really well. The impact of Tom Cairney was big and he made a big impact on the game. It felt like it was much closer to 3-1 than 2-2 but when the game gets towards the end, we have to be more ruthless.
Big fight from the players again, great commitment, great attitude and I hope that we can learn from this type of moment because we have to be more ruthless in certain moments. It's another situation for us to learn from but there are many positives from the game we can take."
Silva feels that Fulham can be proud of their performances during the first half of the campaign – but there's a nagging doubt that the Whites should have secured even more points.
"Performance wise, we deserve more points, definitely. I really believe that the way we've been playing, we deserve more points. Overall, the unbeaten run in the last seven games, the way we've played against top sides and the way we've responded with some key players out, we have to be satisfied with the season so far, but there is a feeling that we should have taken more points."
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/fulham-must-be-more-ruthless-says-silva/
Silva: Fulham should have more points
Marco Silva insists Fulham should be ending 2024 with even more points.
The 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth, who twice equalised after going behind, represented the halfway point in the Whites' 38-game Premier League season.
They are eighth in the table and have enjoyed an excellent campaign so far.
But there was some disappointment after a late Bournemouth goal denied them a win which would have taken them up to sixth.
And it is not the first time in recent weeks they have dropped points.
Boss Silva said: "Performance-wise, we deserve more points, definitely.
"I really believe that the way we've been playing, we deserve more points."
Fulham will end the year unbeaten in seven matches and having lost just one of their past 11.
Silva said: "Overall, the unbeaten run in the last seven games, the way we've played against top sides and the way we've responded with some key players out, we have to be satisfied with the season so far.
"But there is a feeling that we should have taken more points."
https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-fulham-should-have-more-points
Fulham eye cut-price Gray deal
Fulham are considering reviving their interest in Jamaican international Demarai Gray after the winger told Steven Gerrard he wants to leave Saudi side Al-Ettifaq, according to the Sun.
The 28 year-old has struggled to settle since moving to the Saudi Pro League from Everton in a £8m deal last year. The former Leicester wide man did discuss a potential move to Craven Cottage with Marco Silva before deciding to sign for Gerrard, but he is now desperate to return to England. Al-Etiffaq are reportedly ready to sell Gray for £5m.
Gray, who made his professional debut for Birmingham City aged seventeen, has been a long-term Fulham target and could be a replacement for Reiss Nelson, who injured his hamstring against Brighton and Hove Albion last month. He joined Leicester City in January 2016, helping the Foxes win the Premier League under Claudio Ranieri at the end of that season. Gray made 169 appearances for City, scoring thirteen goals, before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2021.
He spent only a year and a half in Germany before returning to England with Everton in a £1.7m deal. Gray scored twelve times in 75 appearances at Goodison Park. He has scored seven goals in 20 international appearances since switching his allegiance to Jamaica, having previous won 26 under-21 caps for England.
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/fulham-eye-cut-price-gray-deal/
Crystal Palace and West Ham battle for Man City star with £20m 'asking price' as club 'optimistic' of Fulham deal
All the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Premier League after another busy day of action.
Another day of Premier League action is in the books, and there is still more to come before we bid goodbye to 2024. Chelsea are in action against Ipswich Town on Monday night, and after the turn of the year, Brentford and Arsenal will face off.
The Premier League table is now at the halfway mark, and it will be interesting to see how it compares to the final table in five months or so. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Premier League.
Pereira interest
Palmeiras are said to be pushing for a deal with Fulham star Andreas Pereira, although the deal is said to be 'stuck'. That's according to Bolavip via SportWitness, who say negotiations with the Cottagers have not yielded any kind of agreement.
https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/crystal-palace/crystal-palace-west-ham-battle-4924485
Player Ratings: Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth
I thought that was a pretty cracking game of football. Two very good footballing sides, both with well-defined philosophies, trying to play the game on their terms. To be honest, I think Bournemouth probably edged it overall, but 2-2 felt a fair, yet frustrating result. I am still astonished that Ryan Christie wasn't given his marching orders just before half-time, but Bournemouth fans are pretty dismayed that they had a goal erroneously disallowed, so maybe we just call it quits on more shocking Premier League refereeing.
I think I want to preface these ratings by saying that some of them may feel harsh, but I thought Fulham did ok, without being our dynamic best, in part I think due to Bournemouth's high octane, relentless pressing, for which they deserve credit. There was some off days throughout the side
Bernd Leno
I don't think there's much Bernd could have done better for the goals? Having watched it back, Evanilson is actually tremendously lucky to shin the ball over our German shot-stopper and I think he does well to nearly smother Outtara, who deserves a lot of credit for an intelligent finish. Outside of that, Bernd made some decent saves, but ones he was expected to make. Timed his rush well to put Evanilson off when he was haring through the middle, which at the time felt like a pivotal moment in the game. As always, was tidy and comfortable with the ball at his feet. 6.5/10
Issa Diop
Ahhhhhhh Issa. I'm actually gutted for him on a personal level, more than I'm disappointed about the result. Thought he was pretty great again, maybe not as flawless as his previous performance, but until the blunder, I was prepping a strong rating. I think the reason I'm so gutted for him, is that it's unfortunately led to some harsh revisionism from the fanbase about what you can expect from Issa. Mistakes happen, and I actually think there are other players who are also to blame in that moment, but it's inescapable that his dreadful pass is ultimately what saw us drop 2 points. 5.5/10
Joachim Andersen
Probably the most disappointing performance came from our great Dane. He just was not at it today. Passes weren't as crisp as usual, a couple of poor clearances nearly gifted goals to the Cherries, and probably the key issue was that Evanilson had his number. The Brazilian striker is a lovely blend of quick, good with his feet, but also physically strong enough to battle with a centre-back. The way he sneaks in behind Joa for the first goal is really disappointing, and once Bournemouth realised that there was something to exploit there, Joa looked very uncomfortable when being made to run back towards his own goal. Nothing major to worry about, but something Fulham need to find a solution for when up against a striker who likes to run in behind. 4.5/10
Calvin Bassey
Unsurprisingly, as it is his natural position, but he looks so at home on the left of a back three. I bloody love seeing him stretch his legs and burst forward with the ball. Defensively thought he was the best of the three centre-backs, but we did feel just a bit stretched and disjointed at times, once again, a credit to how Bournemouth moved us about. This may be harsh as it's a split second decision, but I really think that he should be covering the goal-line when the ball breaks to Outtara at the death, to protect the space left by Leno. Instead, he just gets caught in no-man's land and has to helplessly watch the ball nestle in the back of the net. He probably still lacks a little bit of that defensive instinct, but I'm certain that will come with age, he's still got so much time to grow and I think he's going to be a stonking player for years to come. 7/10
Timothy Castagne
A bit of a classic performance from Timmy. Fairly unremarkable, but in a good way. Don't think he got involved in the final third as much as he did against Chelsea, which meant a lot of our play was shovelled out to the left-flank instead. Mostly sound defensively, but there were a couple of times in the first-half where Bournemouth exploited spaces between Diop and Castagne, where he was lucky to be bailed out by Leno. However, all in all, he did well to keep Antoine Semenyo, one of Bournemouth's most influential players this season, fairly quiet. 6.5/10
Antonee Robinson
Another assist. Only Mo Salah and Saka have more than him in the league this season. This assist maybe more than any other was a perfect depiction of how far he has come as a footballer. The composure to shape to put a cross in with his left, only to chop back and dink in a perfect ball with his weaker foot is a brilliant bit of play. Another player who maybe wasn't as impactful as usual, it's not that he played badly, I just don't think he managed to create as many issues going forward as usual. He's very lucky not to have been badly injured by that disgraceful challenge by Christie.
Today was a showdown between the league's two best left-backs, and even though he wasn't at his best, I still think Jedi is number one. 7/10
Sasa Lukic
I don't think the midfield worked particularly well in the first half. The tempo was so so high and we just weren't able to get a foothold. Second half was much better, and Sasa made some good interventions out of possession, making the most tackles out of anyone in the game. Near flawless in possession, as we've come to expect. Not the sort of game where he was able to shine, but certainly not a bad performance. Loses 0.01 for what was without doubt the worst shot that was taken in England today. 6.5/10
Andreas Pereira
Hmmmmm. Not one of his finest days. There was a 20 minute spell where it felt like everything Andreas tried went wrong. Some incredibly poor passes, including a couple of fairly routine ones that could have set Fulham through on goal. As mentioned above, the first half was pretty rough for our midfield duo. Despite all this, he delivers a delicious corner in to put us ahead, definitely against the run of play. Taking him off was definitely the right decision. 5/10
Harry Wilson
He's done it again, he's done it agaaaain, Harry Wilson, he's done it again. The header, for what should've been the winner, deserves a lot of credit. It's so neatly steered towards that far post that any target man would be chuffed with themselves if they'd pulled that off. Beyond that, I thought H was our biggest attacking threat. The diagonal runs that he makes in behind are so dangerous, and his teammates are to blame for not finding him with a pass frequently enough. The longer this goes on, the less it feels like a good run of form, and the more it feels like the long-awaited arrival of our Welsh Wizard to the Premier League stage. 8/10
Alex Iwobi
Flashes of brilliance from a player full of confidence, but I wonder if December has taken its toll a bit on Wobes. Probably his two weakest performances this month have been against Southampton and Bournemouth, two games where, I think as a direct consequence, Fulham were weakest as well. I love him, and there were moments today where he showed how good he was. However, up against James Hill, making his first start of the season, he struggled to run the game from that left-wing position. Not bad, but definitely not his best. 6.5/10
Raul Jimenez
Six for the season for Raul, with today's goal making him the highest scoring Mexican in Premier League history. Kudos to him, a tremendous show of both consistency and perseverance. I'm quite proud that he's achieved that at Fulham. We've become a home for waifs and strays and given all that he's overcome, the fact that Fulham is probably the last place he'll call home in England, makes me happy. He struggled to get into the game today, but that goal was trademark Jimenez. He was unlucky not to double his tally after rising high at the far post just before he was subbed off. 6.5/10
Substitutes
Tom Cairney (68′ on for Pereira)
Oh my god. That was the silkiest, most beautiful cameo from anyone, ever. I'm writing this with a face like the Cheshire Cat. Absolutely vintage TC. I'm really struggling to verbalise quite how magnificent he was. To come onto the pitch at 33 years of age, knees as sturdy as a well-cooked Yorkshire Pudding, and leave Cherry after Cherry in the dirt, gliding past them as if they weren't there, was total magic. The Cruyff turn, the Panenka, and the Tom Cairney drop of the shoulder™. Only the greats have a move named after them, and our skipper should be one of them. A proper captain's performance. I'm aware this is insane, but I simply have to hive him man of the match. 9/10 – Man of the match
Rodrigo Muniz (68′ on for Jimenez)
Fairly unremarkable from Roddy, but anything would be after what he did in his last substitute appearance. Put himself about, as always, and made a nuisance of himself. Otherwise, not much to write about. 6/10
Adama Traore (78′ on for Wilson)
This scenario was made for him. Fulham leading the game, Bournemouth pushing for an equaliser and space opening up. All he needed to do was hit that space and cause chaos. He inexplicably didn't even attempt it once. If TC had the cameo to end all cameos, this was the polar opposite. Spurned a couple of chances on the counter-attack and just didn't look like he wanted to make an impact. It feels harsh, but I think he's partially to blame for the goal. Issa Diop got the memo, the plan was to get the Bournemouth players on the turn and let Adama run. However, Adama kept refusing to run, and I think Diop's misplaced pass came as a result of previous attempts to play Traore behind. Issa gets caught in two minds and we all know what happened next. Blowing too hot and cold for me at the moment is Adama, one week he's electric, the next he looks like he can't be bothered. I still think he's such a useful weapon, just think he needs a Silva rocket up the arse 4.5/10
Josh King (90+2′ on for Lukic)
Not enough time to give Josh a rating, but Jesus this kid is special. Unbelievable confidence, summed up by some sparkling work down by the corner flag, that nearly created something in the dying moments. 2025 could be the year for Josh King...
Emile Smith Rowe (90+2′ on for Iwobi)
No rating, but nice to see him back after a couple of games out with injury.
https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2024-12-30-player-ratings-fulham-2-2-bournemouth-2/
Agent insists Fulham player's exit 'not even close' – Multiple factors make January exit difficult
Last Tuesday, we covered claims from Brazil which stated Palmeiras have made a €20m bid for Fulham's Andreas Pereira.
Three days later, Fulham manager Marco Silva spoke to the Brazilian media about the possibility of losing the midfielder.
At the weekend, Bolvaip reported Palmeiras president Leila Pereira remains optimistic of agreeing a deal with Fulham for the 28-year-old.
O Globo provides the latest on this case and it would certainly not please the Brazilian club.
It's claimed both the player and Fulham have cooled Palmeiras' interest in the signing. The Brazil international has also indicated he will continue with Marco Silva's side.
In addition to this, the report states the Premier League side haven't yet responded to Palmeiras' proposal, which is why the two clubs aren't close to reaching an agreement.
Pereira's agent insists the operation is 'not even close' to being complicated and he isn't as enthusiastic as joining Palmeiras as felt by their board.
Apart from the finances, Fulham's desire to hold on the Brazilian makes it difficult for Palmeiras to sign him. The London club aren't willing to part ways with Pereira midway through the season.
The report states that if there's any development in this case, it's likely to happen at the start of January.
http://sportwitness.co.uk/agent-insists-fulham-players-exit-not-even-close-multiple-factors-make-january-exit-difficult/