Friday Fulham Stuff - 06/12/24...

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Silva issues plea to Fulham fans
Marco Silva urged Fulham fans to show more support for their team after a 3-1 win at home to Brighton took the Whites up to sixth in the Premier League table.

The home supporters were silenced by Carlos Belba scoring a second-half equaliser for the visitors after Alex Iwobi had netted an early opener.

The lead was restored when the recalled Andreas Pereira, on as a substitute, whipped in a corner and former Fulham youngster Matt O'Riley deflected the ball into his own net.

And Iwobi scored again late on to seal a fine victory.

Boss Silva was full of praise for his players – but asked the fans to get behind them more.

He said: "I'd like to ask them (for) even more if they can. They have been great for us – it's been fantastic since I joined the club. It's been a long journey for us and a great one.

"But if they can, we need more and more and more, because it's a moment of the season that's going to be tough.

"Sometimes it's not easy – tonight was a good example of that. When they equalised, I felt everybody down, I felt Craven Cottage down and I was listening much more to the away fans in that moment of the game than our fans. And it was a moment that we need them, really.

"If I can ask something from them, I am going to ask: we need the 12th player on the pitch in this stadium. Sometimes they (fans) don't understand how they can be important, and they have to support us.

"I ask for them to support more and more because we need them. They give so much power for the players when they are with us."

Silva also insisted there must be no let-up from his team after an excellent season so far.

"We are pleased with the position, we know our reality and we are going to push ourselves," he declared.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-issues-plea-to-fulham-fans

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Fulham 3-1 Brighton: Marco Silva insists more still to come after Alex Iwobi brace sends Cottagers sixth
Fulham go into Sunday's clash against Arsenal full of confidence

Marco Silva vowed Fulham will keep pushing for more after they leapt up to sixth in the Premier League following a 3-1 win over Brighton.

Alex Iwobi scored twice to catapult the Cottagers six places from 12th in a congested table.

Fulham were pegged back after Iwobi's quickfire opener by Carlos Baleba's fine strike early in the second half.

But Matt O'Riley's own goal gifted them the lead again and Iwobi hit his second to ensure Brighton have still never beaten Fulham in the Premier League.

Silva said: "They are a really tough team to play against, top quality individuals, not losing many games.

"We started the game the best way possible but the first half was really difficult for us. They had chances to equalise and were the better team.

"The second half was completely different. Even when they equalised we were the best team on the pitch and we reacted well. It's a big three points for us against top opposition. Credit to Brighton but I think we deserved the win.

"We are pleased with the position, we know our reality and we are going to push ourselves."

Just three minutes had elapsed when Brighton handed Fulham the lead after playing the ball back to their goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, a few yards to the left of his goal.

The Dutchman was under minimal pressure, but his pass out towards Baleba on the edge of the box was intercepted by Iwobi who strode forward and tucked the ball into an empty net before Verbruggen could scramble back.

The equaliser came moments later, and for all Brighton's slick short passing it came from Jan Paul Van Hecke's straightforward ball over the top.

Joao Pedro did brilliantly to cushion the ball into the path of Baleba, with the Cameroon youngster bludgeoning a low shot from the edge of the box past Bernd Leno into the corner.

But Fulham went ahead again with 11 minutes remaining when substitute Andreas Pereira swung in a corner.

The ball skimmed off the head of Calvin Bassey and went in off the back of the unfortunate O'Riley.

Then, with three minutes left, Iwobi spun away from two Brighton defenders before curling past Verbruggen into the far corner to secure victory for the upwardly-mobile Cottagers.

It was an uncomfortable watch for Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler, albeit high up in Fulham's plush new Riverside Stand while he served a touchline ban.

"It's not the best feeling to watch in the stand," he said. "I think we all know that's not the result we deserved.

"We created a lot of chances and gave away a goal with an error in the build-up and an own goal.

"But it's football. That's exactly what I demand from Bart, to find solutions on the ground. We will give him feedback and the players will improve.

"But mistakes happen. If there were no mistakes there would be no goals."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-vs-brighton-premier-league-result-silva-iwobi-b1198430.html

[WhiteJC]

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says 'we didn't deserve to lose' after loss against Fulham
The Albion head coach summed up his side's 3-1 loss away to Fulham on Thursday, December 5.

The match began with a harrowing mistake from the back. Dutch international Bart Verbruggen's pass went straight into Iwobi's path, and allowed him to take the lead early for Fulham. A really poor start from Albion's defence, and Igor didn't help either, passing precariously to his goalkeeper before the blunder.

In the 34th minute, Mitoma crossed the ball superbly to Adingra, who had a clear shot on goal. His effort went straight to the keeper, and it seemed like if that went anywhere else, it'd be in the back of the net.

The seagulls continued to pile on the pressure, looking to close the first half with a goal to make things right, which didn't happen. At the start of the second half, it was all Fulham and the crowd were cheering them on to double their lead. However, it was Brighton that were able to build some momentum after battling out the cottagers. A great ball from Van Hecke, one touch from Joao Pedro near the edge of the box and Carlos Baleba rifled it into the bottom corner.

Brighton looked like they were finally alive and kicking in this one, but then more defensive errors came to haunt them. Matt O'Riley scored an own goal in the 79th minute to put Fulham 2-1 up. It was unfortunate for the Danish midfielder, as a corner that wasn't headed out bounced off him and into the net in a rather bitter fashion.

It got even worse. Gruda was lost possession of the ball straight away and allowed Fulham to attack once again. Iwobi was given too much time on the edge of the box and was able to slot the ball into the back of the net.

It was another disappointing result for the Albion, losing 3-1 away from home. They drew to rock-bottom Southampton last time out.

In a post-match press conference, Fabian Hurzeler gave his thoughts on how the game went, believing that Brighton did not deserve to lose.

Fabian Hurzeler said: "I think we all know that's not the result we deserve. we deserved much more, we created a lot of chances. We concede goals from easy mistakes in the build-up from our own goal from the set piece...

"The team played very good in possession, out of possession there were some things we have to improve.

"We have to be more clinical, we have to be more clean in the opponent's box and if you're not scoring in the right moment you get punished."



https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/brighton-and-hove-albion/brighton-boss-fabian-hurzeler-says-we-didnt-deserve-to-lose-after-loss-against-fulham-4898253

[WhiteJC]

Iwobi fires Fulham up to sixth
A brilliant brace from Alex Iwobi helped Fulham record an impressive victory over in-form Brighton and Hove Albion at Craven Cottage tonight and leap up to sixth in the Premier League table.

The Nigerian international, arguably in the form of his life after Marco Silva brought him back to London from his former club Everton, capitalised on a poor pass out from the back by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to score a predatory opener with just three minutes on the clock. Although the Albion custodian took a huge risk by trying to find Carlos Baleba on the edge of his own box, Iwobi took the goal superbly by slotting a composed finish into the unguarded net despite the desperate dive of Lewis Dunk.

Iwobi would have been frustrated not to add a second moments later when he surged onto a fine headed flick from the recalled Rodrigo Muniz, but he was denied by a brilliant bit of defending from Igor Julio as the ex-Arsenal midfielder prepared to pull the trigger. Brighton gradually got their fluent passing game going and carved out a couple of good chances. Bernd Leno spread himself well to thwart João Pedro after the striker had surged onto a lovely through ball from Jan Paul van Hecke. The yellow shirts swarmed forward with purpose but Calvin Bassey bravely blocked shots from Baleba and João Pedro before Leno made a brilliant block to prevent Simon Adingra from converting a clever cut back from Kaoru Mitoma.

Fulham suddenly looked more likely to score either from a set play or a counter attack. Muniz placed a header wide from Harry Wilson's left-wing corner and the young Brazilian soared superbly to nod wide from Antonee Robinson's cross in first half stoppage time. Albion were sloppy at the start of the second half as well, with Wilson shooting wide when a fine forward ball from Iwobi landed at the Welshman's feet.

But Brighton hauled themselves back into the contest. van Hecke looped a header slightly over the crossbar from an inviting O'Riley corner, but the visitors soon found themselves level through a wonderfully worked goal. For all of the visitors' lovely short passing, the equaliser owed a fair bit to a long punt forward from van Hecke. Joao Pedro fabulously flicked the ball into the path of the onrushing Baleba, who lashed a low left-footed finish beyond Leno from the edge of the area into the bottom corner of the net.

Silva shuffled his pack by removing the ineffective Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson, whose hamstring had popped just as he sought to beat Dunk for pace down the left flank. Andreas Pereira came off the bench to have a telling impact, which might prove timely after his flirting with a move to Marseille over the past week, after his fellow substitute Adama Traore's powerful run won a corner. The Brazilian's corner was floated towards the near post where former Fulham midfielder O'Riley unfortunately diverted the ball past his own goalkeeper and into the Hammersmith End net as the Dane was possibly distracted by the presence of Issa Diop. Dunk earned a booking for his protests that the French defender had pushed him in the back.

Fulham didn't rest on their laurels, with their energy levels boosted by the introduction of Josh King, who produced an eye-catching cameo on his Premier League debut. The teenager found himself involved in the move that led to the third goal; when Robinson played a pass into the path of Iwobi, whose dancing feet engineered a couple of yards the area, beating two Brighton defenders before bending a fine finish beyond Verbruggen's grasp and into the bottom corner.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Diop, Bassey; Berge (Cuenca 90+1), Iwobi; Wilson (King 80), Nelson (Traore 71), Smith Rowe (Pereira 71); Muniz (Jimenez 80). Subs (not used): Benda, Tete, R. Sessegnon, Vinicius.

BOOKED: Berge, Pereira.

GOALS: Iwobi (3, 87), O'Riley (o.g. 79).

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (3-4-2-1): Verbruggen; van Hecke (Lamptey 72), Dunk, Igor Julio; Adringa (Minteh 80), Baleba, Wieffer (Gruda 86), Estupinan; O'Riley (Rutter 81), Mitoma; Joao Pedro (Ferguson 80). Subs (not used): Steele, Ayari, McConville, Moder.

BOOKED: van Hecke, Dunk.

GOAL: Baleba (56).

REFEREE: Peter Bankes (Merseyside).

ATTENDANCE: 26,368.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/iwobi-fires-fulham-up-to-sixth/

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Silva salutes 'outstanding Iwobi'
Marco Silva hailed matchwinner Alex Iwobi's 'outstanding' contribution after the Nigerian international bagged a brace to beat in-form Brighton and Hove Albion at Craven Cottage this evening.

Silva told the BBC after the final whistle:

"Alex has been outstanding from the first day of pre-season. He is in a happy place and he is a fantastic footballer. Last season was his best season in the Premier League and one or two months ago I said he would be even better in this one. He is really versatile and I can use him in many different positions. He's a top player with the way he can assist and score goals more than ever. What a game for him and he deserved all the credit."

The Fulham head coach felt Fulham got their rewards for a strong second half display as the Whites had to recover from the setback of conceding a superb equaliser to Brighton's Carlos Baleba.

"A really tough team to play against. Top quality – individually and collectively as well. They have not been losing games easily. They were fifth in the table, last Friday when they played against Southampton they finished that game in second position in the table, too. That shows the quality they have, and how they have had a great start. We knew that it was going to be tough. We started the game the best way possible with a goal in the first minutes. Okay, mistake from the goalkeeper or not, but the reality is that we believed in that moment.

But first half was really difficult for us, was tough. Even if we were leading the score, it was really tough. It was difficult for us to find the right moments to press. We had more problems than normal to press and to start to be more aggressive in our first press, and when you don't have the ball for some longer times, it's more difficult for us. Rodrigo and Emile, they worked really hard first half, but we didn't get the right timings to press and to win the ball. We wanted to create some dangerous moments for them, but it was not as often as we like to do it, and it was difficult.

They had some chances to equalise, we had our moments too – two great headers from Rodrigo, probably should have scored in that situation. But I have to say that, first half, even if we are leading the score at half-time, they were the better team. Second half was completely different. We adjusted some things at half-time, we adjusted our pressure. It was important for us to don't lose Rodrigo and Emile always in the first pressure, because after they are going to play behind that first pressure. And we did much better second half.

Even when they equalised, in that moment of the game we were already the best team on the pitch. We reacted well. Even with 1-1, I think our reaction was good. We scored from a set-piece. It was in an important moment of the game that we scored, and after that, we controlled all the game.

It was a moment that I decided already to change, to put Raúl and Josh King in to help our first pressure. And from that moment we started to press higher, better, and we didn't give many chances for them after the 2-1. It was a difficult one, but big three points for us against tough opposition. Much better second half than the first, looking overall to the game. Of course, credit to Brighton, the way they played first half, but I think, overall, we probably deserved the three points."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/silva-salutes-outstanding-iwobi/

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Fulham impress to make European push with win over Brighton, but coming weeks will reveal true potential
A 3-1 victory has the Cottagers in sixth place in the Premier League

LONDON -- They have some rather fond memories of European nights in this part of London and it certainly wouldn't be unreasonable for Fulham fans to start dreaming of a few more after a 2-1 win over Brighton that propelled Marco Silva's side into sixth, just a point and a place off their conquered opponents.

In a year where the Premier League is almost certain to get a fifth Champions League spot, there are rewards available for those who are prepared to attack this season. Fulham are proving themselves to be one of them, even if their cause was aided by sloppiness from Brighton at both ends tonight.

Alex Iwobi stole in after just four minutes to punish a misplaced pass by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and while a low drive from Carlos Baleba brought Brighton level after the break, it was Fulham who had more punch on the pitch and on their bench, the pressure their substitutes built telling when academy graduate Matt O'Riley marked his return to Craven Cottage with an own goal. Iwobi's second in the 88th minute, elegantly spinning into a shooting position in the area, was enough to secure the points for Marco Silva's side.

There will be work to do in the coming weeks if they are to hold their lofty position. The Premier League's top three lie in wait across their next four games but Fulham can at least attack them knowing they have nothing to fear. And with the league's eighth-best expected goal difference, they can back themselves to make Arsenal and Liverpool as uncomfortable as they did Brighton.

Verbruggen had already looked nervy under Fulham pressure once in the opening three minutes. It did not take much more for him to buckle. Igor Julio had certainly played him into a hole with a fidgety pass back towards the byline but there were more conservative options than to roll the ball in the general direction of Baleba. Iwobi stole in and before Verbruggen could scurry back a low drive was nestling in his far post.

It would not be the last occasion when Brighton got themselves in a muddle at the back. Antonee Robinson's cross early in the second half might have been dangerous but Igor's hook into Mats Wieffer was much more perilous for the visitors. Across the field, Kaoru Mitoma's deliveries were no less challenging to defend than Robinson's. Driving low from the byline, his cross flew to the back post and Simon Adingra, his shot impressively parried by Bernd Leno.

As in the first, Fulham started much brighter after the interval and might have doubled their advantage within seven seconds when Harry Wilson charged over the top and drove wide. Still, on the balance of the proceeding 45 minutes, Brighton had done enough to be level. It took something quite special to get them there, Joao Pedro's elegant flick off a long ball sitting up nicely for Baleba to lash home the equalizer.

Brighton might have pushed on from there but there was something faintly meandering to their possession, all the territory but no real incision for the visitors. It was as if they weren't sure how to manufacture goals. Fulham knew just what they wanted to do. Get the ball out left and go at the opposition. When you can introduce Adama Traore to go at legs tired of 70 minutes of Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe's Hale End forged interplay, you're going to get joy.

A corner forced by Adama was whipped menacingly at the near post, the Brighton defense utterly befuddled by a ball that crashed in off O'Riley's posterior. Truly the bum rush has hit the scoresheet this week. Rear-end scoring isn't the only thing Arsenal West have picked up via N5 of late. Iwobi had excelled from the outset as a free eight, gliding between the lines and leaving Brighton with no reference point.

By the 87th minute, they had no clue, Robinson slipping the ball to the Nigeria international on the edge of the box. Holding off Evan Ferguson, he found an angle between two Brighton defenders to drive home and seal a third victory in their last five league games for the Cottagers. Iwobi then is in a rich vein of form ahead of his reunion with Arsenal on Sunday. He is not the only one. The biggest tests of the season lie ahead of Fulham. Navigate them with even a modicum of success and they can really aspire for a spot in the European places.



https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/fulham-impress-to-make-european-push-with-win-over-brighton-but-coming-weeks-will-reveal-true-potential/

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Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori boost, Martinelli decision - 5 changes Arteta can make vs Fulham
The Gunners could make several changes for their trip to Craven Cottage in the Premier League this Sunday

Wednesday night could prove to be something of a turning point for Arsenal's season. As Liverpool faltered at Newcastle, the Gunners came through a tricky test against Manchester United to run out 2-0 winners.

The result allows them to claw two points back on Arne Slot's side at the top of the league, cutting the deficit to seven points. Mikel Arteta isn't getting ahead of himself yet though.

"We want to have the right to win the games," the Spaniard said in his post-match press conference. "If we perform the way we're performing right now, we're going to win a lot of games. But right now is about Fulham.

"We have to go there. We know the experience of last season. We have to prepare really well to earn the right to win there and continue to do that. The rest, we don't know."

With the focus now on Sunday's trip to Craven Cottage, Arteta has a few big decisions in his in-tray. First up is what to do about his back line.

William Saliba was the standout performer against Manchester United, but Arteta singled out squad players Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko for praise after the game. "Big credit to Jakub and Alex," he said.

"It's the first start for Jakub after a long time. You have to be strong against this kind of opposition and front players. The same as Alex and they did magnificently well. Great. We trust them. They prepared so well, they had the opportunity, they grabbed it with both hands, so happy for the team."

It's quite possible that neither will start at the weekend though. Arteta was positive on the chances of Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori returning to the side.

"Gabi was a big risk to play today because he felt something against West Ham," he said. "Sunday he's going to be a possibility. With Ricci as well, let's see how we reacts."

It would not be too much of a surprise to see the pair return. With a huge game against Monaco coming up in the Champions League though, Arteta may be tempted to stick with the duo who did so well on Wednesday.



https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/fixtures-results/gabriel-riccardo-calafiori-boost-martinelli-30522764

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Odegaard to captain us for 100th time at Fulham
Should Martin Odegaard walk out at Craven Cottage against Fulham on Sunday donning our captain's armband as usual, it will be a momentous occasion for our skipper.

That's because it'll be the 100th time he has captained us in competitive action, on what would be his 163rd appearance in red and white - a remarkable feat for a player who is still only 25 years old.

The first time was at Southampton in March 2022 and he has held it ever since. "I had a short conversation with Mikel just before the game - that was it basically!" he has previously reflected.

"It was a big honour. To get that trust from the manager and the whole club after being here for just one year was huge, so it made me feel good. I was happy and proud about it. I stepped in and tried to do as well as possible."

And Martin has done much better than that, as he has created history whilst holding the captaincy.

Our friends at Opta have calculated the Norwegian has guided us to victory on 66 of the 99 occasions he has led the team out, and that win percentage of 66.7% is the highest any Arsenal captain who has skipped us 20 or more times has managed since our famous title-winning campaign of 1988/89.

That puts him ahead of legendary leaders such as Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, and also Mikel Arteta who sits a respectable fourth on the list, while also boasting the best win percentage of any Gunners manager.

Martin will become only the fifth player to captain us in a century of matches since 1989, with Adams, Vieira, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny also achieving the feat:



https://www.arsenal.com/news/odegaard-captain-us-100th-time-fulham

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Fulham vs Arsenal injury news as 6 ruled out and 2 doubts
All the latest injury news surrounding Arsenal and Fulham as the two London clubs prepare to face off.

Fulham and Arsenal go head-to-head this weekend in one of the most fascinating Premier League clashes of the weekend. Both clubs are riding high in the table, with the Gunners in third and the Cottagers just six points worse off in sixth place.

The Gunners defeated Manchester United in a statement home win on Wednesday night, and 24 hours later, Fulham defeated potential European qualification rivals Brighton at Craven Cottage. Here we round up the latest Arsenal and Fulham injury news.

Harrison Reed - Out
Reed has undergone surgery, with Silva saying recently: "Yesterday, he got an injury in his knee, and he'll need surgery there. He should be out for 5-6 weeks."

Tom Cairney - Out (Suspended)
Cairney was sent off against Tottenham and will miss this one through suspension.

Joachim Andersen - Out
Andersen has a calf strain and is not expected to return until next week.

Reiss Nelson - Out
Nelson has picked up a hamstring injury and will miss out against his former club.

Ben White - Out
White has had surgery on a knee injury and he will be out until early spring. Arteta has said: "Ben is going to be out for months. We had to make a decision in the last few weeks, unfortunately. It got to a point where we had to protect the player, and we decided to do the surgery."

Gabriel Magalhaes - Doubt
Gabriel missed out on Wednesday but could be in contention here. Arteta said: "Gabi was a big risk to play today because he felt something against West Ham. Sunday is going to be a possibility."

Riccardo Calafiori - Doubt
It's a similar situation for Calafiori who has a knee injury. "Sunday is going to be a possibility with Riccardo as well; let's see how he reacts," Arteta added.

Tomiyasu faces a lengthy absence after a setback in his recovery from a knee injury. Arteta said: "Sunday is going to be a possibility with Riccardo as well; let's see how he reacts."



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/arsenal/fulham-arsenal-injury-news-out-4898322

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal old boys out to inflict revenge in Fulham reunion after Marco Silva resurgence
Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi, Bernd Leno and Reiss Nelson are all now thriving at Craven Cottage after the Gunners deemed them surplus to requirements

It was on New Year's Eve last year that Fulham welcomed Mikel Arteta's Arsenal to Craven Cottage and turned them over, 2-1, to place an eventually telling dent in the Gunners' title hopes.

Arsenal's return to the banks of the River Thames is a chance for Fulham to repeat the trick less than a year on. And for four players in particular, it is a chance to travel back in time.

It seems there are few more common routes for a Premier League player these days than from the Emirates to Craven Cottage. Four ex-Arsenal players could line up against their former team on Sunday: Emile Smith Rowe, Bernd Leno, Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson (on loan from the Gunners at Fulham).

First to make the 10-mile trip was Leno. Following three seasons as their No1, Arsenal began to evolve away from the German's style. Arteta brought in Aaron Ramsdale ahead of the 2021/22 season and Leno sat patiently on the bench for a season before moving on.

Fulham paid just £3million up front for Leno, which rose to £8m after add-ons. A steal for Fulham; questionable business from Arsenal.

"I have to say it's a bargain," Leno said in an interview with Standard Sport during his first season at Fulham. "It's very, very cheap, especially in the Premier League. I am not £3m — I'm probably worth a little bit more."

The German international insisted he still has a "connection" with Arsenal, saying: "I was really happy with my performances. Even when they dropped me, I did nothing wrong."

After sitting on the bench for the opening two games of his first season, just days after he had joined, Leno has since started all 88 Premier League matches for Fulham, becoming one of Marco Silva's most trusted players.

The arrival of Iwobi at Craven Cottage came a season later, when he made his deadline-day move from Everton. Iwobi was one of very few players who came out of the Unai Emery era at Arsenal with any credit. Everton paid big — as much as £34m — but he found it tough to express himself in a defensively rigid system and was always a London boy at heart.

He had joined Arsenal's academy while still in primary school, and despite being almost released on two occasions he broke into the first team aged 19. The sixth senior start of his career came in the Champions League against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

If a piece of the Nigeria international went missing at Everton, it is most certainly back now. "Alex has been incredible in all his roles," Silva said this week in a nod to his versatility. "I felt he was going to be even better for us [this season]. What a player he is.

"I call him a happy boy. When you are in a happy place, when you are so positive and people around you are positive, I think good things will come to you."

Good things certainly came to Iwobi and Fulham in July, when the Cottagers paid £34m to sign the player Silva had most wanted: Smith Rowe.

Iwobi and Smith Rowe had overlapped at Arsenal for nine years and the Nigeria midfielder interrupted Smith Rowe's medical to tell him how happy he was that he was joining him at Fulham.

Three man-of-the-match awards later, and Smith Rowe is feeling loved again, having fallen out of favour at Arsenal after time out of Arteta's team with groin and hamstring injuries.

In the summer, Silva had phoned him up, told him he would build Fulham's attack around him, and the rest is history.

"I told our board that we had to go with everything that we can, because we needed a player like him," said the Portuguese.

Silva phoned Smith Rowe, told him he would build Fulham's attack around him, and the rest is history

"He is a lovely kid. He wants to learn, he wants to improve. He is already a really good player; he is going to become a man and top player."

There is hope that the same level of success will follow for Nelson, still contracted to the Gunners but on loan at Fulham where he is getting more game time and making a name for himself on the left wing. West Ham wanted him, Ipswich thought they were getting him, but deadline-day interest from Fulham swayed him.

After Nelson's first start against Brentford, when he linked up well with ex-Arsenal team-mate Smith Rowe, Silva explained: "We wanted one-v-ones down the left-hand side with Reiss Nelson. He has made a good impact in our squad so far. He is going to help up, for sure, to be stronger throughout the season."

All four players sought opportunities away from the Emirates. That they all ended up at Fulham is perhaps a coincidence, but that they are all making a success of their new venture is not. The question is, will more Gunners follow suit?



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fc-fulham-smith-rowe-iwobi-leno-nelson-b1198372.html