Aleksandar Mitrovic decisive again as Fulham power on in Premier League
Fulham’s survival hopes have been hugely boosted after three successive Premier League victories, writes Richard Cawley.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 11th goal of the season – equalling his best-ever top-flight haul – earned the west London club a 1-0 win at Leicester City on Tuesday night.
But Fulham were also indebted to German keeper Bernd Leno for some huge stops – along with a couple of badly spurned chances by the hosts – as they made it nine points out of nine since the Premier League resumed on Boxing Day.
Fulham have 28 points – the total they managed in the entire 2020-21 season under Scott Parker – with 20 matches to play.
The only negative to come out of their midweek victory at the King Power Stadium is that Mitrovic will miss next Thursday’s derby against Chelsea after collecting a fifth booking of the campaign.
Fulham’s dressing room was bouncing in the East Midlands after the dug in defensively in the second period to shutout Brendan Rodgers’ team.
“The noise is something normal – it shows the team spirit that we have,” Whites manager Marco Silva told the BBC. “It is something we have been creating and building from last season.
“It was a tough, tough match – like we expected. Two different halves.
“We started brilliantly. We showed our quality, desire and commitment – controlling the game really well and playing in our offensive half. In the first five to 10 minutes we had two chances to score, we found space and gaps. We came in at half-time leading and we deserved the result.
“The second half was completely different.
“Over the festive period we had three games in nine days and they had one more day to rest. It made a huge impact in the game as well.
“We were not so good on the ball. Brendan took a risk to put one more forward on and it created some problems.
“But we closed it [the match] a lot better with a back five, even if we were too deep from what I like to see.
“Mitro was decisive again for us with the goal but also fighting and helping his team-mates. He is a top, top player, a top goalscorer and a top man. Bernd was a decisive player down the other end as well.”
Silva is expected to make wholesale changes for Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Hull City.
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