Monday Fulham Stuff - 30/11/20...

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"As long as I'm under contract, it's not over" – Fulham man eyeing opportunity elsewhere if he can get it

Arriving in September, Alphonse Aréola was the man Fulham chose to keep their nets safe in the Premier League.

The Frenchman had just spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Real Madrid, where he mostly played second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois before returning to Paris Saint-Germain.

Once there, it was made clear he wasn't the number one choice, with Keylor Navas given that role by Thomas Tuchel, meaning another move was needed to stop him from stagnating even further.

Fulham were the chosen ones, and apart from sitting out the 3-0 loss to Arsenal on opening day, the Frenchman has been used by Scott Parker for every game since, conceding 15 goals in eight games and keeping just the one clean sheet.

The Cottagers were always going to be part of the relegation battle, and even with Aréola in goal, wins have been hard to come by.

🗨️ "Tant que je suis sous contrat, c'est pas fini !"

Alphonse Areola se confie sur son expérience au PSG 🎙️💬#CFC pic.twitter.com/jJ7IKYwWfM

— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) November 28, 2020

Fulham have an option to make the 27-year-old's move permanent if they so wish, but it appears the three time France international has his eyes set on winning back that Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper job if he can get it.

Speaking to Canal Football Club over the weekend, he said: "I left, I came back, I left again just to be able to express myself more. As long as I'm under contract (at Paris Saint-Germain), it's not over. I'm here".

Aréola's deal in the French capital is due to expire in 2023, meaning there is still time for him to get his wish, all depending on whether Fulham stay up and decide to try and convince him to stay.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/long-im-contract-not-fulham-man-eyeing-opportunity-elsewhere-can-get/

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Official Club App Launched

Introducing the official new mobile app for Fulham FC, available now on iOS and Android.

Rebuilt and relaunched to provide a greater online experience of following Fulham, the new official Club app keeps you up to date with the very best access to all things Fulham wherever you are.

Download for iOS from App Store

Download for Android from Google Play
LIVE MATCH CENTRE

Follow live match coverage of every game, with access to the latest team line-ups, live text commentary, match stats, scores from around the grounds, league tables and more.
LATEST NEWS & VIDEO

Follow the Club with all the latest Fulham news and video in one place; including match highlights and interviews from across all teams, the latest galleries and match reports, as well as all the latest fixtures and results.
PLAYER PROFILES

Find out more about the players which make up our Men's, Women's, Under 23 and Under 18 Teams, with enhanced profiles detailing biographies, stats and the latest player news and related videos.

FFCtv

Fans with an FFCtv subscription can access their account to enjoy exclusive video-on-demand as well as live audio commentary of all Men's fixtures.
ACCESS TO ALL-THINGS FULHAM

Instant access to the official Club website, fulhamfc.com, as well as online store and ticketing sites. Supporters also have the option to turn on in-game notifications, to receive updates and key alerts directly to your device.
DOWNLOAD TODAY

Supporters who previously had access to the 'FFCtv App' simply need to update this app currently installed on their device.

Fans looking to download the Official Fulham FC App for the first time can head to the Apple Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android) and search for: 'Fulham FC'.

Please note, the previous 'Fulham FC' app is no longer in use and can be deleted from your device.

Download for iOS from App Store

Download for Android from Google Play 

Live matchday audio access requires an active, paid subscription to FFCtv.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/november/Official-Club-App-Launched/

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Leicester City vs Fulham: 30/11/2020 – match preview and predicted starting XIs

Leicester City vs Fulham

Date: 30/11/2020

K/O: 17:30

Venue: King Power Stadium

Referee: Simon Hooper

TV: Sky Sports

The King Power Stadium plays host to a contest from two ends of the table on Monday evening as Leicester City take on Fulham.

Though both sides are coming off Premier League losses (Leicester's last game was a draw in the Europa league – more on that in a minute), the odds here are stacked heavily in the Foxes' favour. Leicester seem to be reaching a level where, even if they play poorly, a win against the lower order sides is almost guaranteed. But don't expect Fulham to come in expecting a defeat; Scott Parker has instilled an act of courage in this team that could catch Brendan Rodger's side off-guard.

Confidence, Persistence, and Frank Zambo Anguissa.

While Fulham have taken no points from their last two league games, they were performances that probably deserved them. On both occasions Fulham strived desperately to come back from behind, only to be undone by an issue that is starting to plague them: missed penalties. First, it was Ademola Lookman, whose failed Panenka has quickly become infamous.

Official penalty-taking duty was then shifted to Aleksandar Mitrovic, but the Serb's own missed penalty on international duty saw him relieved of the burden. Responsibility was then shifted to Ivan Cavaleiro – only for him to slip while taking it and rocket it over the bar as a result. The Cottagers will be starting to think that penalties are cursed for them, and you wouldn't blame them for thinking so.

While penalties have loomed over the retrospective look of these games like bad weather, it should also be noted that Fulham twice put themselves in a position to come back from behind. While their game against the Hammers hinged on the penalty, Fulham's match against Everton was much more representative of their qualities. Bobby Decordova Reid's 15th-minute goal was a solid reply to Everton's lead, while own Ruben Loftus Cheek's 70th-minute goal came straight after the missed penalty. Scott Parker is showing that his side aren't phased by going behind, and their constant and persistent search for answers will soon pay off when their bad luck runs out.

One shining star during this poor start is the statistical performance of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. Anguissa has been a powerful force in the Cottager's midfield, and it has started to show in the stats. When looking at the numbers, Anguissa is one of the best ball-carrying midfielders in Europe. His 'progressive carrying distance' (distance spent dribbling forward) is phenomenal at an average of 200m per match and only bettered by three midfielders in the whole of Europe: Frenkie de Jong, Kevin De Bruyne, and Joshua Kimmich; fine company to be in. Anguissa has also proved himself to be a fantastic forward passer too, with an average of 5.5 progressive passes per 90 which is just shy of Barcelona's De Jong's numbers. If Fulham want a result at Leicester, Anguissa will surely be key.

Foxes bouncing back – thrice.

Leicester's frankly dismal defeat to Liverpool last weekend was enough for a fair few pundits and fans to start counting them out of the title race. Considering their woeful performance and a 3-0 scoreline that was admittedly kind (Liverpool could have won by five, if not more), you might not have blamed the Foxes for falling into a slump. A Europa league away game to Braga, who themselves are strong competition, would have been the typical place for it to continue. When the Portuguese side took the lead inside four minutes it looked like a package of bad form was on its way quicker than an amazon prime parcel.

But Leicester refused to let it be delivered (Rodgers refused to sign for it). Leicester cut back against Braga with a quick equaliser from Harvey Barnes. Braga, who were dominating the first half, found their way back in front with a well-worked goal but a change of the order in the second half saw Leicester rise back on top and find an equalising goal that would put them through to the knockout round.

Everything looked to be going right – until it was all going wrong again. Braga's frantic 90th-minute goal put them back on top and, by the look on the faces of the Foxes, sealed the game. But they forgot about Jamie Vardy. Four minutes later, within added time of added time, a lovely Leicester move was finished when Vardy poked home Marc Albrighton's cross to put Leicester back level, push them through to the round of 32, and shed malingering thoughts of bad form.

Leicester's draw against Braga certainly felt like a win for them: not just for the result, but the way they did it. Each time they went a goal down, they found a way to come back. Three times they equalised, and three times they showed that they would not be counted out. This is not just a performance, either – it is an attitude. Leicester showed on Thursday night that they would not be ignored, and while their performance against Liverpool was poor, expect them to put things right and come back into it when they play Fulham.

Team News

Leicester

Leicester's injury problems are starting to come to a close, with Timothy Castagne closing in on a return amongst others. Ricardo Pereira is not yet ready for first-team action but is expected to return on Thursday when Leicester travel to Ukraine. Wilfrid Ndidi Caglar Soyuncu also remain out – but are close to a return.

Fulham

Fulham's injury issues are lightening too and, although Kenny Tete and Terrence Kongolo will remain out for some time, passing superstar Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Aleksandar Mitrovic are expected to return to the starting XI.

Predicted Starting XIs

Leicester (3-4-3): Schmeichel; Fofana, Evans, Fuchs; Castagne, Tielemans, Mendy, Justin; Under, Vardy, Maddison

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Robinson; Reed, Zambo Anguissa; Loftus-Cheek, Cairney, Lookman; Mitrovic

Score Prediction: Leicester 3-1 Fulham

Fulham may be persistent in their search for a win, but they will have to win. I expect the bounced-back Foxes to overrun Fulham with their quality.



https://90maat.com/leicester-city-vs-fulham-30-11-2020-match-preview-and-predicted-starting-xis/

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Christian Fuchs explains why Fulham may pose Leicester more problems than leaugue table suggests

The Foxes defender is one of just six players remaining from Leicester's title-winning team

Christian Fuchs believes that the gap in league position between Leicester and Fulham will not be indicative of how difficult Monday night's clash will be.

The 34-year-old defender believes the Cottagers may force the Foxes to be patient.

Brendan Rodger's side sit in fourth position in the Premier League, 14 points ahead of 19th placed Fulham. Fuchs wouldn't buy into the hype however.

He told the Leicester City matchday magazine: "We're expecting a fight, a very big fight from them. The points are just as vital for them as they are for us, as I'm sure that they don't want to experience going back down again.

"They've had a difficult start to the season, so they'll definitely be coming here to make life hard for us. We could be in for a game where they sit deep and make it hard for us to break them down, whilst being patient for an opportunity at the other end; whether that be from a setpiece or a counter-attack. It will be a tough game for sure."

Fuchs made note in a season such as this, one rife for upsets, you can't take anything for granted.

He said: "Ultimately, we can't affect anything that our opponents do or have done. The only thing we can control is what we do, so our focus remains on that.

"I think, for fans, it is different. As a fan, you look at the table and see the distance between two teams in the table and feel it's a guaranteed win – but it's not.

"We've seen so many examples this season – and last season– where any team can beat any team, both at home and away. We know we're in for another hard 90 minutes and we know that Fulham will be fighting for every point given their current situation. It's going to be a tough one."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/christian-fuchs-explains-fulham-pose-19372391

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FA CUP DRAW

The draw for the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup will take place on Monday evening, with Fulham ball number 17.

It takes place at around 7.10pm, ahead of the final Second Round fixture between Canvey Island and Boreham Wood.

Our Premier League clash against Leicester City will still be going on at this time, so details of our Third Round opponent will be published on Club channels following the match.

Fans can follow the draw on the Emirates FA Cup YouTube, Twitter or Facebook page.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/november/FA-Cup-Draw/

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