Friday Fulham Stuff - 12/09/25...

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Fulham star Josh King wins club's goal of the month for a DISALLOWED strike - after 'unbelievable' VAR blunder marred testy derby clash against Chelsea
Fulham's goal of the month award for August has been won by Josh King - despite the 18-year-old's effort not actually counting.

Michael Salisbury was on VAR duty a cross-London clash between Chelsea and Fulham before the international break as Enzo Maresca's Blues looked to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign.

However, the game would ultimately be mired in controversy due to a contentious first-half decision that denied Fulham an opener.

With the game goalless after 20 minutes, Sander Berge found Rodrigo Muniz who proceeded to float past Trevoh Chalobah before driving the ball up the pitch.

The Brazilian subsequently played the ball to King, ebi fired home to the delight of the travelling supporters before Salisbury sent referee Robert Jones to the monitor to check for a possible foul in the build-up.

After reviewing the incident Jones ruled the goal out, with Muniz's accidental stamp on Chalobah ruled as a 'reckless challenge' - a decision fans have dubbed 'unbelievable'.

Replays showed that Muniz only made minimal contact with Chalobah and King was left hugely frustrated at seeing the goal disallowed, with referee Rob Jones coming under scrutiny.

Chelsea went on to secure all three points courtesy of goals from Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez, leaving Cottagers boss Marco Silva furious.

Had the effort been allowed to stand it would have been King's first senior goal for Fulham - but he now has a goal of the month award to his name anyway.

Fulham said that the goal 'was cruelly taken away from the 18-year-old' and that he received 83.1 per cent of the vote.

Following the furore surrounding the decision, Salisbury was removed from his position as VAR official for Sunday's clash between Arsenal and Liverpool, with John Brooks taking his place.

The decision was also criticised by Jamie Carragher on social media, with the former Liverpool defender writing on X: 'VAR has had a shocking start to the season.'

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand wrote: 'VAR killing this young man's moment'.

PGMOL later acknowledged that the decision for VAR to intervene was a mistake.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15086531/Fulham-Josh-King-goal-month-DISALLOWED.html

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Clap for Beku against Leeds on Saturday

Lifelong Fulham fan Beku Lewis sadly lost his characteristically courageous battle against cancer earlier this month. He was only 31 years of age.

Beku faced a brutal diagnosis with the same honesty, humour and humility that saw him pack so much into a life that was cruelly cut far too short. Many of us grew up alongside him on the terraces at Craven Cottage or at away grounds up and down the country. I didn't realise I knew Beku until a Fulham social media post last season shared that he'd be invited to Motspur Park to meet Marco Silva and the first-team squad. We'd struck up a conversation on the concourse at Wembley before the Championship play-off final because we were both wearing the 1996/97 GMB shirt. He remembered me when we met on a train to an away game after the pandemic. He was brilliant.

I didn't know Beku well but many Fulham fans did. His Fulham family have asked for the Cottage to stand and applaud in the 31st minute of Saturday's match against Leeds United. It seems a simple thing to do for someone so special, who was taken from us far too soon. I hope you'll join us in clapping for Beku on Saturday. He'd scarcely think he was worth the attention – but he absolutely was.

Rest in peace, Beku. You'll never be forgotten.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/09/clap-for-beku-against-leeds-on-saturday/

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Five players could miss Leeds United at Fulham after injury scare on international duty
Leeds United return to Premier League action against Fulham

The first international break of the season is coming to a close with players returning to their clubs ahead of the return of the Premier League this weekend.

Leeds United will be hoping to build on an encouraging start to the season and a draw last time out against Newcastle United, when they travel top the capital to take on Fulham. Marco Silva's side have endured a difficult start to the season and currently have just two points, sitting in the relegation zone without a win to their name.

Daniel Farke will hope his side can capitalise on the below-par start made by the Cottagers to pick up his team's first win on the road this season, having been hammered on their last trip to London when playing Arsenal.

Leeds may have to do it without some key players, though. While it remains unconfirmed at this time, there is a growing belief new goalkeeper Lucas Perri picked up an injury at training this week and is a major doubt for this weekend's game.

Another player picking up an injury during he international break is Ilia Gruev, who sustained an issue with Bulgaria, but did play in the second half vs Georgia on Sunday.

Two players returning from longer absences are Ao Tanaka and club captain Ethan Ampadu. Both players had targeted a return from their respective knee injuries after the international break, but we await word on whether this week has come too soon or if they will be in contention to play.

Fulham have their own concern surrounding Issa Diop against the Whites. The centre-back is a big injury concern, having sat-out the clash with Chelsea last time out after sustaining a knock previously in a Carabao Cup clash.



https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/five-players-could-miss-leeds-32450953

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'Offered blank cheque' – Fulham star 'flatly rejected' summer exit despite the numbers
Fulham's Raúl Jiménez had a convincing financial offer to leave the Premier League club in the summer window.

That's according to TUDN in Mexico, and they report an unnamed Mexican club 'offered a blank cheque', which was 'flatly rejected' by the striker.

Back in May, the Mexico international extended his contract at Fulham until the end of this season.

TUDN journalist Gibrán Araige shared more updates on this case and reports the unnamed club was from Mexico. He reports the 34-year-old had a firm desire to continue in Europe and therefore, didn't entertain the unnamed Mexican club.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star graduated from Club América's youth system and spent three years with their first team before leaving them to move to Europe in 2014.

Jiménez is still in Europe and if he were to decide to return to his country, the journalist claims it'll be to join his former club. These are the two key reasons why the Fulham man didn't entertain an approach before he signed an extension with Marco Silva's side.

"When Raúl hadn't yet signed a contract renewal with Fulham, a northern team approached him, I don't know if it was Rayados or Tigre, and offered a very good price to repatriate Raúl Jiménez... a very good offer," he said.

"Raúl said thank you, but no, I want to continue in Europe, and besides, if I return to Mexican football, it would be to wear the yellow jersey [América]."

Jiménez scored once in the EFL Cup and is yet to score or register an assist in the league with the London club this season.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/offered-blank-cheque-fulham-star-flatly-rejected-summer-exit-despite-the-numbers/

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Josh King wins Fulham's goal of the month award for 'cruelly' disallowed Chelsea strike
Stylish effort received 83.1 per cent of fan vote despite being controversially ruled out at Stamford Bridge

Josh King has won Fulham's goal of the month award for August for a strike that was controversially disallowed.

The teenage midfielder was denied the first goal of his senior career during Fulham's 2-0 Premier League defeat by west London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before the international break as VAR intervened to rule out his effort out for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up.

It was a decision that was widely criticised and left Fulham boss Marco Silva outraged.

"How you disallow a goal like that is unbelievable," he said after the game.

However, despite it not counting, Fulham fans have now voted King's effort as their goal of the month for August.

It received a whopping 83.1 per cent of the vote, easily beating Ollie Gofford's effort for the club's Under-21 side against Valencia and Muniz's last-gasp equaliser against Brighton on the opening day.

"Josh King's magnificent strike away to Chelsea has been voted as Fulham's Goal of the Month for August," Fulham revealed.

"Though it was cruelly taken away from the 18-year-old, there is no denying the skill of the effort, as he confidently burst forward onto Sander Berge's defence-splitting pass and cut inside Tosin [Adarabioyo], before sitting the former Fulham man down as he drilled a shot through his legs and inside the near post.

"That he garnered 83.1 per cent of the votes demonstrates how special a moment that was, or would have been."

PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb said last week that the decision to disallow King's goal against Chelsea was a "misjudgement", with the VAR official on the day, Michael Salisbury, subsequently stood down from his position as VAR for Liverpool's 1-0 win over Arsenal.

Salisbury will not be refereeing as the Premier League returns this weekend, although he will be the fourth official for West Ham vs Tottenham on Saturday evening.

There have already been a number of contentious VAR decisions in the early weeks of the new Premier League season, but Webb says there are signs of improvement, with VAR interventions becoming less frequent over the last 18 months.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/josh-king-fulham-goal-month-chelsea-fc-b1247152.html

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How Marco Silva's strategy against top teams has evolved
The boss's tactical flexibility stands us in good stead as the Whites look to push up the Premier League table.

The overriding emotion at the start of Fulham's season has been anger.

Winning only two points out of nine against Brighton, Chelsea, and Manchester United, mostly because of some woeful VAR and refereeing errors, has generated a real sense of injustice at the club.

This comes after Marco Silva put forward a pretty convincing portrayal of the most irritated man in West London this summer. A poorly-managed transfer window hasn't helped to lift the mood much either, even with some deadline day signings.

But football is a reactive game. To focus solely on results and incomings would not give Silva's side nearly enough credit for three mature performances to start the season, which, despite the results, demonstrated Fulham's tactical progression as a Premier League side.

Trusted tactics
The last two games, both against 'top six' opposition, have seen Silva deploy a back five. This is a formation that Fulham have become familiar with in recent years, and one that the manager has employed in six out of our last 10 meetings with the traditional top sides.

The switch has bore fruit; in the last campaign, only Liverpool won more points against sides who started the day in the top six than Fulham (not to mention the Whites' own unbeaten record against the Reds last season).

In our first Premier League campaign back, though, the story could not have been more different. The sole focus was staying up - and it showed. The Whites won 45 of our 52 total points from the teams that finished below us in the table. Against teams above us, Silva still seemed wedded to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. As such, Fulham picked up an abysmal five out of a possible 36 points from top six sides.

Evidently, over the last few seasons, Fulham's tactical flexibility has seen us evolve into a highly-competitive Premier League side that can now trouble anyone. There have been two key factors in this development.

Silva's changes
One has been the flexibility of Kenny Tete. It's easy to forget that the Dutchman's future at Fulham was not guaranteed after the 2021/22 Championship-winning season, when loanee Neco Williams kept him out of the side following his arrival in January.

But, in the top division, where more defensive acumen is required, Tete flourished. In Silva's back five, Tete is able to slot into the right centre-back role, and has done so in most games against the top six. His pace and staunch tackling provide an extra layer of solidity alongside the two traditional centre-backs, providing key assistance to the Whites' defence in big games, and earning himself a new contract this summer.

Strength in depth is another key factor. The signings of Alex Iwobi and Timothy Castagne in particular have given Silva breathing room to experiment with tactics. While Iwobi's fee raised some eyebrows at first, he has become vital to Silva.

The Nigerian is effective with and without the ball, and has played in at least five different positions since signing for Fulham. Usefully, he's even been able to slot in at right wing-back when Silva opts for a back-five, which he did impressively in successive draws against Liverpool and Arsenal in December last year.

When Iwobi is needed further up the pitch, Castagne is an ideal replacement at right wing-back. His profile differs entirely from Tete's; the Belgian is far better at taking on players and swinging in crosses, while his one-on-one defending is weaker.

This makes him perfect for a back-five; with Tete tucked in behind him to cover, he can get up and down the wing as he likes, in a way that would leave the defence less exposed than in a back four. This is how Silva's used him in the past two fixtures - a decision that would be getting a lot more praise if results differed.

So, with Fulham sitting in the relegation zone during the international break, there's been frustration around West London. But we shouldn't panic. With luck (and VAR) in our favour, the Whites could easily be sitting in the European spots after the first three games of the season.

Marco Silva is showing the same tactical nous that has served us so well to date. With some new blood and an easier run of games coming up, let's have some faith in the manager, team, and tactics that have given us some famous wins in the past few years.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/how-marco-silvas-strategy-against

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Fulham Fire Hilarious Dig at Chelsea Over Disallowed Goal Controversy
The Key Match Incidents panel have confirmed the decision was a mistake.

Fulham have named Josh King's strike against Chelsea as their Goal of the Month for August, despite the teenager's effort ultimately being ruled out.

The 18-year-old midfielder thought he had opened his account for the club as he span away from Chelsea's defence and fired beyond Robert Sánchez, but the Blues fumed at the sight of Trevoh Chalobah in a heap on the ground after a collision with Rodrigo Muniz in the buildup.

VAR called for a review of the incident and on-field referee Rob Jones ultimately decided that Muniz had unfairly stepped on Chalobah's foot, ruling the goal out. Professional Game Match Officials Limited chief Howard Webb described the controversial decision as a "misjudgement" on the part of the officials.

Chelsea ultimately went on to win the game 2–0 but Fulham have immortalised King's goal by putting it above their two recognised strikes in August's Goal of the Month competition.

"Though it was cruelly taken away from the 18-year-old, there is no denying the skill of the effort, as he confidently burst forward onto Sander Berge's defence-splitting pass and cut inside Tosin, before sitting the former Fulham man down as he drilled a shot through his legs and inside the near post," a club statement read.

"That he garnered 83.1% of the votes demonstrates how special a moment that was, or would have been."

The Key Match Incidents panel, which reviews the big refereeing decisions every week, acknowledged both the VAR call and the decision from the on-field official were incorrect and believed the goal should have been allowed.

"The panel unanimously supported the original on-field call to allow play to continue and award the goal," the group wrote.



https://www.si.com/soccer/fulham-hilarious-dig-chelsea-disallowed-goal-controversy

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Fulham vs Leeds United Preview: Premier League, Gameweek 4, 2025
Leeds United travel to West London in the Premier League as both teams hope to get back to winning ways.

Leeds United head to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham in the fourth game of the Premier League season, with both sides hoping to secure a victory.

Leeds United got off to the perfect start on their return to the Premier League as they defeated Everton 1-0 in their opening game. However, they were then quickly brought back down to earth by a thumping 5-0 defeat in their clash against Arsenal. Most recently, Leeds held Newcastle United to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road, which is a good result for Daniel Farke's side.

Meanwhile, the hosts are yet to experience victory in the Premier League this season, as Fulham were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United, and an injury-time strike saw them equalise against Brighton on the opening day. Most recently, Fulham suffered a 2-0 defeat to London rivals Chelsea after initially dominating the game and had a goal wrongfully disallowed, which ultimately changed the game in Chelsea's favour.

Everything points to a tense showdown, as both sides are desperate to halt their slump and reignite their campaigns.

    Team News

Leeds United

A positive team news update for Leeds United, as star midfielders Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu, who were both out for the Newcastle United match, have returned to first-team training and are both expected to return to the matchday squad this weekend. Whether either player will be fit enough to start the match is another question. No other injuries to report.

Fulham

Issa Diop suffered a knock and will be a late doubt. other than that, Fulham have no other injuries to report and are expected to have a fully fit squad for the clash against Leeds United.


    Likely Line-Ups

Leeds United (4-3-3)
Perri, Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Longstaff, Stach, Gnonto, James, Calvert-Lewin

Fulham (4-2-3-1)
Leno, Tete, Bassey, Andersen, Sessegnon, Berge, Lukić, Kevin, King, Iwobi, Muniz

    Key Players

Leeds United - Anton Stach

Anton Stach is enjoying a start to the season where he is getting bombarded with praise due to his performances. The German midfielder joined Leeds United this summer, leaving Germany for the first time in his career.

Stach is a relentless midfielder who offers defensive contributions that any manager would dream of having in their midfield, but also has the technical quality to provide chances for his teammates and even occasionally pop up with a goal himself.

With midfield partners Tanaka and Ampadu a doubt to start the match on the weekend, Leeds will need to ensure that the relentless running and control is maintained. Having someone with the quality of Anton Stach in the midfield, who elevates the players around him, will be key for Leeds United.

Fulham - Josh King

Josh King was an unknown name for many Premier League fans before the start of the Premier League campaign. Fulham fans have known the calibre of player they have had on their hands for a while, but now the whole Premier League is starting to see it.

Operating in the number 10 position, Josh King finds pockets of space that defenders hate to defend against. The 18-year-old midfielder managed to score his first professional goal against London rivals Chelsea; however, the goal was wrongfully disallowed, robbing the teenager of his first Premier League goal.

The goal showed the composure of the teenager as he skipped past former Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo and calmly slotted the finish into the bottom corner, wrong-footing the Chelsea goalkeeper.


    Match Details

Where is the game being played?

The match is to be played at Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham.

What time is kick-off?

Kick off is at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, 13th September.

How can I watch?

The game is not being broadcast live in the UK due to the 3 pm blackout restrictions, although highlights will be available after the game.



https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2025/09/11/premier-league/1233367-fulham-vs-leeds-united-preview-premier-league-gameweek-4-2025.html

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Obrigado, Andreas
As the dust settles on Pereira's departure, we remember the good times.

In the chaos of the end of the transfer window, the furore towards the lack of movement as the clock ticked down, and the excitement around new signings on Deadline Day, one of Fulham's most utilised players of the previous three seasons quietly slipped away to return to Brazil - with Andreas Pereira's €10m move to Palmeiras confirmed on 29 August.

The time might have been right to make such a move; Andreas had shown a desire to move back to Brazil, where he had previously had a very successful spell at Flamengo, and with one year left on his contract, Fulham getting a fee through the door made sense from a business perspective.

From an on-pitch perspective, with then-club-record-signing Emile Smith Rowe expected to step up this year, and the emergence of homegrown starboy Josh King - both in Andreas' preferred number 10 position, it made sense as well.

I did think, however, that Andreas deserved a more highly-trumpeted farewell from the club and the fanbase. A couple of social media posts, a quick article on the website, and off he went - with the frustration about a lack of incomings (completely reasonably) dominating the discourse.

Perhaps when the Brazilian league finishes for the season in December, we will see Andreas return to the Cottage in the break to say a more pronounced goodbye, but in the meantime, I wanted to pay tribute to a player who has been absolutely instrumental in Fulham's return to being a stable Premier League club once more.

Joining in the summer of 2022, Andreas was the second of the major signings to clamber on broad the good ship that Marco Silva was helming, arriving a week after João Palhinha, and while he wasn't the first Brazilian to join the project (Rodrigo Muniz had rocked up the season before), he was the first to have a major role - the first main character of the Samba Whites.

It was perhaps fitting then that he gained the honour of being the first Fulham player ever to play for the Brazil national team while anchored at Craven Cottage, although we hope Rodrigo will share that honour before long.

Andreas laid down the marker of how important he was going to be to Marco Silva from the first moment of his first start - in that 2-2 draw with Liverpool at the Cottage in August 2022. Once Bobby Madley blew the whistle that signalled the start of another campaign in the top flight, our new number 18 tore into the game in a whirlwind of energy - leading the press ahead of Aleksandar Mitrovic, linking up the play in midfield, and with some silky tricks and flicks in the mix too.

Andreas was ever-present in that campaign - starting every Premier League game and four in the FA Cup - until an ankle injury ruled him out of the final five - although Fulham were comfortably safe from the threat of relegation by that point. Five goals and six assists was a good return - it made Andreas our joint-second top scorer, and our leading assist provider across all competitions. Any doubts about the quality and calibre of a player who had previously failed to crack the Premier League while at Manchester United faded into the ether.

Over the next two seasons, cracks did appear somewhat, although I remain steadfast in the opinion that Andreas's contributions remain completely underrated by the majority of the fanbase. He picked up 12 goal contributions in 2023/24 - one more than he did the season before, with nine assists absolutely nothing to be sniffed at, but there was some feeling that our attacking midfielder needed to be more productive from open play - and Fulham's big-money addition of Emile Smith Rowe in the summer that followed suggested that the hierarchy agreed.

There was also a perception that Andreas was trying to force a move at times, which I maintain was blown out of both proportion and context by mistranslations in the press. But it didn't help his cause. Nevertheless, one thing that never wavered was Marco Silva's faith in the Brazilian as his eyes and ears on the pitch, and the manager's paragon of what he wanted his team to look like.

Andreas' all-action game, his ability to do different jobs in different phases - whether slotting in as a press-leading front man in a 4-4-2 out of possession, dropping deep to try and affect games by punching the ball forwards from a deeper role, or linking play as the creative conduit in the middle, meant that he was Marco's man, through and through.

Off the pitch, Andreas was the heart and soul of the Samba Whites, and in his friendships in particular with Rodrigo Muniz, Willian and João Palhinha, helped to bring the dressing room together. I have genuine and sincere doubts that without Andreas there to help bring him out of his shell and act as a mentoring figure, if we'd have ever seen the explosion of Rodrigo Muniz that we did in the second half of 23/24 - Muniz has gone on record to say that he found it difficult making the move to England and I firmly believe that Andreas played a huge part in making him feel comfortable at the club.

Yes, there were days that Andreas could be frustrating. Yes, there were moments where his set piece delivery was lacking, and yes, perhaps the deeper role didn't get the best out of him in the same way. But after 119 games in black and white, the 10 goals and 22 assists don't tell the full story.

In an era where we've seen big names come and go, Pereira remained a constant - a player whose work rate never faltered, who morphed to fit exactly what his manager wanted, and who sparkled both on and off pitch while in SW6. The time might well have been right for an amicable parting of ways, but we shouldn't forget what the Brazilian brought to the table, how he helped to stabilise the club back in the Premier League and drive us forward, and without whom we would have been considerably worse off in the last three years.

I would guess that there will be plenty of games this season where I will come out saying 'we could have done with Andreas there today,' and his legacy should be one remembered fondly by the Fulham faithful.

Obrigado, Andreas.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/obrigado-andreas

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Daniel Farke confirms crushing Lukas Nmecha injury blow ahead of Fulham clash
Leeds United are back in action this weekend as they take on Fulham.

Last time out, Leeds drew 0-0 with Newcastle at Elland Road, picking up a solid point.

Now it is up to Daniel Farke's men to go and back that up with another positive result against Fulham.

Leeds are already the underdogs against Fulham, but the latest injury news regarding key members of their squad will likely make the game that much harder.

Daniel Farke confirms crushing Lukas Nmecha injury news ahead of Fulham clash
Nmecha is the only Leeds player to score this season, but the striker has already picked up an injury that could rule him out of the game against Fulham.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Farke said: "Few questions mark over Nmecha, hit on his foot and missed training yesterday."

    Nmecha has already proven to be more effective than Joel Piroe at leading the line
    His physical presence, ability to stretch defences and win free kicks are not qualities that Piroe offers
    The 26-year-old would be a big miss if he can't feature at the weekend at Craven Cottage

This was United supporters' biggest fear, considering Nmecha's injury in the past, and it looks to have continued so far after making the move to West Yorkshire earlier in the summer as a free agent.

More injury concerns for Leeds ahead of Fulham game
Along with Nmecha, Piroe has picked up a bruise on his calf, with Farke not specifically stating if that will affect his involvement at the weekend.

Considering this news, the door appears to have opened for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to make his first Premier League start for the Whites as the number nine looks to nail down his position in the team.

A "late decision" is set to be made on midfield duo Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka regarding their availability, with the German manager seeing how the pair react in the next 48 hours.

In their place, Sean Longstaff proved against Newcastle that he can be a reliable player for Leeds; however, the travelling supporters will be concerned if Ilia Gruev features on the teamsheet, with the drop off between him and Ampadu considerably noticeable.

In more positive news, Farke confirmed both Joe Rodon and Sam Byram will be available for their trip down south.



https://motleedsnews.com/news/daniel-farke-confirms-crushing-lukas-nmecha-injury-blow-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

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2 days to go: Leeds United
Limited tickets remain for Fulham's Premier League clash against Leeds United this Saturday 13th September, kick-off 3pm.

Don't miss the possibility of seeing our new signings in action as they hope to make their debuts at Craven Cottage this weekend.

Tickets are on General Sale with supporters able to secure up to four tickets per person for this fixture.

Further information about this fixture can be found here.

BUY TICKETS
HOW TO BUY

Supporters can purchase their tickets online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office (Monday-Friday, 9:30am-4:30pm).

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/11/2-days-to-go-leeds-united/

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Perri out of Fulham fixture, says Farke
Leeds manager Daniel Farke has confirmed that goalkeeper Lucas Perri is out of Saturday's trip to Fulham have suffered a quad muscle strain.

The Brazilian custodian, who has played all three of United's Premier League games so far this season, is expected to miss at least two games with the injury. Lucas Nmecha and Joel Piroe are also doubtful for the Craven Cottage clash, although Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu have returned to training after injuries of their own and should be available for selection.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/09/perri-out-of-fulham-fixture-says-farke/

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Paul Merson predicts result as Leeds United take on Fulham and makes Sunderland comparison
It is less than 48 hours until Leeds United are in action for the fourth time in the Premier League this season, as The Whites go to Fulham looking to improve on their first away outing.

While it was a trip to The Emirates, Leeds did nothing to prevent Arsenal from orchestrating a massacre on Daniel Farke's side. Leeds' record in London is poor, but the 5-0 loss was more, it was humbling.

Leeds responded with a solid performance against Newcastle at Elland Road. But away from home, Leeds were far below the best versions of themselves last season, and there is a worry that could continue.

Leeds fans will learn more about the strength of their side in the fight against relegation when away from home, on Saturday. A trip to Marco Silva's Fulham, who will be desperate to win after VAR controversy.

Paul Merson predicts Leeds United's clash against Fulham
Not many will have backed Leeds to get four points from the opening three games, but they did just that. On Saturday however, Farke has confirmed Leeds could be without five key players including Lucas Perri.

Perri will miss the next two games, while Lukas Nmecha, Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka are all doubts for the clash. After Farke's update, Tanaka seemed to drop a hint on social media about his injury.

Ahead of the game, Paul Merson praised Leeds for their start to the season and compared them to fellow newly-promoted side Sunderland. But he wrote in his Sports Keeda column that Fulham will win 2-0.

"I have been impressed with Leeds. Like Sunderland, Leeds should look to make their home ground a fortress. Elland Road can be an intimidating place to go to when things are going right for Leeds," he said.

"But I have a feeling they will struggle on the road. We saw that at the Emirates, where Leeds looked alright for the first 20-odd minutes. As soon as they conceded the opening goal, they started to crumble."

How the Leeds United team could look come Saturday at Fulham
Farke has already confirmed that Karl Darlow will replace Perri, with Illan Meslier set to sit on the bench over Alex Cairns. Then, there is the matter of deciding who is fit, who is not and who comes in instead.

Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sean Longstaff, Anton Stach and Willy Gnonto are all nailed on to start the match. Pascal Struijk, Lukas Nmecha, Ilia Gruev and Dan James are up for debate.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin could win his first start up top, Jaka Bijol may finally start in place of Struijk and Ampadu has got to start even if he is only partly fit. James has struggled to replicate his best form so far.

Welsh media were critical of James in the week during a defeat to Jesse Marsch's Canada and it might be time to see Noah Okafor, and what £18m gets you. Five potential changes for Farke to make at Fulham.



https://www.leedsunited.news/news/paul-merson-predicts-result-as-leeds-united-take-on-fulham-and-makes-sunderland-comparison/

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Preview: Fulham vs Leeds United - prediction, team news, lineups
Still searching for their first Premier League win of the new season, Fulham play host to newly-promoted Leeds United at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.

The two teams butt heads for the first time since April 2023 when the Cottagers secured a 2-1 home victory in the top flight.

Match preview
Fulham headed into the international break frustrated and disappointed after they were beaten 2-0 by West London rivals Chelsea in a Premier League contest mired in VAR controversy at Stamford Bridge.

Teenage starlet Joshua King had a fairytale first senior goal chalked off following a VAR review after Rodrigo Muniz was penalised for a "careless challenge" in the build-up, before Ryan Sessegnon was judged to have handled the ball in the penalty area, allowing Enzo Fernandez to double Chelsea's advantage after Joao Pedro had headed home the opener.

Marco Silva fumed at referee Robert Jones and slammed the 'unbelievable' VAR decisions against his Fulham side, who have now conceded a penalty in each of their last five Premier League games - the joint-longest run by any team along with Wimbledon (August 1999) and Norwich City (August/September 2011). No side has ever given away a penalty in six consecutive PL matches.

Fulham are one of only four Premier League teams who are yet to win this term having accumulated just two points across their opening three fixtures. The Cottagers are now in danger of failing to win any of their opening four games of a top-flight campaign for just the fourth time in their history after 1951-52 (seven), 2011-12 and 2020-21 (both six).

Silva's side have also gone 12 Premier League games without keeping a clean sheet and have kept only five across their last 43 league fixtures; only West Ham United (22) have registered fewer top-flight clean sheets than Fulham since 2022-23. However, the Cottagers have won their last three meetings with Leeds which bodes well ahead of Saturday's contest.

Leeds began life back in the big time with a narrow 1-0 win over Everton in front of a rocking Elland Road crowd, but last season's Championship title winners have since failed to win any of their last three matches in all competitions.

A heavy 5-0 defeat at Arsenal was followed by a disappointing penalty-shootout loss to Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup second round, before the Whites registered just one shot on target in a goalless statement at home to Newcastle in their most recent Premier League fixture prior to the international break.

Nevertheless, head coach Daniel Farke has taken positives from how his side have collected four points from their opening three Premier League games and have kept two clean sheets in the process. The German has stressed the importance of "rock-solid defending" for any newly-promoted club in their quest to avoid the drop.

Leeds will also need to address their poor from in London, as they travel to Craven Cottage this weekend having lost each of their last eight away Premier League games in the capital, conceding 26 goals in the process. The Whites last endured a longer top-flight losing streak in London between 1925 and 1930 (12 in a row).

Fulham Premier League form:

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Fulham form (all competitions):

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Leeds United Premier League form:

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Leeds United form (all competitions):

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Team News
Fulham's only injury concern is with defender Issa Diop, who is nursing an unspecified knock and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Antonee Robinson should be fit to start his first league game of the season at left-back, which could see Timothy Castagne drop out of the side, while Calvin Bassey, Joachim Andersen and Kenny Tete are set to retain their places in the back four.

Attackers Kevin, Samuel Chukwueze and Jonah Kusi-Asare all joined the Cottagers on deadline day - the former has arrived for a club-record fee - and they are all in contention to earn a place in the matchday squad, but it remains to be seen if Silva will be tempted to name any of the trio in his starting lineup.

As for Leeds, goalkeeper Lucas Perri has been ruled out of the next two games after sustaining a thigh injury in the draw with Newcastle. Karl Darlow is expected to take his place between the sticks.

Farke has confirmed that both Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka have returned to training this week after spells on the sidelines with knee injuries and a late call will be made on their availability for Saturday.

Forwards Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe will also be assessed as they are nursing knocks. Dominic Calvert-Lewin could therefore be handed his first league start for the Whites up front, while Daniel James and Willy Gnonto operate on the flanks.

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Sessegnon, King, Iwobi; Jimenez

Leeds United possible starting lineup:

Darlow; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Stach, Gruev, Longstaff; James, Calvert-Lewin, Gnonto

We say: Fulham 2-1 Leeds United
The last four Premier League encounters between Fulham and Leeds have produced 18 goals (4.5 per game), with both teams finding the net on each occasions, and another end-to-end contest could be in store this weekend.

Boosted by the arrival of three new players, Fulham will be considered as slight favourites on home soil against a newly-promoted team, though, and they may just have enough to edge past their West Yorkshire-based counterparts.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/preview/fulham-vs-leeds-prediction-team-news-lineups_581208.html

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Fulham lineup vs. Leeds: Predicted XI for Premier League clash
Fulham head coach Marco Silva will have three new signings available for Saturday's Premier League clash with Leeds United at Craven Cottage.

Club-record signing Kevin, Nigerian attacker Samuel Chukwueze and 18-year-old forward Jonah Kusi-Asare all joined the Cottagers on deadline day and it remains to be seen whether Silva will be tempted to name any of the trio in his starting lineup.

Kevin is seemingly the most likely of the three to feature in the first XI, but the versatile winger faces stern competition from the likes of Ryan Sessegnon, Harry Wilson and Adama Traore for a start, while Alex Iwobi is expected to retain his spot on the left flank.

While striker Raul Jimenez will be hoping to force his way back into the starting lineup ahead of Rodrigo Muniz, teenage starlet Joshua King - who was controversially denied his first senior goal by VAR in a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea before the international break - could continue in the number 10 role.

Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic are considered as mainstays in Silva's midfield, while Antonee Robinson could be fit to start his first league game of the season at left-back, joining Calvin Bassey, Joachim Andersen and Kenny Tete in the back four.

Fulham's only injury concern is with defender Issa Diop, who is nursing an unspecified knock and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Fulham possible starting lineup: Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Sessegnon, King, Iwobi; Jimenez



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/predicted-lineups/three-new-signings-available-predicted-fulham-lineup-vs-leeds_581209.html

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Srna: Kevin can shine under Silva
Shakhtar Donetsk's sporting director Dario Srna has told the BBC that Fulham's new winger Kevin can reach the next level under the guidance of Marco Silva, whom he describes as 'one of the best coaches in the Premier League'.

Srna, who played against Fulham for Hajduk Split in the Whites' UEFA Cup in 2002, told Nizaar Kinsella that Shakhtar stuck to their guns regarding their valuation of the 22 year-old Brazilian, despite suggestions in Portugal that they used late interest from Sporting Lisbon to engineer a bidding war.

"We kept our position [the same] from the first day. We told Fulham our price and that's it. We cannot sell for less – than what we said. We had a lot offers for him and he could have gone elsewhere but he decided Fulham was best for him. It was his dream to play in the Premier League but we needed our conditions to be met to sell him.

Fulham have an amazing winger, he has amazing skills, is so fast, good one-versus-one, he even defends well. With Marco Silva, for me one of the best coaches in the Premier League, he will continue to develop for sure. I believe Kevin will move to one of the biggest clubs within the next two years."

Srna feels the £34.6m deal will help Shakhtar remain sustainable and able to compete in both Ukrainian and European football, as well as attracting the best young South American talent – no mean achievement given the ongoing war.

"Kevin came to us having not been able to get into Palmeiras' team and 18 months later he is sold for 40m euros to Fulham. Brazilians are happy to join Shakhtar because we develop them and they help us get good results, get into Europe and sell players to the top clubs. We brought three amazing talents, 19-year-old Lucas Ferreira from Sao Paulo and 18-year-olds Isaque from Fluminense and Luca Meirelles from Santos, they show we can still recruit well from Brazil.

Midfielder Georhiy Sudakov also went to Benfica and we develop Ukrainian talents also. But it's harder with the war, we hope it ends soon. We keep working, the league remains competitive and this is the youngest team in Shakhtar's history."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/09/srna-kevin-can-shine-under-silva/