Thursday Fulham Stuff - 05/12/24...

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Before The Whistle: Fulham v Brighton and Hove Albion

This'll be an interesting game.

On one hand, we're Brighton's top flight bogey team. They've not beaten us in eight outings in the Premier League – and what's more, we've won four of those.

But on the other hand, the Seagulls are flying (as they often are) and come to the Cottage fifth in the table. And, well, it's Fulham, isn't it?

Marco has a selection headache in the middle of the park. Andreas Pereira is shrouded in controversy after his recent comments and subsequent dropping against Spurs, and though Marco hints he'll be back, he doesn't commit to that being on Thursday night.

Then Sasa Lukic is suspended, alongside TC after his red card on the weekend. So, how will this be made up? You can read more from Cameron Donaldson about that, but you can rest assured that Silva will shuffle the deck – and he even hinted at a cameo from 17-year-old Josh King.

Issa Diop will continue at the back alongside Calvin Bassey. The centre-back is enjoying rising stock as he continues to fill in for Joachim Andersen. Silva was full of praise for him in his press conference, and we'll all be hoping for a similarly confident performance on Thursday night.

A good record means nothing when it comes to what happens on the pitch. Three points would see us return to the top half ahead of a dreadful double-header against Arsenal and Liverpool. COYW.

ℹ️ MATCH DETAILS

Kick-Off: Thursday, 7.30PM
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Competition: Premier League
TV Channel (UK): None

🚦 LEAGUE FORM
Fulham: ❌ ⬜ ✅ ✅ ❌ ⬜
Brighton: ✅ ⬜ ❌ ✅ ✅ ⬜

⚖️ MATCH PROBABILITY
Fulham: 43%
Draw: 26%
Brighton: 31%

🥊 MOST RECENT MATCHES
Mar 24: Fulham 3-0 Brighton
Oct 23: Brighton 1-1 Fulham
Feb 23: Brighton 0-1 Fulham
Aug 22: Fulham 2-1 Brighton



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2024-12-05-before-the-whistle-fulham-v-brighton-and-hove-albion-2/

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Arsenal injury updates on Gabriel & Calafiori pre-Fulham clash
Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are both in contention to return for Arsenal against Fulham this weekend, after missing Wednesday's match against Manchester United.

Arsenal suffered a blow below kick-off against Manchester United on Wednesday, with news breaking that neither Gabriel Magalhaes nor Riccardo Calafiori would be fit to make the squad.

The two players were at least in attendance, but the Gunners had to rely on Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko filling in against Ruben Amorim's side.

Fortunately, Mikel Arteta's team came away with the three points anyway, with the other two members of the back four – Jurrien Timber and William Saliba – scoring the goals in a 2-0 victory.

The question now is whether Arteta will have to call on Kiwior and Zinchenko again for the Fulham match at the weekend.

Speaking after the Manchester United game, Arteta explained that it would have been a risk to play Gabriel, but he added that Sunday's game is a possibility for the Brazilian and Calafiori.

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

It's encouraging at least that neither player has been ruled out of the Fulham match at this stage, despite the game being just a few days away. With any luck, that means their knocks aren't too serious.

Arsenal had a similar situation in the previous game, with Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey both missing out on the squad to face West Ham United through injury, before returning for the following match.

Perhaps it's simply a case of the Arsenal medical team showing an abundance of caution, knowing how congested the upcoming schedule is. If the team can keep picking up three points anyway, it was the right call not to take the risk.

Fulham will have a couple of absentees of their own, with Reiss Nelson ineligible against his parent club and captain Tom Cairney suspended.

As for who else might be available, Fulham's match against Brighton on Thursday night should give us some clues.



https://dailycannon.com/2024/12/arsenal-injury-latest-gabriel-calafiori/

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Fulham vs Arsenal: Latest team news, predicted lineup and injuries
Arsenal make the short trip across the capital this weekend to take Fulham as they look to keep pace with Liverpool a the top of the Premier League.

Wednesday's 2-0 win over Manchester United saw the Gunners move to within seven points of the summit with Liverpool dropping points away to Newcastle United.

Mikel Arteta was without both Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori midweek with Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko replacing them.

The absences of their two towering defends was not felt with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet and Jurrien Timber and William Saliba stepping in to punish United on some more set piece magic.

Speaking after the game, Arteta confirmed neither player was dealing with a serious injury, hopeful both will be available for the game at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain unavailable but the rest of the Gunners squad is in good shape as the busy festive period begins to kick into gear.

Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino missed last weekend's victory over West Ham with the Ghana international playing the full 90 minutes against United. Merino meanwhile came onto replace Zinchenko for the final 20 minutes.

Arsenal will watch on as Liverpool head to Goodison Park to take on Everton in the Merseyside derby in Saturday's early kick-off.

A defeat for Arne Slot's side would give the Gunners the chance to close the gap at the top to just four points.

Predicted Arsenal XI to face Fulham
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Where to watch Fulham vs Arsenal? Kick off time and TV channel
Fulham vs Arsenal kicks off at 2pm on Sunday 8 December.

The match will be available to watch live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. Subscribers can also live stream the match on Sky Go and NOW TV.



https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/05/fulham-vs-arsenal-latest-team-news-predicted-lineup-injuries-22128178/?ito=newsnow-feed

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Wilson nominated for Premier League Goal of the Month
Harry Wilson's instinctive equaliser against Brentford has been nominated for the Premier League's Guinness Goal of the Month award.

Fulham looked set for defeat against our rivals, despite our domination, as we entered stoppage time, until Wilson ran across his man and sent an audacious first time flick high over the goalkeeper and inside the far post.

Comparisons to Clint Dempsey's and Denis Odoi's goals at the same end were made, and it was a strike which set up a grandstand finish which saw Wilson win the game in the most dramatic way.

He faces competition from Leif Davis, Mohamed Salah, Matheus Cunha, Alejandro Garnacho and Emerson. Voting is open from now until 12pm on Monday, with the winner announced next Friday.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/december/05/wilson-nominated-for-premier-league-goal-of-the-month/

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Fulham vs Brighton match preview: Fabian Hurzeler says 'stop this statistic'
Brighton and Hove Albion haven't won against Fulham in their eight Premier League meetings, will that change tonight?

Albion take on Fulham at Craven Cottage tonight at 7.30 pm (Thursday, December 5).

Brighton's previous fixture saw them feature in a 1-1 draw against Southampton, who sit rock bottom of the Premier League.

Fabian Hurzeler's side will be hoping the Friday night game was a blip in Albion's recent fine form as they travel to Craven Cottage tonight.

In the pre-match press conference for the match, the Albion boss was reminded that Fulham are a 'bogey team' for his side. Fulham are unbeaten in all eight Premier League games against Brighton, winning four and drawing four.

In response, Fabian Hurzeler said: "I see this as an opportunity to stop this statistic and to make it look better for the Brighton fans."

The Seagulls head coach will also have to watch this game in the stands.

The youngest manager in Premier League history is serving a touchline ban following a yellow card and altercation with Southampton boss Russell Martin during and after their 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium last Friday.

Fabian Hurzeler also commented on this during the press conference, saying: "I had this experience once in the in the Bundesliga. It's not the best experience... It's a fair punishment for me, and I have to learn from it. Honestly, I trust my team. I trust my staff. I have great coaching staff around me."

Can Brighton and Hove Albion defeat Fulham for the first time in the league? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.



https://www.nationalworld.com/sport/football/brighton-and-hove-albion/fulham-vs-brighton-match-preview-fabian-hurzeler-says-stop-this-statistic-4897399

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Leno up for Premier League Save of the Month
Bernd Leno's dramatic late stop against Brentford has been nominated for the Premier League's Save of the Month award.

After Harry Wilson had equalised in the second minute of stoppage time, hearts were in mouths when it looked as though it may count for nothing as former Fulham man Fabio Carvalho looked set to restore the Bees' lead.

It was a great chance for the youngster but Leno was out quickly and made himself humongous to narrow the angle and repel Carvalho's effort, with Timothy Castagne and Sander Berge also playing key roles in the immediate aftermath.

https://twitter.com/FulhamFC/status/1864323788147397111

It's a save that will never been underappreciated by those of a Fulham persuasion, as without it we wouldn't have experienced the euphoria of Wilson's winner which followed.

Leno is up against Aaron Ramsdale, Lukasz Fabianski, Mark Flekken, Andre Onana and Mads Hermansen, with voting open from now until 12pm on Monday, and the winner announced next Friday.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/december/05/leno-up-for-premier-league-save-of-the-month/

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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler plans to end surprisingly awful Fulham record
Fabian Hurzeler intends to 'stop this statistic' on Thursday night after Brighton's surprisingly bad run against Fulham in the top flight.

The Cottagers host the Seagulls in the Premier League on Thursday, with Fulham hoping to climb back into the top half of the table and Brighton able to get back into the top four with a win.

Brighton bring the better form into the match but Fulham boast a brilliant record against their rivals in the Premier League.

The two clubs have met eight times in the Premier League and Brighton are yet to come away with a victory.

Fulham have won four of those contests with four ending in draws and the most recent a comfortable 3-0 win for the west London side.

Asked about facing a bogey team this week, Hurzeler said: 'I see this as an opportunity to stop this statistic and to make it look better for the Brighton fans.'

Brighton will have to try and pick up that win without their manager on the touchline, though, after Hurzeler picked up a ban for three yellow cards.

'I had this experience once in the Bundesliga,' said the German boss. 'It's not the best experience to be honest, but it's a fair punishment for me and I have to learn from it.

'I trust my [coaching] team. I have two great assistant coaches with Crofty (Andrew Crofts) and Jonas [Scheuermann] who will do a great job.

'I always say when I'm on the sideline that I'm not the main person. It's more of a togetherness. It's not like a one-man show. It will always be about 'we' and not 'I' or 'me.'

'In some moments I'm more emotional and in some moments he (Jonas) is more emotional.'

Hurzeler has been impressed with Fulham and manager Marco Silva, pointing out this team's strengths before his own side face them.

'A very good team. Really good in possession, they have good patterns, they have great individual players who improve every game with and against the ball,' said the Seagulls boss.

'They do everything out of compactness. They try to be aggressive. It's a very small, tight stadium. The pitch is not the biggest so it will be an intense game, a tough game and they're doing great so far.

'Marco Silva has improved the team and the players, and I have a lot of respect for him and for his work and it will be very tough to beat him.'



https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/05/brighton-boss-fabian-hurzeler-plans-end-surprisingly-awful-fulham-record-22129146/?ito=newsnow-feed

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Up next: Brighton and Hove Albion (h)
Summarising Sunday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur succinctly is something of a challenge. Marco Silva's side probably outplayed Spurs, a serious achievement after they completely outclassed Manchester City on their own turf, but were punished for failing to score when they were on top – not for the first time this season. Substitutions turned the game around for the Whites, with Tom Cairney curling home an excellent equaliser, but Fulham had to hang on for a point after the skipper was sent off for a terribly, late challenge. The draw was a good return for a dramatic afternoon – but the Cottagers will need to step up their game to take on Brighton and Hove Albion at Craven Cottage this evening.

Fabian Hürzeler has enjoyed a fantastic start since becoming the Premier League's youngest ever permanent first team coach at the start of the season. The Seagulls have only suffered two league defeats this term and they have already surprised several of the division's top sides with some stylish performances. Albion orchestrated a superb second half fightback to come from behind to beat Spurs at home and they have also beaten both Manchester City and Manchester United in a start to the campaign that has the Seagulls only just two points off second place.

Albion have quickly become one of the most watchable outfits in the division and a revitalised Danny Welbeck is in the form of his life. The England international is enjoying his best spell since moving to the south coast on a free transfer four years ago, having already hit six goals this term. Welbeck is now just once short of the Albion record for the Premier League held by Pascal Gross. Hürzeler hinted during his press conference prior to the trip to London that the experienced Welbeck has become something of a role model – and you can certainly see the in-form forward as a popular member of the Albion squad.

The Seagulls have several outstanding performers that Silva's side will need to keep an eye on this evening. They are led by the superb Lewis Dunk, who has just amassed 250 top-flight appearances and is a club legend having led the Albion back to the promised land of the Premier League, whilst the outstanding Carlos Baleba has the potential to become a leading midfielder. James Milner and Solly March have been there, seen in and done it in the engine room, whilst former Fulham academy graduate Matt O'Riley has made a magnificent start since arriving at the AMEX – including scoring the winner against Manchester City. Albion have plenty of firepower in the final third beside Welbeck, including the Japanese winger Karou Mitoma and former Leeds forward Georginio Rutter.

Outstanding right back Tariq Lamptey is reportedly fit again despite recent injury problems and Joel Veltman could return to the matchday squad, too, although Hürzeler will serve his one-game touchline suspension. Hinshelwood, March, Milner and Adam Webster and Ferdi Kadioglu are all out with injuries – but Brighton are certain to provide a stern test for their hosts this evening.

Silva has something of a midfield selection dilemma with both Cairney and Sasa Lukic banned. The Fulham head coach might have to mix and match in the engine room with Harrison Reed out for around another month with a knee complaint. He may have to reintroduce Andreas Pereira to the deeper midfield role after dropping him for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the Brazilian international's wantaway comments last week hinting at a possible January move to Marseille. Centre back Joachim Andersen remains sidelined with the calf strain that saw him come off early against Wolves, but Jorge Cuenca should be available to return to the bench.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Diop, Bassey; Berge, Pereira; Nelson, Iwobi, Smith Rowe; Jimenez. Subs: Benda, Castagne, Cuenca, Sessegnon, King, Wilson, Traore, Sekularac, Muniz.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/up-next-brighton-and-hove-albion-h-4/

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Fulham front-runners to sign Gabriel Schluter
Fulham are leading the race for Blackpool's teenage sensation Gabriel Schluter, as the League One side could expect an approach in January.

According to Football Insider, Fulham are focused on strengthening their youth sides and building a stronger foundation in the background. The Cottagers are linked with a host of young prospects for the younger sides, with Blackpool's Gabriel Schluter the latest name on their list.

Blackpool may have one of the top young talents on their hands as Gabriel Schluter is making headlines with some impressive displays for the club. Steve Bruce handed the 16-year-old English wonderkid his debut recently, but he has yet to play for the senior team since.

In any case, the lower-league club are not in a rush to make him play regularly, although they may be wary of the interest coming in from many clubs. For starters, fellow League One side Stockport County are reportedly very keen to land the midfield sensation. However, the big interest might be coming from the Premier League, as Fulham are eager to land the 16-year-old English wonderkid.

The Cottagers are an exciting prospect for any player playing in the lower leagues, and while he could get regular minutes at the likes of Stockport County, Schluter might not reject the opportunity to join Fulham. Such is the lure of the Premier League, and Fulham could make an approach for the teenager ahead of January.

The details pertaining to a potential departure from Blackpool still need to be clarified in terms of the compensation required to take Schulter, among other things. However, Fulham want the Blackpool teenager to head to their youth sides and continue his development there, towards building himself to become a big star of the future.

Fulham keen on strengthening youth ranks
Fulham are monitoring many other young prospects from all around, such as Celtic teenager Daniel Cummings, a player of interest to the West London club. The Scottish youngster, as well as Blackpool's Gabriel Schluter, are considered players on the verge of breaking into the first team in the near future, with the club seemingly identifying them as highly rated talents.

In any case, there will be more players linked as things progress, as Fulham, much like many of their Premier League colleagues, are eager to build a strong youth foundation in the background. They are also looking at potential bonafide first-team stars in January, but the prospect of strengthening their youth ranks will serve them better for the long-term future.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2024/12/05/fulham-front-runners-to-sign-gabriel-schluter/#google_vignette

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Fulham v Brighton & Hove Albion

Team news
Fulham are without suspended midfielders Tom Cairney and Sasa Lukic.

Joachim Andersen and Harrison Reed remain sidelined but Jorge Cuenca could return from the injury which caused him to miss Sunday's draw at Tottenham.

Brighton welcome back Carlos Baleba after suspension, while Kaoru Mitoma and Yasin Ayari have both recovered from knocks and Joel Veltman could be available too.

James Milner, Adam Webster, Ferdi Kadioglu and Jack Hinshelwood all remain out. Solly March may return before Christmas after more than a year's absence because of a serious knee injury.

Match stats
Head-to-head

    Brighton have never beaten Fulham in their eight Premier League meetings (D4, L4).

    The Seagulls have lost on three of their four top-flight visits to Craven Cottage, the exception being a goalless draw in December 2020.

    Last season, the Cottagers were 3-0 winners of this fixture with goals from Harry Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traore.

Fulham

    Fulham's tally of 19 points is their joint-second highest after 13 games of a Premier League season. They made a similar start in 2022-23 and had 21 points in 2003-04.

    The Cottagers could equal a club record of scoring in 13 successive top-flight matches, set 65 years ago.

    However, they are looking to avoid conceding in 11 consecutive Premier League home fixtures for just a third time in their history.

    Fulham could both score and concede in each of their opening seven home league games for the first time since the 1950-51 campaign.

    Harry Wilson has scored two goals and provided two assists in his last four Premier League appearances against Brighton.

Brighton & Hove Albion

    Brighton's 23 points is their best-ever tally after 13 matches of a top-flight season.

    The Seagulls are aiming to win a fourth away league game, which would equal their total for the whole of 2023-24.

    They could earn consecutive away league victories for the first time since September last year.

    Albion are the only team yet to lose when conceding the first goal in Premier League matches this season (W2, D3).

    Danny Welbeck is one short of equalling Pascal Gross as Brighton's 30-goal leading Premier League scorer.

    Kaoru Mitoma could score in three consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c99x0100k7dt

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