Monday Fulham Stuff - 27/11/23...

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Results

Sunday 26/11
Spurs	1-2	Villa
Everton	0-3	Man Utd

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Palace U18s pinch Premier League Cup epic
A hat-trick completed in stoppage time by Crystal Palace captain Zach Marsh saw the Eagles win a nine-goal thriller in Beckenham this morning and knock Fulham under 18s out of the Premier League Cup.

The red-hot striker's fifth treble of the season helped the hosts win a topsy-turvy encounter after they had surged into an early two-goal lead and recovered from a 4-2 deficit to eventually win 5-4. The victory ensured that Palace qualified for the knockout stages of the competition as group winners ahead of Ali Melloul's side – leaving the Fulham players on their haunches in disbelief following the final whistle.

The home side went in front on five minutes when the recalled Joe Gibbard was tripped in the penalty area and Marsh sent Alfie McNally the wrong way with the subsequent spot-kick. Fulham issued an immediate riposte with Josh King's dancing feet totally bamboozling the home defence but their strong appeals for a handball in the area were waved away by the referee. McNally made a magnificent save to keep the deficit to just one – pushing away a superb strike from Hindolo Mustapha at full stretch.

The influential midfielder went even closer a couple of minutes later as he whistled a drive just wide of McNally's far post after the Fulham goalkeeper had been equal to Jesse Derry's effort. The Whites survived a serious spell of Palace pressure and Callum Osmand almost brought the visitors level with a clever flicked header that was brilliant cleared from underneath his own crossbar by Jake Grant. Fulham began to enjoy the lion's share of possession and probed patiently in front of a well-drilled home defence with King and Osmand linking up well although the Welsh's forward's cross was just too far ahead ahead of Aaron Loupalo-Bi.

Palace doubled their lead just before the half hour mark. The lively Marsh turned provider, setting up winger Jesse Derry inside the area, and he beat two Fulham defenders before hammering his ninth goal of the season into the far corner of the net. That meant that Melloul's men would need to stage a remarkable comeback to remain in the competition and they got a glimmer of hope five minutes before half time. King, operating as a marauding winger rather than in central midfield in this London derby, supplied a lovely low cross which Osmand converted clinically.

King then almost scored a sensational individual equaliser. The teenager demonstrated terrific technical ability to lift a ball over his marker and then crash a half-volley against the crossbar. It might have rivalled Paul Gascoigne's magnificent strike against Scotland at Euro '96 but for the frame of the goal. Fulham did force a corner in the aftermath and Lemar Gordon's set piece was headed home at the near post by Loupalo-Bi.

The Whites began the second half full of the momentum that had generated their quickfire resurgence and King was unlucky not to score a third goal when he raced clear of the Palace defence only for Eyimofe Jemide to produce a wonderful saving tackle. But the Whites did fashion another opportunity a couple of minutes later when the onrushing Chibby Nwoko was felled in the box and Osmand cooly converted the penalty to put his side in front for the first time.

Fulham looked far more threatening in the forward areas after going ahead and extended their lead when the in-form Osmand completed his own hat-trick. The Welsh youth international gave the young Whites some breathing space when he latched onto a free-kick from Jon Esenga at the back post to make it 4-2 midway through the second period.

But that was far from the end of this absorbing contest. Palace pulled one back after being awarded a penalty when Derry was cynically taken out in the area. McNally produced a brilliant reaction save to deny Marsh, but the Palace skipper tucked away the rebound. A minute later and the Eagles were level. Mustapha seized on a loose ball and drove forward before finding Marsh, who held off his marker, and rolled an unerring finish past McNally to register his own hat-trick.

Both sides pushed for a winner in the closing stages and McNally produced some more heroics turning a drive from Mustapha on to the crossbar after the midfielder had surged from the halfway into a shooting position. Palace secured victory in the fourth minute of stoppage time with Mustapha making the difference after Fulham failed to clear a corner, darting along the byline and beating two challengers, before his cut back was turned home by substitute George King from five yards out.

CRYSTAL PALACE UNDER 18s (4-1-4-1): Eastwood; Adams-Collman, Cardines, Grante, Jemide; Williams; Gibbard (Lusale 45), Mustapha, Dashi (G. King 68), Derry; Marsh. Subs (not used): Hill, Elliott, Omobolaji.

BOOKED: Williams, Mustapha, Grante.

GOALS: Marsh (pen 6, 76, 77), Derry (29), G. King (90+4).

FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): McNally; de Jesus, Slade, Tabares, Esenga; Nwoko, Gofford (Quashie 85); King (Olyott 75), Gordon, Osmand; Loupalo-Bi. Subs (not used): Kaiser, Nsasi, Ali Wahid.

BOOKED: Gofford, Osmand, Nwoko, de Jesus.

GOALS: Osmand (41, pen 52, 67), Loupalo-Bi (42).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/11/palace-u18s-pinch-premier-league-cup-epic/

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Silva downplays Palhinha's transfer regret
Fulham head coach Marco Silva isn't worried about Joao Palhinha's future – and has challenged his side to prove they can cope without the suspended midfielder against Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow night.

The Portuguese international, whose proposed summer move to Bayern Munich failed to beat the German transfer deadline on the last day of the window, admitted he would still like to prove himself at the highest level during an interview on international duty last week. But Silva is confident that the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder's focus is firmly on Fulham, especially after he put pen to paper on a new contract a couple of months ago.

Silva told the press ahead of Monday night's meeting with Wolves:

"Joao said what's inside of him. What I've been seeing from Joao from the day after that tough period during the last week of the market was that he was ready to train, ready to work hard and ready to help the team. And that's it. Of course he wants to perform better, I want him to perform better but one thing that nobody can complain about is his attitude and commitment.

For me it's no distraction because I know what I will do and I know what is my job. I know what to expect from all of the players in the football club and that is the same. For some reason Joao has always been playing ever since he arrived in this football club. It means that he's an important player for us. It's not new. Last season he had some games out and, of course, the results were not the best for us.

Now it's another good opportunity for us to show we can do it – not because Joao is not going to play but we want to react from the last few games which were not good results for us. It's about much more than the fact Joao will not play."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/11/silva-downplays-palhinhas-transfer-regret/

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Marco Silva lays down challenge to Fulham striker Raul Jimenez ahead of Wolves reunion
Fulham boss Marco Silva has challenged Raul Jimenez to be the match-winner against former club Wolves in Monday night's Premier League encounter.

Mexico striker Jimenez scored 57 goals in 166 appearances during his five seasons at Molineux before Fulham signed him for a reported £5million fee in July.

Silva, whose side face Wolves at Craven Cottage, said: "We all know it's always special when you play against your former club when you were there for so long and were such an important player.

"He scored so many goals for that football club. Everyone loves him there, we know that.

"He was so important for them the last four or five seasons and of course, for that reason, it's probably going to be more special for him.

"He's going to feel a little bit more and he's going to try his best to win the game and to score. Let's hope he can do it."

Jimenez scored his first goal for Fulham in 16 appearances in their 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa before the international break.

Silva admitted the former Benfica striker has yet to produce his best form for the Cottagers and hopes his first goal of the season has given his confidence a timely boost.

"It was really important for him first of all," Silva added. "We lost the game so it's not the same feeling when a player has scored a goal and you lost the game.

"But it took the weight off his back. It's been tough for him of course. I hope he can keep working hard because he never gave up.

"He's always trying to help the team. Of course scoring a goal was a release for him definitely and we are going to see more confidence from him for sure.

"We were waiting for the goal. It took longer than expected, for him as well.

"But now it's up to him to keep working hard and to be more confident in certain moments around the box because he has the capacity to do it. He has the quality to do it as well. It was important for him."

Jimenez's Fulham team-mate Adama Traore will miss out against his former club after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Fulham, who sit seven points above the bottom three in 15th place, are bidding to halt a four-game winless run following back-to-back league defeats to Manchester United and Villa.



https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2023/11/26/marco-silva-lays-down-challenge-to-fulham-striker-raul-jimenez-ahead-of-wolves-reunion/

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Underrated Wolves can clinch a big win against inconsistent Fulham at Craven Cottage
Hey Bournemouth, how did sacking Gary O'Neil despite saving your skins last season work out?

Even after keeping the Cherries in the Premier League with limited resources, the Seasiders were not convinced he had the technical savvy to make further improvement and decided to move in a different direction, giving the former West Ham and Portsmouth midfielder the bullet in the middle of June.

O'Neil was on holiday when he was offered the chance to take charge at Molineux, with Wolves in turmoil after parting company with Julen Lopetegui just before the start of the current campaign and he jumped at the chance.

It was a smart move as the Wanderers are sitting comfortably in mid-table with 15 points from 12 games and impressive victories at home to Manchester City and Tottenham, along with away wins at Everton and, ahem, Bournemouth.

Most teams can point to decisions going against them and costing points but no club has been as aggrieved in this department as Wolves. For starters there was the ridiculous ruling not to give them a late penalty against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the first Monday of the season, then VAR went against them in matches against Luton, Newcastle and Sheffield United costing half-a-dozen points.

Add those to their tally and potentially they would have had 21 points from 12 games and could have been in sixth place going into the international break above Manchester United, Newcastle, West Ham, Chelsea and Brentford.

Yup, Gary O'Neil is doing a fantastic job and Wolves can take further forward strides by winning the Monday Night Football showdown with Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The hosts have regressed since last season when they finished a respectable tenth and have struggled for goals since Aleksandar Mitrovic left the banks of the Thames to play for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Fulham could do with a finisher like Hee-Chan Hwang, who has scored six goals in the league, another in the Carabao Cup and a couple for South Korea this term.

He can make the difference to give Wolves maximum points at 43/20 with BetMGM and BetUK and he's 17/2 with bet365 to break the deadlock and 7/2 with the same firm to score at any time.



https://metro.co.uk/2023/11/26/wolves-can-gain-a-premier-league-win-fulham-19881732/?ito=newsnow-feed

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Fulham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Wolverhampton Wanderers will look to build on their last league win when they hit the road to square up against Fulham.

Fulham will look to end their winless run when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Both teams have struggled in the initial phase of the season and will look to gain momentum with a win in this fixture.

The Cottagers are currently 15th in the points table with just 12 points out of their 12 matches. They have lost six outings so far and have only won three. A few more defeats could push them into the relegation battle. As a result, they will be desperate for all three points in this fixture.

Fulham's last league outing prior to the international break was a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa. While they did give a tough fight, the Cottagers did not create enough chances and the opposition strikers made the best use of their chances. They will look for a much-improved performance in this home game.

Wolves are currently 12th on the points tables with 15 points out of their 12 matches. They have won four matches, drawn three and lost five matches so far. The visitors are not happy with the start they have had and will look for a string of positive results to get things on track.

They are heading into this fixture on the back of a big win over Tottenham Hotspur. Wolves managed to script a historic win with two goals in injury time. They conceded quite early in the game and Spurs had the advantage until the 90th minute. But, in added time, Wolves scored twice to claim all three points.

The visitors will be quite confident about their chances in this outing, having scripted such a win last time out. But, it won't be easy as the home team has a lot to play for. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Marco Silva will be without the services of Rodrigo Muniz and Issa Diop, who are out injured. Meanwhile, Joao Palhinha is suspended for this fixture, having picked up his fifth yellow card this season in the defeat against Aston Villa.

Silva will go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Bernd Leno will be in goal. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be the full-backs. The duo will look to join the attack at every possible opportunity.

Meanwhile, Calvin Bassey will pair up with Tim Ream in the heart of the defence. The defence will look to put in an impressive shift and keep a clean sheet here. Alex Iwobi, Tom Cairney and Andreas Pereira will feature in the centre of the park.

The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball. Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Willian will give width to their attacks. They will look to stretch the opposition's defence and ensure they create enough chances for their star striker Raul Jimenez.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Leno; Tete, Bassey, Ream, Robinson; Iwobi, Cairney, Pereira; Decordova-Reid, Jimenez, Willian

Wolverhampton Wanderers
Gary O'Neil will be without the services of Pedro Neto and Joe Hodge. Meanwhile, Craig Dawson is suspended for this fixture. The Fulham boss expects Mario Lemina, Matt Doherty and Santiago Bueno to be back in time for this fixture. Nelson Semedo's availability will depend on a late fitness test.

O'Neil is expected to go ahead with the 3-5-2 formation for this fixture. Jose Sa will take charge in goal and he will have the support of Max Kilman, Toti Gomes and Santiago Bueno who will form the back three.

The trio will have the support of Nelson Semedo and Rayan Ait-Nouri, who will feature as the wing-backs. Meanwhile, in the centre of the park, Mario Lemina will take care of the defensive side of things. And, he will have the support of João Gomes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

Up front, it will be a two-man attack that will see Pablo Sarabia pair up with Matheus Cunha. The duo will look to leave their mark on this game and ensure they come out on top in this away fixture.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sa; Kilman, Toti, S. Bueno; Semedo, Lemina, Gomes, Bellegarde, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Cunha

Key Stats

    The last two league outings between Fulham and Wolves have ended in a draw.
    In the last six meetings between the two teams in the league, Wolves have won thrice while the remaining three matches have ended in a draw.
    Fulham are the joint lowest scoring team in the division having found the back of the net just 10 times.
    The home team have been winless in their last four league outings. They have suffered three defeats in those four outings.

Player to Watch
Raul Jimenez
Jimenez has not had the best of times since joining Fulham from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. He has featured in 13 matches but only has one goal to his name in 715 minutes of footballing action.

The 32-year-old is now all set to square up against his former club and will be eager to get his name on the scoresheet in this fixture. There might not be a better match for the Mexican international to return to his best. And, he could end up being the difference between the two teams.

Prediction
Fulham 2-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Fulham have been winless in their last four league outings. They have suffered three defeats and have only won once in their last five league matches. It has not been a great start to the 2023-24 season for the Cottagers. Similar is the situation of Wolves who have won two out of their last five league outings.

The visitors have won four matches in total while the home team only has three wins to their name. The current form of both teams is not good enough but when they square up against each other it could end up being a closely fought encounter. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.



https://thehardtackle.com/round-up/2023/11/26/fulham-vs-wolverhampton-wanderers-preview-probable-lineups-prediction-tactics-team-news-key-stats/

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Manzi double downs Crawley
Sophie Manzi marked her return to the Fulham FC Women starting line-up with a double as the Whites beat Crawley AFC 4-0 on a cold afternoon at Motspur Park.

The Whites consolidated second spot in the London and South East Regional Premier Division with a clinical display of first half finishing against the division's bottom side. Fulham began at a high tempo and could easily have been in front in the early stages. Centre half Ella Tagliavini sent a sighter wide of goal before the lively Manzi, who had to make do with a place on the bench in last week's Craven Cottage Capital Cup clash with Arsenal, tested the visiting goalkeeper's reflexes with a header from Madi Parsonson's cross.

Becky Stormer headed off target at the end of a ferocious Fulham assault on the Crawley goal in the first ten minutes, but just when it looked like the away side had weathered the storm they conceded the opening goal. Georgia Heasman broke the deadline, scoring her tenth goal of the season with a precise finish into the bottom corner after surging onto Stormer's searching pass.

Manzi doubled Fulham's lead from the penalty spot five minutes later and Heasman almost made it three when she rattled the woodwork with another excellent effort. The home side continued to pour forward, with the quality of Parsonson's delivery from the right flank eventually paying dividends. The former Dulwich Hamlet wing-back set up Manzi's fifteenth goal since signing for Fulham in the summer with a lovely ball just after the half an hour mark before she whipped in another great cross that Stormer nodded into the net seven minutes before the break.

Crawley could have easily cracked in the second half but they produced a dogged and determined defensive performance that prevented Fulham from adding to their lead. Stormer struck a shot wide early in the second period but Steve Jaye's struggled to carve out clear cut chances until the end of the ninety minutes. The closest the hosts came was in the final minute when Manzi's deflected cross broke kindly for Megalie Mendes but her shot clipped the crossbar on the way over.

FULHAM FC WOMEN (3-4-3): Stratton; Tagliavini, Dale, Southgate; Parsonson, Mendes, Stormer, Lambird; Heasman, Adamson, Manzi. Subs: Parker, Bird, Christison-McNee, Lewis, Hayman.

GOALS: Heasman (16), Manzi (pen 21, 31), Stormer (38).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/11/manzi-double-downs-crawley/

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Exclusive: Crystal Palace, Fulham front six-strong Prem queue for in-form Ajax attacker
Crystal Palace and Fulham are amongst the clubs who have enquired about the availability of Ajax striker Chuba Akpom, TEAMtalk can reveal.

The reigning Championship Player of the Year could be handed a move back to the UK in January, just six months after leaving Middlesbrough for Ajax.

Akpom has started just one game since his arrival in the Dutch capital, although he has claimed five goals across his four consecutive league appearances in November.

Sources have now told TEAMtalk that Akpom is open to the idea of a move to the Premier League and with Ajax ready to consider a loan deal, there is interest.

Crystal Palace and Fulham are both very keen on a possible deal for the 28-year-old, while Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United are also keeping tabs on the situation.

Ajax gave Akpom a contract until 2028 when they acquired him in August. He has since managed to score five goals from 13 appearances for them in all competitions.

Akpom's side are now in midtable territory in the Eredivisie after an alarmingly shaky start to the season. Whether their no.10 completes the campaign with them is up for question.

Not since the 2014-15 season, when he was at Arsenal, has Akpom played in the Premier League, but he could have various ways to get back there in 2024.

Six-horse race for Akpom
His options include all three of the clubs that won promotion from the Championship earlier this year, as well as Palace, Fulham and Everton.

During the summer transfer window, Fulham reluctantly sold Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al-Hilal, bringing in Raul Jimenez from Wolves as a replacement – feasibly only for the short term.

Meanwhile, Everton added Beto and Youssef Chermiti to their frontline, whereas Palace did not bring in any new striker, but have to be aware that Odsonne Edouard and Jordan Ayew will be out of contract at the end of next season.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/exclusive-crystal-palace-fulham-target-ajax-attacker-chuba-akpom

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£8.5m man makes first Premier League start, O'Neil rewards Sarabia... Wolves predicted XI v Fulham
Wolves will face Fulham on Monday night in a game which has importance for both sides in the Premier League.

Gary O'Neil has had his Wolves side in excellent form over the past six games as they've risen up the table rapidly to now be sitting on 15 points.

Wolves have rid themselves of all preseason relegation predictions which were misjudged even then, thanks to O'Neil's excellent work.

Last time out, Wolves came from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 with Pablo Sarabia stealing the headlines as he played a hand in both goals.

A win on Monday for Old Gold would see them move up to 10th – as of writing this – and 13 points above the relegation places and just four behind Newcastle in the Conference League spots.

Wolves predicted XI v Fulham
O'Neil will go strong here, given it is absolutely winnable, and he is blessed by a mainly available squad.

So here is the predicted XI to face Fulham...

Jose Sa

Sa will start, there will be little debate over that despite his name being circulated around a potential move to Saudi Arabia.

Nelson Semedo

Without a doubt one of the most important players in O'Neil's system, Semedo is a guarantee.

Santiago Bueno

Bueno is in line to make his first Premier League start after his £8.5m move in the summer, with Craig Dawson missing the game through suspension.

Max Kilman

Club captain, Kilman will start anytime he is fit.

Toti Gomes

Starts in a bid to continue his great form, undroppable right now.

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Ait-Nouri was linked with Chelsea earlier this week which should tell us how good he's been. Important player.

Joao Gomes

Gomes has been really solid this season, seems a shoo-in for O'Neil right now.

Mario Lemina

Probably Wolves' most important player in Pedro Neto's absence. Lemina has scored vital goals and been a leader, guaranteed to play.

Pablo Sarabia

O'Neil needs to reward Sarabia after he practically single handedly helped Wolves beat Spurs a fortnight ago, without changing the system, this is the best option. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde will be unlucky to miss out after looking good v Spurs.

Hee-Chan Hwang

Wolves' top scorer, another one who's inclusion requires zero introduction. Hopefully Hwang will be getting a new contract soon.

Matheus Cunha

The final inclusion is Cunha who slightly edges Sasa Kalajdzic for us and therefore starts here against Fulham.





https://www.molineux.news/match/8-5m-man-makes-first-premier-league-start-oneil-rewards-sarabia-wolves-predicted-xi-v-fulham/

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Silva: Raul can haunt Wolves
Marco Silva has called on Fulham forward Raul Jimenez to show Wolverhampton Wanderers what they are missing at Craven Cottage tomorrow night.

The Mexican international made a surprise £5.5m move from Molineux in the summer after scoring 57 goals in 166 games for Wolves but had struggled to make much of an impact at his new club following the departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic. The 32 year-old grabbed his first goal for the Whites in a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa before the international break and Silva believes that the end of the veteran's lengthy goalscoring drought plus the prospect of facing Wolves could give his striker a boost.

"We all know it's always special when you play against your former club when you were there for so long and were such an important player. He scored so many goals for that football club. Everyone loves him there, we know that.

He was so important for them the last four or five seasons and of course, for that reason, it's probably going to be more special for him. He's going to feel a little bit more and he's going to try his best to win the game and to score. Let's hope he can do it."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/11/silva-raul-can-haunt-wolves/

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Fulham vs Wolves: Prediction and Preview
We look ahead to Monday's game at Craven Cottage with our Fulham vs Wolves prediction and preview. Can the goal-shy hosts finally find their shooting boots?

Fulham vs Wolves Stats: The Quick Hits

    A close contest is predicted when Wolves travel to Craven Cottage. Fulham won 38.6% of the Opta supercomputer's match simulations, compared to Wolves' 31.3%.
    Wolves have scored at least once in their last 11 Premier League games. It's their longest scoring streak in the competition since a run of 18 between August and December 2019.
    Fulham's Raúl Jiménez is looking to become the fourth player to score against Wolves after previously representing them in the competition, after Andrew Surman in December 2011, Keith Andrews in February 2012 and Diogo Jota in March 2021.

Match Preview
Fulham didn't have to worry too much about goals last season, with the since-departed Aleksandar Mitrović recording a career-high 14 Premier League strikes as Marco Silva's men secured a top-half finish. Things have been more difficult in 2023-24, however, and their lack of cutting edge has some fans worried about a potential relegation battle ahead of Monday's visit of Wolves.

While Fulham emerged from the international break seven points clear of the relegation zone after Everton's 10-point deduction saw them drop below Silva's men, they are winless in four Premier League games following their 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa last time out (D1 L3), with only Burnley (nine) scoring fewer goals than their 10 across the first 12 matchdays of the season.

Antonee Robinson's own goal set the tone at Villa Park as Fulham went 3-0 down before Raúl Jiménez finally got off the mark for the club with a second-half consolation. Jiménez will hope that goal – his first in the Premier League since netting for Wolves in a 4-0 win over Watford in March 2022 – came at the right time ahead of his first meeting with his former club.

Only three players have ever scored against Wolves in the Premier League after representing them in the competition: Andrew Surman in December 2011, Keith Andrews in February 2012 and Diogo Jota in March 2021.

Jiménez will compete with Carlos Vinícius for a place in Fulham's lineup, with fellow striker Rodrigo Muniz likely to return from a knee injury in early December. Another former Wolves man, winger Adama Traoré, joined Kenny Tete in returning to the squad against Villa and should be involved.

Fulham suffered a real blow when João Palhinha received his fifth booking of the season on Matchday 12, meaning he will serve a one-match ban on Monday. Palhinha led all Premier League players for tackles attempted (52) and was second only to Pedro Porro for tackles won (25 to 27) ahead of this weekend's fixtures. He was a big miss for Fulham when out with a shoulder injury earlier in the campaign.

Fulham have lost four of the five Premier League games in which he hasn't appeared since his arrival from Sporting CP last year, conceding an average of three goals per game when he is absent (15 in five), compared to 1.3 when he is involved (58 in 45).

Wolves have not shared Fulham's goalscoring woes this season, with Gary O'Neil's men netting in 11 straight Premier League games since their 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Matchday 1. It's their longest scoring streak in the competition since a run of 18 between August and December 2019.

Their Matchday 12 win over Tottenham was surely the high point of O'Neil's time at the club, surpassing even the 2-1 victory over Manchester City in September. Stoppage-time goals from Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina saw Wolves snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, with Spurs' unbroken 87-minute lead the longest in Premier League history by a team who eventually lost.


While O'Neil would probably prefer not to leave things so late on Monday, Wolves have repeatedly shown an ability to dig deep. Only Arsenal and Liverpool (both seven) scored more goals in the final 10 minutes of Premier League games than Wolves' six across the first 12 matchdays, while Wolves' three winning goals in that timeframe are the most in the division, with each coming in the 86th minute or later.

Sarabia was the hero last time out, recording a goal and an assist to match his goal involvement figures from his previous 18 games in the Premier League. Prior to that win, Sarabia's only goal in the competition came against Fulham in February, and with Pedro Neto still sidelined by a hamstring injury, the Spaniard will hope he has done enough to earn a start.

O'Neil will have to make at least one change, with Craig Dawson suspended after accumulating five yellow cards. Matt Doherty and Santiago Bueno are among the options to replace him, and both will be available after suffering knocks over the last fortnight. Nelson Semedo is also expected to start after recovering from a foot injury.

Fulham vs Wolves Head-to-Head
Wolves are unbeaten in their six Premier League meetings with Fulham since the two teams won promotion from the Championship together in 2018, recording three wins and three draws.

Indeed, Fulham have only won one of their last 14 league games against Wolves (D4 L9), a 2-0 home win in the Championship in February 2018 with Ryan Sessegnon and Mitrović on target.

Both games between the teams last season finished level. Manor Solomon cancelled out Sarabia's opener as they drew 1-1 at Craven Cottage in February, after José Sá saved a late Mitrović penalty in a goalless draw at Molineux last August.


Neutrals will be hoping Monday's game bucks the trend of low-scoring contests between these sides, with just seven goals being scored in their last six Premier League meetings.

Wolves have scored five of those goals with Fulham netting two, and neither team has scored more than once in any of those matches.

Recent Form
Fulham have alternated between losing (three) and winning (two) in their five home Premier League games this season, and they'll be hoping that pattern continues after going down 1-0 to Manchester United last time out at Craven Cottage.

Their last eight home league defeats have come against sides from either London (five) or Manchester (three).

However, they must overcome a bout of the Monday Blues this time, having lost their last six Premier League matches to take place on a Monday night (7:45pm kick-offs or later), failing to score in five. Their last such victory came by a 4-1 scoreline against Crystal Palace in October 2013.

Wolves' last away game ended in a 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United, with Oliver Norwood scoring a stoppage-time penalty after Fábio Silva was judged to have fouled George Baldock. They have two wins from six Premier League road trips under O'Neil, beating Everton (1-0) and Bournemouth (2-1).

Opta Power Rankings
The Opta Power Rankings are a global team ranking system that assigns an ability score to over 13,000 domestic football teams on a scale between zero and 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world and 100 is the best team in the world.

Ahead of kick-off on Monday, here is the Opta Power Ranking for both sides.

RANK	TEAM	RATING
52	Fulham	85.2
53	Wolverhampton Wanderers	85.2

Fulham vs Wolves Prediction


Monday's game appears a difficult one to call, and that can be seen in the Opta supercomputer's prediction.

Fulham are narrow favourites, winning 38.6% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, with Wolves winning 31.3% and 30.1% finishing level.

The supercomputer is predicting both teams to finish securely in mid-table, with Wolves given just a 0.7% likelihood of relegation and Fulham having a 2.3% chance. Thirteenth (18.3%) is Wolves' most common position in our season simulations, with Fulham finishing 14th (19.2%) most often.



https://theanalyst.com/eu/2023/11/fulham-vs-wolves-prediction/

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Fulham linked with Akpom loan
Fulham are one of six Premier League sides interested in taking Ajax striker Chuba Akpom on loan in January, according to Teamtalk.

The Whites are desperate to strengthen their striking options having struggled to score goals since selling Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi Arabia in August and previous target Akpom is open to returning to England only six months after leaving Middlesbrough having been voted the Championship's player of the year.

The former Arsenal striker has only started a single league game during the Dutch giants dreadful start to the current campaign but despite being a back-up forward has netted five times in thirteen appearances. Ajax are reportedly open to offering their striker more regular first-team football via a loan switch back to England and Fulham, who have monitored the 28 year-old attacker closely over the past few years, would need to do battle with several top flight rivals to secure his services.

Teamtalk names Crystal Palace, Burnley, Everton, Luton Town and Sheffield United as potential suitors for the Newham-born forward. Akpom, who scored 29 goals in 42 appearances last term for Middlesbrough, is in the early stages of a five-year contract with Ajax.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/11/fulham-linked-with-akpom-loan/

[WhiteJC]

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Gary O'Neil has steadied Wolves after taking over from Julen Lopetegui... but if his side continue their current form, starting with a win against Fulham, he could be a contender for manager of the year

    Wolves play Fulham on Monday night as they look to secure their fifth league win
    Gary O'Neil has impressed after stepping in to replace Julen Lopetegui
    IAN LADYMAN: It's nonsense to care where Chris Kavanagh was born – IAKO

When Gary O'Neil replaced Julen Lopetegui as Wolves manager many supporters expected a miserable season fighting relegation.

O'Neil had been hired only five days before Wolves' opening game at Manchester United with a backdrop of pessimism and cost-cutting, with captain Ruben Neves sold as the club sought to meet Financial Fair Play limits.

Fast-forward three months and Wolves are safely in mid-table after memorable wins over Manchester City and Tottenham. It is early to be handing out manager of the year awards but if he continues at this rate, O'Neil will be among the contenders.

If Wolves, who travel to Fulham on Monday night, had not suffered some poor refereeing calls, they'd be even higher up the table.

'Everything we do is detailed,' said midfielder Tommy Doyle.

'The auditorium sessions are as you can imagine: reviewing what we can do and figuring out ways we can hurt them. It's enjoyable. It's an exciting time to be here.'

O'Neil has recaptured Pedro Neto's best, Hwang Hee-chan has found form he never looked capable of under Bruno Lage and Lopetegui, as has Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Lopetegui gave his heart and soul to Wolves yet there was always a feeling he had lowered his sights when moving to Molineux.

O'Neil is the opposite and sees this as his opportunity to make a long-term impression as a Premier League boss.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12793599/TOM-COLLOMOSSE-Gary-ONeil-steadied-Wolves-taking-Julen-Lopetegui-continue-current-form-starting-win-against-Fulham-contender-manager-year.html

[WhiteJC]

Fulham looking to end five-year winless run in Wolverhampton Wanderers clash
 Fulham will attempt to end a five-year wait for a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers when the two sides face off on Monday.

Having picked up 12 points from as many games, Fulham head into Monday's fixture in 15th position with three points separating them from their opponents.

Marco Silva's side will be desperate to return to winning ways after losing three and drawing one of their last four Premier League matches.

As a result, the Cottagers have not claimed a top-flight victory since recording a 3-1 home win over Sheffield United on October 7.

Although they will be targeting all three points against Wolves, their recent head-to-head record suggests that may be easier said than done.

After playing out draws in both of their meetings with the Midlands club last season, Fulham have now gone six matches without beating Monday's opponents.

Their most recent victory took place in February 2018 when Ryan Sessegnon and Aleksandar Mitrovic grabbed a goal apiece to record a 2-1 win.

While Fulham have gone five years without a competitive win over Wolves, their wait for a top-flight victory stretches back to 11 years.

Not since cruising to a 5-0 win in March 2012 have the Cottagers got the better of Wolves in a Premier League encounter.

Their hopes of collecting all three points will be dampened by the statistic that they have lost their last six Premier League games to have been played on a Monday night.

The first goal could prove decisive, having won both of the two home league games where they opened the scoring, while they lost their other three home encounters after conceding first.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/news/fulham-looking-to-end-five-year-winless-run-in-wolves-clash_529944.html?t=123987456&s=zero

[WhiteJC]

Fulham v Wolves: Gary O'Neil's side looking to start taking points off their rivals

Wolves have shown they can take points off the best teams in the Premier League, but they need to be more consistent against those around them.

The game against Fulham tonight is the start of five fixtures that look slightly easier on paper for Wolves – apart from the trip to the Emirates on Saturday to play title-chasing Arsenal.

In this spell, which runs up to Christmas Eve when Chelsea come to Molineux, they take on Fulham, Burnley, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

Gary O'Neil's men have proven they can mix with the big boys after beating Tottenham and Manchester City at Molineux as well as drawing against Newcastle.

But in games you would expect them to win, against the likes of Luton, Crystal Palace and Sheffield United, they have not managed to produce the goods, taking just one point from a possible nine available.

There is always context and VAR did not help in the game at Kenilworth Road – neither did it help at Bramall Lane as VAR handed the Blades a last-minute winner from the penalty spot.

Nevertheless, they were perhaps games they did not do enough in.

It is consistency they are looking for, as they have shown they can beat teams around them. They won at Everton away at the end of August, and beat Bournemouth on their travels too, which shows they can do it, but if they have aspirations of building on their strong start to the season this is a pivotal run.

And that is something Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle agrees with.

"It's not just about trying to perform against the best," he said. "We have got to perform against everyone. Sometimes those games against teams not doing so well can be every bit as different as those against the top teams. We have to focus and work hard. It is proven by what happened at Sheffield United when we lost three points. It also shows against the top six that we have done well."

Since O'Neil's appearance on Monday Night Football, much has been said about the Wolves boss' attention to detail, which is something Doyle gave some insight on.

"Everything we do is detailed," he added. "The auditorium sessions are as you can imagine, teams reviewing what we can do and figuring out ways we can hurt them. Whatever the manager gives us, it's up to us to do it on the pitch.

"It's up to us as players then to take ownership of it and put what we do into practice.

"It's enjoyable. It's an exciting time to be here. The next couple of weeks should be exciting."

The game against Fulham this evening will be the first time Raul Jimenez come up against Wolves since they left in the summer. But Wolves will not have to deal with pace of Adama Traore as Marco Silva revealed he is injured.

He has struggled to stay fit since moving to London.



https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2023/11/27/fulham-v-wolves-gary-oneils-side-looking-to-start-taking-points-off-their-rivals/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham criminally underpaid for 2014 Leeds United transfer: View
Fulham will certainly feel as if they got the better deal out of this high-profile transfer.

    Ross McCormack made a successful transfer from Leeds United to Fulham, scoring 28 league goals in his final year at Leeds and continued his success at Fulham.
    Fulham paid £11 million for McCormack, which was a significant portion of their transfer spending in 2014.
    McCormack's performance at Fulham was more impressive than other higher-priced signings by the club, and he remains a well-regarded player among the Craven Cottage faithful.

Fulham and Leeds United are two teams that have gone back and forth between the Premier League and the Championship in recent years.

The former are currently playing in the top-flight whereas the latter were relegated out of it after struggling last season.

Nearly a decade ago now, Ross McCormack made a transfer between the two clubs, fresh off of a very successful campaign with Leeds United.

It turned out to be a fantastic piece of business for Fulham and on reflection, Leeds should have charged the Cottagers more.

Moving from Leeds United to Fulham
Ross McCormack cost Fulham £11 million and this transfer fee represented the bulk of the money spent by the club in the summer of 2014.

In 2011/12 and 2012/13, McCormack showed two very different sides to his game, both of which being major positives.

First, he scored 18 goals in 45 Championship outings and then the following season, he was more focused on assists, with 13 to his name.

In his final year at Elland Road, the Scotsman scored a whopping 28 league goals and also chipped in with 10 assists.

When McCormack achieved this feat, only Glenn Murray had scored more goals in a single season - he netted 30 the year prior.

It goes without saying that he picked up where he left off when he arrived at Craven Cottage.

Goals are the real measuring stick though and he notched 17 in 44 Championship outings, with nine assists on top of that already solid tally. McCormack had two goal contributions in the FA Cup and two goal contributions in the EFL Cup as well.

That year, the second division was won by AFC Bournemouth whilst Fulham finished all the way down in 17th; winning 14, drawing 10, and losing 22.

McCormack remained a Fulham player until 2016 when he then joined Aston Villa and failed to make any impact of note.

Across his Fulham career, the striker played 100 times, scoring 42 times and providing 22 assists in 8,767 minutes of football.

How does McCormack compare to other Fulham signings?
As previously mentioned, the majority of the money spent by Fulham in the 2014 summer window went towards acquiring the services of McCormack.

The year prior though, there was a more significant outlay due to the club being in the Premier League.

Greek forward Konstantinos Mitroglou was signed for slightly more than McCormack, with names such as Darren Bent, Clint Dempsey and Adel Taarabt also being added into the attacking cohort.

Mitroglou played just three times for the club, amassing a measly 151 minutes so the Scotsman was clearly a better buy than this man. Rubbing salt further into the wounds, he actually featured more for Fulham's U21s than for the first team.

The former Leeds United man, who is now 37 and playing for a team called Liversedge FC, is Fulham's 16th most expensive signing of all time.

Unsurprisingly, given the changes to the footballing landscape, the majority of the big money moves have come in recent seasons.

Timothy Castagne, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi each cost more than McCormack and they all joined the club this summer.

Both of the Welsh teams in the Championship are represented with Alfie Mawson and Harry Wilson having played for Swansea City and Cardiff City respectively.

Finally, Alexsandar Mitrovic is in 4th and he scored 111 goals in 206 games for the Cottagers before making the move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal a few months ago, where he has continued to find the back of the net at an alarming rate.

McCormack may not quite be on the level of the Serbian striker but it is safe to say that Fulham got more than their money's worth from Leeds and that he will be fondly remembered by the Craven Cottage faithful.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-criminally-underpaid-for-2014-leeds-united-transfer-view/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham coach Marco Silva: Bayern Munich's interest in João Palhinha "not an issue"
How much more can he reveal?

Bayern Munich remain public about their intent to sign João Palhinha from Fulham after a transfer was completed only 99% in the dying hours of the transfer window. The 28-year-old Portugal midfielder eventually extended his contract but has since hinted that he wants to play for a better team (read Bayern Munich). Fulham boss Marco Silva said that the interest shown by the Rekordmeister is not a problem but went a little deeper on that notion.

"João said what's inside of him," Silva said (via Mirror). "What I've been seeing from João from the day after that tough period during the last week of the market was that he was ready to train, ready to work hard and ready to help the team. And that's it. Of course, he wants to perform better, I want him to perform better but one thing that nobody can complain about is his attitude and commitment."

"For me it's no distraction because I know what I will do and I know what my job is", Silva continued. "I know what to expect from all of the players in the football club and that is the same. For some reason João has always been playing ever since he arrived at this football club. It means that he's an important player for us. It's not new. Last season he had some games out and, of course, the results were not the best for us."



https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2023/11/27/23976419/fulham-coach-marco-silva-says-bayern-munich-interest-in-joao-palhinha-not-an-issue-kane-muller-sane

[WhiteJC]

Reigning Championship POTY Akpom open to the idea of PL move amid Fulham, Crystal Palace interest
Reigning EFL Championship Player of the Year Chuba Akpom is being linked with a return to England, three months after a celebrated move to four-time European champions Ajax Amsterdam.

Akpom has found game time difficult to come by at Ajax Amterdam, making just two starts from a possible seventeen in all competitions since landing in the Netherlands.

Having struggled in his first two months at Ajax, the Super Eagles hopeful is enjoying a new lease of life under new manager John van 't Schip, scoring five goals in his last five matches.

According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace and Fulham are amongst the clubs who have enquired about the availability of the Hale End academy product.

Other clubs monitoring his situation with a view to a transfer in the January transfer window include Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United.

As per the report, Akpom is open to the idea of a move to the Premier League and it has been claimed that Ajax Amsterdam are ready to consider loaning out their number 10 for the second part of the 2023-2024 season.

The 28-year-old registered four appearances in the Premier League during his time at boyhood club Arsenal.

His contract with Ajax Amsterdam expires at the end of the 2027-2028 season.

Ejim Kaycee



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=49593

[filham]

Akpom from Ajax is the latest striker rumoured to be a possible Fulham signing in January.
Has anyone kept a note of the strikers we are rumoured to be chasing pre January.
I bet that come the end of January we will be waiting for that window closing day bargain with all of these rumoured players gone to other clubs.

[WhiteJC]

"I read that too" – 10-goal star says he's aware of Fulham transfer links, seen as club's 'life insurance'
VfL Wolfsburg star Jonas Wind has told Bild that he's aware of the reports linking him with a move to Fulham.

Last week, claims from the United Kingdom had stated the striker has several admirers in England, including from Marco Silva's side. It was also said they could consider making an approach for him, if they decide to bolster their attack in January.

The 24-year-old has been a stand out player for the Bundesliga side this season, scoring 10 goals and registering three assists from 14 games. His form has caught the attention of several clubs, with Fulham among them.

Wind has scored more than 50% of Wolfsburg's goals in the league this season and Bild state that barring the game against Augsburg, the German club have won when the Dane has found the back of the net in the league. This is why the outlet says he's Wolfsburg's 'life insurance'.

He managed a goal and an assist in Wolfsburg's 2-1 win over RB Leipzig at the weekend, and after the tie, Bild asked the Denmark international to assess his 'special status' at the club.

"I'm trying my best and of course I'm very happy with my performance against Leipzig and the win. But I don't think too much about how important I am to the team," he said.

The frontman has a contract until 2026 and with regards to the recent claims of Fulham's interest, the report states there's 'nothing to it' yet.

When asked about it, Wind explained: "I read that too. But there was no contact with Fulham."



http://sportwitness.co.uk/i-read-10-goal-star-says-hes-aware-fulham-transfer-links-seen-clubs-life-insurance/