Fulham extended their unbeaten run to four Premier League matches thanks to Rodrigo Muniz’s first PL goal since the opening day of last season. Both teams rode their luck, and a draw was probably a fair result - here are my player ratings.

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We also give Rodrigo Muniz his flowers for a game-changing cameo off the bench, look back at the pe…

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Rodrigo Muniz has come to Fulham’s rescue, just as many of us thought he would, with a terrific performance from the bench to score a crucial equaliser in our 1-1 draw with Newcastle today. His energy and aggression proved crucial, reversing the advantage Matthias Jaissle’s side were able to gain through Jacob Murphy’s goal, won through a painful mishap…

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Sometimes the international break can be a frustration for fans; a pause in domestic matters which can stunt momentum, and stifle progress. However, for Fulham (and England) fans, this will be one the most highly anticipated England camps in years.

That is because our very own Josh King has been called up by Thomas Tuchel, and deservedly so. The 19 year old has been on fine form this season, and has been rewarded with a first official senior call-up. He could make his England debut next Thursday against Croatia at Wembley. England also play Spain in Madrid on the following Sunday.

It was, of course, the story of the day at Motspur Park and was the main talking point ahead of the press conference.

Alvaro Arbeloa started his presser fresh off the news of King’s inclusion in the England squad, so it was the first question.

Arbeloa: “This is a special moment for him, for us as a club and obviously for our supporters. I think Josh is the pride of our club and our supporters”, said Arbeloa.

“He came to this club when he was eight years old. And now, when you look at him, how he’s playing, how he’s performing, we are really proud of him. So I think it’s a big step for him. I’m so happy for him because he’s a very humble kid.

“You can see every day he wants to improve, he wants to work, he wants to become a better player every day. So I think it’s a special day for him and for all of us”

Arbeloa continued: “He’s obviously a very talented player that he can receive between the lines, where there is no space, he can turn, he can run, he can dribble with the ball. So he has everything and we are working with him about his finishing. Obviously, he needs to improve that and it’s the most difficult thing in football, scoring goals.

“But his mentality, his character, he’s a very mature player. You can’t forget that he’s just 19 years old, so it’s unbelievable how he’s performing. And yes, I think he has everything to become one of the best players in the world.”

Next, Arbeloa was asked about Fulham’s recent upturn in league in form:

“We are far from where I want to see my team, but obviously we are giving small steps. And when I told my players the other day, I believe, you don’t believe because you win. You win because you believe.

“And that was confident means. Believe in yourself even when you are not winning. And that was the most important thing for me when we were in a difficult moment.

“We believe in ourselves, we believe in the way that we were playing and we know that we have to fight every game. We are not better than any team. We have to fight for every goal.

“We have to run more than the others and after that we are a team that we like to keep the ball, we like to create chances but you have to fight for everything every day and you have to give your best if you want to win any game.”

Arbeloa had an update on team news, with one player missing out for tomorrow’s game:

“Yes, everyone is fit. Just Tom Cairney has some issues in his knee, so I don’t want to take any risks with him. He will not be available for tomorrow’s game, so he will be available for after the international break.

“And he’s very important for us and I think he will be very, very important for us during the season, so I don’t want to take any risk. I talked with him, he wanted to push but I think the best thing for us as a team and for him is to don’t take any risk with him.”

There were more questions about King - here’s what Arbeloa said about what it’s like to manage the teenager:

“I think from where I came, working with very young players. So since the first day that I arrived, I saw a very talented player. I saw a player that wants to be better every day.

“He’s a very demanding player and he wants to improve. For me, it’s not just about his quality, his talent, it’s about the mentality and the character. The other day before the match, usually, the players with more experience, They like to talk and they like to give a small speech before we play.

“And he did it the other day. He was amazing. And you can see that he has everything: the character, the mentality, the quality.

“So I think he’s in the way to become a star, a very, very important player in this world. I’m so happy that I coached him, helped him to develop and reach his level. But he needs to stay humble like he is.

“I’m not worried about that. I know that he needs to continue improving, he needs to continue scoring goals and making numbers. I think I’m here to help him to reach his level.”

There’s some more quotes to come from AA at 5pm, this can be found on my Patreon and X pages.

Tomorrow is a big game for both sides, but a huge chance for Fulham to go into the final international break of 2026 with good morale throughout the club.

See you at the Cottage tomorrow and enjoy the game!

COYW!

A week ago, we thought that the scariest thing on Halloween was our trip to Villa Park. Aston Villa, who had been in the ascendence, were curtailed in their quest for three points by a Fulham team that made them look second best on the day.

That’s the third team in a row that have been made to look ordinary by the Whites, and off back-to-back wins and a draw, this team are quietly undefeated in three league games and have only lost once in their last six.

Credit where credit is due: Arbeloa and his team are slowly gaining some momentum and there are real signs that a style of play is coming together. We’ll touch on that later.

So then, onto Newcastle at home this weekend. This feels like a contest with a few similarities: young managers, systems taking shape, fans from both teams wanting results. Matias Jaissle was appointed manager late into the summer after the last-minute exit of Eddie Howe. The German walked into a changing room that sold several key players and rapidly added new ones towards deadline day.

Going through that much change was always going to be tough for the club and results have reflected that. Recently reports came out that hinted at Jaissle’s team not knowing their roles, understanding their styles and communication was often mixed. Newcastle certainly has dangerous players, but this should be a game that Fulham are aiming to secure their third win of the season in.

So, as we take on Newcastle United, here are five things to look out for.

1. Gonzalo coming good?

After an encouraging start to life at Fulham, Gonzalo Garcia is experiencing the first goal drought of his young career. This will be the Spaniard’s first real test: how will he maintain the confidence in his own ability to get back on the scoresheet? There are certainly some encouraging signs; he continues find good positions and the ball is falling to him in the box – just not for him.

As Drew wrote about this week, there is a certain stat that rhymes with XP, which suggests that Garcia is one of the biggest under-performers in front of goal this season. That suggests that what we see of him is true: he gets in the box, and he misses big chances.

My criticism of Gonzalo is that he seems to always be on his heels. Surprised, almost, that he might score. It’s me at Sunday League imagining myself on the front of my local newspaper before slicing the ball past the post. The glaring miss against Villa seemed to be case in point. He is due a goal though, and Newcastle’s keeper Hornicek is going through a rough patch of form. If I’m up for a flutter, it might be on Gonzalo.

2. A midfield tussle

This is going to be a fun battle, I think. One midfield that will try to smother its opponent to death, and one that constantly tries to break out of its cage.

Newcastle’s midfield has excelled when given the opportunity to stretch their legs. One of my favourite goals so far this season was Joe Willock’s against Manchester City - a perfect one-man counter. So, the brief for Fulham here will be to put the Newcastle trio in positions where they can only go back towards their own goal. This is where Everton succeeded in their win on Monday night.

Fulham will also be tasked with keeping the ball moving with the same intent they had at Villa Park. This was a massive step up in contrast to the Coventry game. Fulham probed, prodded and poked at Villa with far more positive intent. They used shorter interchanges in the half-space to move around Villa’s narrow midfield and get at full-backs. The front four will want to do similar here, as Newcastle also possess good talent in wide areas. The Whites should be looking to move the opposition midfield around and nullify the threat of the counter. Newcastle’s centre-halves have been suspect this season, so drawing them out will be key.

3. A vertical threat

Having watched Newcastle a few times this season, one of their main threats is their ability to go from front to back quickly. This is a team that has been built with pace in mind, and they have good ball carriers through the middle of the park and out wide. While nobody can replace the attacking threat of Anthony Gordon, fellow Anthony (Elanga) carries a real threat with his pace. He is paired with Harvey Barnes, also no slouch.

Fulham will have their work cut out to stop these kinds of attacks at the source, and this has been an area where the Whites have excelled in recent weeks. We’ve seen Fulham set traps higher up the pitch, almost hunting in packs and winning the ball back higher. There have been plaudits for Berge and Charles, but the boys in front are certainly putting in a shift. I am once again here to say that we are nothing without Josh King, who is often the focal point.

4. Progressing with possession

This was another game where Fulham registered more than 530 passes, 110 of which were successful passes in the final third. That’s a real demonstration of how the Whites have improved in possession in recent weeks. There has been a newfound impetus in possession, and while it can feel a little conservative at times we are creating more. There were more shots on target against Villa than the previous two games combined, and Fulham registered twice the number of major chances than our opponents.

We’ve spoken about it in this column before, but Alex Iwobi has been the real driver of this Fulham team. He is the link that knits all phases of player together. I’m not sure if Alex is underrated, but I don’t think he gains as many plaudits as he should. Perhaps the victim of the stats-lead ratings of today, but he is a magnificent footballer with great fluidity. I’ve enjoyed his blossoming relationship with Josh King and Shea Charles.

Fulham have turned a corner with how they’re using the ball overall, there’s patterns as usual, but an additional element of speed is greatly welcomed. Progression through the thirds has looked better, and Fulham have been finding joy in wide areas. I still do wish they’d hit the byline more, though. Maybe Arbeloa might read this column, if so: “Hola”.

5. Calvin Bassey just vibing

Honestly, he really is just vibing out there. It’s equal parts impressive and nerve-wracking, but overall, I like it. Bassey brings a wildcard element that not many teams have – his ball carrying ability is a weapon the Fulham have begun to feel comfortable exploring. He really does feel like the perfect fit for this system; can pick his passes, cover his ground and even when he is caught on the half-turn, can recover.

Recent weeks have seen our Captain find the side to his game that was missing at times: the exuberant confidence that almost oozes out of him. The ability to use his body to win the ball and the return of winning aerial battles. Ipswich was one of the first times I saw Calvin genuinely out muscled, but since then he has rarely put a foot wrong. If I shared a dressing room with him, I’d probably run through a brick wall for him.

Enjoy the game. Here’s to three points!

The response to my piece about Gonzalo Garcia earlier this week was about as divided as I expected. Some said it echoed their thoughts entirely, but a large section of the comments intimated they’d given up on the Spaniard entirely.

Given how convinced I am he’ll come good, it got me thinking about how we’ve been wrong in the past about players. We’re a notoriously fickle bunch (myself included) so we can often end up with a bit of egg on our faces.

Here are five Fulham players we misjudged early on.

Barry Hayles

He’s one of the most beloved Fulham players in history - but it didn’t start out that way.

Barry arrived in SW6 as the most expensive player in the history Division Two (now League One), with a £2m price tag, despite having only played league football for a year.

The fee proved to be a millstone as he struggled in his first (two-thirds of a) season, scoring just eight times in 30 league games. Despite the Whites winning promotion, it’s safe to say people expected more for seven figures.

New boss Paul Bracewell didn’t much fancy Bazza, who then scored just five in his maiden second-tier season. But the arrival of Jean Tigana changed everything - as it did for everyone! He scored 19 times - 18 of them in the league - as the Whites romped to to the Premier League. And the rest is history.

Chris Baird

The Northern Ireland man arrived as a defender who was regarded as a bit of a jack of all trades - but a master of none.

He was regularly asked to fill in across the defence in bit-part roles that didn’t particularly inspire and it wasn’t long before he was linked with a move away.

But Baird started to come into his own under Roy Hodgson, filling in regularly at right-back, even holding that berth in the Europa League final. He continued to progress under Mark Hughes, even in a central midfield role. the highlight being two goals at a rain-soaked Britannia Stadium - one of them a GOTS winner - earning him the ‘Bairdinho’ moniker, and a place in our hearts.

Bobby Zamora

“When you’re sat in row Z and the ball hits your head, that’s Zamora.”

I spoke about BZ in my Garcia piece, but it is the best comparision I can make to GG. We did not like Zamora initially - and the feeling was mutual.

It came to a head in his second season, after he scored against Sunderland at the Cottage. He shoved his teammates away so he could repeatedly shout a the Hammy End to “Shut your fucking mouths”. Charming.

Roy Hodgson blamed “club blogs” (of which there weren’t many back then) for their criticism of the striker.

“Our fans in the Hammersmith end actually constantly chant his name. But these people who write in to the club’s blogs, they’re the real experts and they want something that he’s not been able to give them - 30 goals a year. But he has been a key player for us.”

He certainly went on to become one that season, scoring vital goals en route to the Europa League final amid a haul of 19 in all competitions. If he’d started in Hamburg we’d probably have a major European trophy in the cabinet.

Stefan Johansen

The inital opinion on StefJo shifted half an hour into his debut, as Slav hooked him for Jozabed in a disappointing 0-1 defeat to Birmingham City at the Cottage.

It was the first game covered by the pod - you’ll have to give it a listen to hear Johansen enthusiast Jack Collins’s opinions on that stinker.

The Norwegian quicky redeemed himself, going on to score 13 in all comps from midfield - and picking up no fewer than 15 yellow cards, displaying his shithousing streak that made him a cult hero.

Jean Michael Seri

Is this the most heartwarming redemption arc in FFC history?

Seri famously arrived on that infamous deadline day in 2018, for a whopping £25m amid interest from European giants including Barcelona. What followed was one of the most chaotically disappointing seasons ever and he was, rightly and firmly, labelled a huge flop.

We went to the Championship and Seri went to Galatasaray (on loan). He played no part in our equally ill-fated 2020-21 campaign, but returned to Craven Cottage for our tilt at the Championship championship under Marco Silva in 21-22. And that is where he proved us all wrong, becoming the midfield lynchpin as we pissed the league.

But his contract - the big fat one he signed way back in 2018 - was up at the end of the campaign at the club opted to let it expire, bringing an end to the relationship, but letting it finish on a high.

“He’s Marco Silva’s man, he’s better than Zidane…”

Go on then: who were you completely wrong about when they arrived? Be honest! Confess in the comments.

Jack and Sammy are back to have the final word on Fulham's 1-1 draw on the road at Villa Park, discuss players that aren't getting the minutes as they would've hoped under Arbeloa, and look ahead to Newcastle at the Cottage before the international break.

Guests:
Sammy James
Jack Collins

Producer:
Freddie Cooper

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Something is slowly starting to bubble in SW6. Since that Crystal Palace defeat in the league, Fulham have lost just one of the following six Premier League fixtures and people are starting to take notice.

The second half performance at Aston Villa has got people looking at us; it’s clear that what Alvaro Arbeloa is building is starting to take shape. While it’s not yet perfect, you feel a statement win could be coming - and this weekend at home to Newcastle United presents a fantastic opportunity.

Believe in the numbers

xG chat is about a interesting as a wall being painted, but it provides a valuable picture for the state of play currently at the Cottage. Fulham currently sit seventh on the expected points table, with the suggestion being we should’ve picked up an additional 5.2 points over the course of the opening nine games. I’m a firm believer in things being evened out throughout a 38-game campaign and one thing is for certain with this Fulham side: we like the ball and we get into exciting positions, but that final delivery isn’t quite cutting it yet.

Performances against Hull and Aston Villa particularly point this out. Gonzalo Garcia missed a sitter against the Yorkshire side while Josh King was unlucky not to get onto the scoresheet. Oscar Bobb has kicked into gear and Zion Suzuki pulled off a couple of blinding saves last Saturday, Alex Iwobi missed a few from close range and away at Coventry, Josh King hit the bar from close range. Our ability to create chances is encouraging, it’s only a matter of time before they hit the back of the net.

Gonzalo Garcia remains divisive, but I sit firmly in the believer camp. I think Aston Villa was a good performance from the youngster. He stretched play, brought others in all while not really creating a tonne. Players live and breathe for confidence and with Garcia being the second biggest under-performer in the league this season (-2.62 xG). I think it’ll only take one to give him that lift.

There for the taking

This is by no means a dig at Newcastle United, but this just feels like a perfect storm for Fulham (famous last words). Matthias Jaissle’s side are struggling; the strikers aren’t firing, inconsistency has struck and their record on the road this season has been patchy to say the least.

When things are low, they’re really low. Newcastle have already conceded four at Leeds, four at Coventry and three at Everton in the Carabao Cup and you get the feeling if one goes in at the Cottage, heads could drop. That combined with another disappointing result at home to Everton last weekend and Jacob Ramsey suspended for Saturday’s fixture, it all feels like it’s falling into place for Fulham.

Opportunity

I remember in 2023 there being a similar feeling. Fulham are showing the signs, they just need to put it all together in a performance. What followed next was a pair of 5-0 wins at the Cottage against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. I’m not suggesting that Fulham are going to turn up and absolutely romp Newcastle but the signs are pointing in our favour.

People are starting to warm towards Arbeloa. He’s looked to have learned from his mistakes during those opening few games. I’m not saying it’s perfect and I’m still skeptical of his decisions from the bench, but this feels like a serious opportunity for him. Win on Saturday, begin to create what breathing space you can from the bottom three, and enter an international break in high spirits before our inevitable annual defeat at the Etihad.

It’s coming Fulham fans. Could it be Saturday?

When Gonzalo Garcia danced past AFC Wimbledon’s Dan Sweeny, side-stepped ‘keeper Nathan Bishop and coolly slotted home to bag his second goal in two games, it looked like we’d robbed Real Madrid.

10 games later and the picture’s less rosy. But - as is always the case in football - it’s not black and white.

These formative stages of Gonzalo’s FFC career remind me a bit of Bobby Zamora’s, more than 15 years ago. When he first arrived, he couldn’t bag a goal for love nor money (bar one goal against Bolton early on). He copped abuse from the fans in the Hammersmith End, so when he did score, he’d cup his ears in response to his haters.

We came to realise that there was a lot more to his game than just goals. His hold-up play, his eye for bringing others into the game, were just as vital as his ability to put it in the onion bag.

Our relationship with Garcia isn’t as volatile as it was with Bobby in those early months. We understand he’s a young striker with a potentially stifling price tag. And in the modern game, we have a lot more data at our fingertips to see that he’s doing a lot right, and that the goals will come.

The stat doing the rounds on social this week is that Gonzalo is the biggest underperformer so far this term based on the ever-divisive xG metric. I’m not a stats nerd, but this tells me two things: his finishing needs work (the eye test already tells us this) and that he’s getting into good positions.

The latter is a far more important element, for me. Finishing is a confidence issue; strikers, particurlarly young ones in a new league, can be forgiven for lacking some confidence when things start to get a bit tricky. But Gonzalo’s workrate and positional ability is still at a high level. So when he does score, I think we can be in for a purple patch.

And it’s worth pointing out the company he’s keeping on that list. These are not terrible players. They’re not duds. Football ebbs and flows - remember when Igor Thiago was the next R9 Ronaldo?

When Garcia scored on his debut I was so pleased he got that monkey off his back. And when he went two for two, I thought “How refreshing to have a striker that is hitting the ground running?”. But football has a funny way of subverting your expectations. I’ve seen enough believe Gonzalo is closer than we might think to a kicking on. Sometimes, you just need one to bounce in off your arse, right?

His second-half performance against Villa on Saturday gives more reasons for hope - and will hopefully go some way to rebuilding some of his confidence. Some players just need an arm around them. We know Garcia will get that from his mentor Arbeloa - I have a feeling that the collective arms of the Fulham Faithful can help get him over the line.

Sammy, Piers, Dom, and Dan break down Fulham’s 1-1 draw away at Aston Villa. Arbeloa’s side came away with a first Premier League point at Villa Park in 12 years, and it came thanks to a Zion Suzuki own goal from an Alex Iwobi corner. We discuss Oscar Bobb’s man-of-the-match display and whether he’s now an upgrade on Harry Wilson.

We also debate the handball penalty, pick apart Villa’s goal, and ask why Fulham keep missing so many big chances. We then look at Arbeloa’s substitutions and Kevin being frozen out, whether Smith Rowe and Andersen should go in January, and whether you’d settle for 15th right now. With Newcastle up next, has Arbeloa now earned himself until Christmas?

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or Pocket Casts

Guests: Sammy James, Piers Cottee-Jones, Dom Betts, Dan Goga-Cooke

We discuss Oscar Bobb’s man-of-the-match display and whether he’s now an upgrade on Harry Wilson. We also debate the han…

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The Fulhamish group chat is divided.

We have Arbeloa backers - people who believe he’s slowly turning the ship around. The evidence is there; one loss in six, unbeaten in three. Then there’s our once-leaky defence looking as resolute as it has in many a month.

We also have the Arbeloa detractors. Those who believe the club is “kicking the can down the road” by keeping him at the helm, have lingering tactical concerns, and who label him “performative”, particularly after his clapping u-turn led to him taking selfies with the travelling fans post-Villa.

It’s hardly a surprising situation. After five years of a generally beloved manager, anyone coming in had a big task on their hands bringing everyone onside. The fastest way to do that, of course, would’ve been embarking on an immediate winning run. But given the overhaul in style and personnel over the summer that was never going to happen.

Alvaro will have to win fans over the hard way - gradually and with hard work and grit.

Which, to his credit, is what he’s doing. Like him or loathe him, the biggest stick used to beat him with so far is his lack of experience. Well, nothing teaches you more - faster - than adversity. And AA’s had his fair share so far. Despite his initially prickly press conference demeanour (which, by the way, is a trait he shares with Marco), he has addressed many of the flaws in his tactical set-up - and in his relationship with the fans.

I said on a podcast earlier in the season that we’d unfairly - and prematurely - labelled our boss as a man wed to his tactical philosophy and unwilling to change. He’s shown that he’s willing - and able - to do so.

I’m still in the pro-Arbeloa camp. I’m confident that we’ll be safe this season, despite the strong start from the sides expected to be in the relegation mix. And, frankly, given all the changes already mentioned, survival has to the be the aim this season, even if it’s unspoken. It gives us the platform to push on with a more established regime next term.

So, if 17th is the base expectation, anything else must be considered a bonus. And I feel like there’ll be plenty of them to grab as we push on. I’m not trying to sound naive; there are plenty of areas that still need addressing - some of them not as easy as simply re-organising our defence (I’m looking at you, Gonzalo and Rodrigo). It feels like we’re missing that one player who could get us out of jail - a Harry Wilson. But I think things are close to clicking - and someone is set to get a paddlin’ at some point soon. Maybe it’ll be the Magpies.

We’re about a quarter of the way through the season now and our heads are above water despite a strong current. It feels like the water is settling now, so let’s see how much progress Arbeloa can make - the further he swims, the more he’ll unite the fanbase. COYW.

A really good point on the road for Fulham against an opponent who has so regularly outclassed us in recent seasons.

After a slow start, it looked set to be another subservient surrender at Villa Park. Fulham tried to be brave in possession, but we couldn’t pick the gaps in the Villa press, and it just led to us being camped in our own third.

I thought it…

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Fulham’s run of misery at Villa Park has come to an end with an encouraging performance in tonight’s 1-1 draw. A strong first half was undone by a goal for Nicolas Jackson coming through a poorly defended counter-attack - undeterred, Fulham rallied in the second half and put the pressure on Villa, creating several near-misses before benefitting from an uncharacteristic error from top performer Zion Suzuki. Whilst Alvaro Arbeloa still has work to do in finding the clinical touch for the team in front of goal, there is a sense the team have found something of a rhythm in the Premier League, and can take a lot of positives moving into November.

First Half

Aston Villa are one of many sides in transition, and their new-look XI entered the game with a decent spell of league form behind them, chasing us around Villa Park as we tried to settle into the game. Our possession was largely in our own half, Berge and Charles moving amongst the backline to try and help the team wriggle away from a high press. The early action being concentrated in Fulham territory did actually help us forge the first chance of the game - industrious defensive work from Bobb saw him dispossess Manzambi, taking the ball into Villa’s half with a run and setting Garcia away down the right. His creative run dragged Villa’s backline into the box, allowing him to cross along the ground into open space. A deflection off Lindelof saw it travel to Iwobi, square in front of the goal… but he couldn’t adjust his body correctly and skied his shot.

It was the last we’d see of Suzuki and the Villa goal for a while. Their energy and attacking work-rate was far higher than ours, breathing down our necks with each kick of the ball. Cash slipped Alysson through into the box, needing Robinson to muscle him off the ball - the corner, the first of many we’d concede warding away danger, saw Goretzka knock McGinn’s delivery over the bar with a header. They were swarming everywhere - the usually unflappable Charles found himself giving the ball away in the box under pressure, thankfully sharp enough to recover and put himself between Manzambi’s shot and the goal.

Indeed, Villa’s new winger proved lively, needing Berge to come and support Castagne and winning ground and set-pieces for his team. The accumulation of corners built the pressure further, and as Goretzka headed the ball into Leno’s hands VAR spotted our error - Berge’s momentum whilst trying to stop the German saw his arms swing into the air, his left catching the ball in motion. A quick check at the monitor brought the worst, as McGinn collected the ball and placed it on the spot… before smacking his strike onto the crossbar, his awkward execution flying back into the pitch.

It was a welcome relief for us, but Villa hardly seemed deterred, throwing themselves along every avenue to try and open the scoring. A long ball from Lindelof was controlled superbly by left-back Maatsen, needing an excellent block from Affengruber to cut out his cross, Robinson again showed his muscle to wrestle the sprightly Alysson off the ball on another goalbound run, and Charles was pinched again as Kamara stole the ball and fed it to Goretzka, muscling through the pitch to take aim at goal and curling it narrowly over the bar.

Our resilience seemed to instigate a little life in our own attack. As ever it was King trying to spark life by taking the ball forward, allowing Fulham players to move into Villa territory. Robinson looked his sharpest in a while, using his pace to evade Cash and the backtracking Alysson and guiding some missile-passes across the final third. There was still danger on the break from the aerial balls Villa launched; Suzuki found Jackson, suckering Affengruber into a clumsy attempted-tackle for a yellow card and a free kick we’d have to deal with - but with a spring in our step Charles’ clearance of the free-kick let Robinson capitalise, beating Alysson to the loose ball and surging along the wing, soaring into Villa’s half and onto the edge of their box before playing the ball across the final third. Garcia’s leave was clever, though a little off-putting for Bobb, whose first touch was a little heavy - the resulting shot was just close enough for Suzuki to make a superb save, pushing the ball behind the goal and denying us the opener.

Garcia was involved shortly afterwards, collecting an aerial ball of our own and creating nice interplay on the left with Iwobi, blasting a shot through Torres’ legs and marginally wide of the goal. But in our positive strides we’d switched out of the defensive focus that had kept Villa’s pacey attack at bay. From Cash’s ball out from the back, a dummy by Alysson deceived a reckless press from Castagne, letting Manzambi move the ball left to an unopposed Jackson. The striker cruised along the open channel, reaching the box and maneuvering around Affengruber and the hapless back-tracking Castagne to place the ball into the net. In a moment that looked our best in the game, Villa had stolen a goal through our ramshackle defending - and the pressure was back on us to counter our goalscoring troubles.

Robinson continued to work hard but without Garcia maintaining a presence in the box they seldom produced a shot, as did the corners Iwobi swung in. The forward’s build-up play was better, collecting another aerial ball from Affengruber and slipping King in as he cut inside away from Cash - Josh, for all his talents, is not a striker, and the heavy touch again offered Suzuki the time to dive into action, making the crucial touch to take the ball away from a King shot. It was the theme of the half, and increasingly the season - energy and elegance in the build-up, met with a dearth of confidence in the box itself, and individual mistakes in defence dashing the momentum being built in response.

Second Half

Bassey collecting a yellow card on the cusp of the break meant both our centre-backs had a half to play on the edge, and with Villa likely to stage a wealth of counter-attacks we couldn’t afford many repeats of the situation in the first half, where quick transitions stung us around the park. Accordingly the team returned to the pitch with added zeal, pinging quick passes around Villa to seize control of their half and create the opening. It almost worked immediately - from Bassey, Robinson and Iwobi combined on the left of the box, playing as though Villa’s defenders ceased to exist. Robinson’s cross fizzed ahead of Cash… Suzuki once again had the hands to steer it just off-kilter for Garcia, and his slide couldn’t guide the ball home.

Villa’s first counter came through some slick passing of their own - a lovely ball from Torres travelled through our midfield to McGinn, who quickly dispatched Jackson against a dawdling Castagne - the striker reached the box, cut inside and drilled an effort along the ground. But the majority of the action was in their half, as we continued to probe with our possession play. The entrance to the box seemed welded shut, the pressure enough to offer a flash of a chance before the backline locked up the route to the goal. More infuriating was the sense that on the occasions we actually put ourselves in sight of a chance, the ball was actively defying us in our attempts to equalise. An Iwobi corner from the left was headed on by Castagne, finally putting the ball in the sensitive six-yard box for an easy conversion… only for Charles to scuff his touch upwards from point-blank range, bouncing off Garcia’s shoulder and out.

We continued to work the channels, Castagne linking nicely with the confidence of Bobb on the right, the Norwegian taking on Maatsen and everyone around him to cut inside - the shots needed work, as Villa still got bodies in the way, or made themselves enough of an obstacle to put our finishes off, Charles the latest to put an effort off-target. The danger, obviously, came whenever Villa found a crack of light in our own half - Bassey had a wobble and allowed Alysson to sneak into the box, needing a smart low save from Leno to keep his effort out, and was still alert in the aftermath of the corner, with Maatsen’s volley deflecting awkwardly off Lindelof and needing another sharp reaction in a test of our keeper’s positional awareness.

Bobb’s latest dazzling run forward got him around the wilting Manzambi and towards the goalline. He lifted the ball into the box, perfectly placed for Iwobi to head into the net… yet he could only find Suzuki with the effort, and Garcia’s attempt to knock in the rebound was blocked by a timely Lindelof lunge. We had yet another corner, Iwobi’s delivery curling high and straight to the keeper… only for Suzuki, having played a stellar game, to bounce the ball over the line with his hands. After so many near-misses it was a strange twist that a fluke mistake from the game’s best performer gave us parity.

The triple change Villa made indicated Unai Emery wanted an injection of life, with fresh wingers in Buendia and Mbaye and Joao Gomes to revitalise Villa around a Fulham-dominated midfield. He’d have to wait for an instant impact, as King and Bobb kept the energy up with their dribbling and movement. With Affengruber cutting out Villa’s attempts to get Jackson back involved, we had a lot of joy turning play back on their transitions into attack - a counter-attack saw Bobb cruise along the right once more, Villa’s troops chasing after him, Iwobi freed along the left and played into the box at speed, Cash just making the distance up to divert the shot at goal. It proved to be his last involvement - captain Cairney arrived to try and turn the screw and push Fulham into the lead.

Was this the right move? Iwobi, for all his troubles in front of goal, had worked nicely keeping things fluid around the pitch. Cairney, though just as talented with a ball at his feet, lacked the presence along the left, indicated by having to take a yellow stopping Mbaye storming towards the box. We might have made it work if the next changes hadn’t removed hardworkers Bobb and King - whilst Tete and Palacios have qualities of their own, both lie further from the frontline, and with Barkley arriving for Villa impetus drifted into the hosts’ hands. Our attacks were fewer and more reactive - a long ball from Tete being knocked down by Garcia, moved by Palacios to Robinson, Antonee drilling into the box and forcing through a shot for Suzuki to save. A pleasant sight, but not one made by a team enjoying the same control as before.

The unwieldy formation, with our wingers now Palacios and Castagne, and a front press of Garcia and Cairney, grew the tension hanging over the scoreline. Villa moved into our half, winning set-pieces through the free-kicks and corners their energy started accumulating. Their deliveries were impressive, Cash and Buendia both guiding balls into sensitive spaces, but Torres twice knocked headers wide of the post to waste the opportunity his team generated. Arbeloa made more tweaks, Muniz and Larsson entering to seemingly consolidate the point, and with Garnacho emerging from the bench to try and squeak a victory from the game Fulham needed serious concentration to survive the closing stages. To their credit, they found this - each man on the pitch pulling their weight, be it Tete blocking Garnacho’s mazey run and shot, Palacios closing Buendia down to deny a late shot, our centre-backs bolting up the box or Muniz holding up the ball to eat time away in the game. Such margins translate into points, and a Cairney clearance signalled ours at the match’s culmination.

A timely response

If you’d have offered me a point prior to the game I’d have taken it. Aston Villa are a Champions League team, a side with wins over the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in recent years, and perhaps most importantly a team we have endured several miserable results against since Emery’s appointment. After the awful mood following the midweek cup elimination we saw marked improvements from several key players, and made Villa look as nervous as Hull or Coventry did in our recent victories over them.

I was really excited to see Robinson show signs of life - after a pitiful showing in the midweek he rallied himself and was brilliant along the left, dragging Alysson for a ride across the evening. The crosses were sharper, and our attacking consequently had an extra edge, with the added bonus of bringing Iwobi into play more frequently as well. Bobb’s confidence continues to grow on the right - a pleasure to watch cruising down the wing, and deserving of far more assists than what we are giving him at present. King was a little rustier than in previous weeks but of course continued to emerge in spaces around the attack, and Garcia’s link-up play and drive seemed sharper than some of his recent efforts for us, the overall impact forcing Suzuki into a busy evening for Villa.

And yet… we only have a single goal to show for a night we were largely on top of Villa throughout, our possession failing to instill the confidence to finish any of our chances, and (if Iwobi can’t wrangle the goal for himself) a fluke own goal needed to earn the draw in the end. The momentum evaporates in the box - all the players are guilty of freezing in the key moments, to almost comical effect at times, and when your striker ends up drifting away from goal to put himself into the action an unintended consequence is a team where everyone hopes another man is willing to finish the chance. You look at the team’s quality, crystal clear throughout the passages of play, but it is obfuscated behind the chances we miss, and the results we fail to collect as a result. It doesn’t help either when the substitutes are wrong at a crucial time again - taking momentum out of the match by removing the best attackers and throwing on ill-fitting replacements with Villa rampant for a late winner.

To offer some praise of Arbeloa, if we ignore Castagne’s blunders for the goal, I thought we were very strong defensively. If we ignore the opening games we have conceded 4 goals in 6 games in the league with 3 clean sheets - Bassey and Affengruber have made quite the team, Berge and Charles are a solid protective tool even when their contributions aren’t spectacular (or they give away cheap penalties) and with Robinson stepping it up today the work around them made for a healthier disposition too. The team are close to looking functional again - with time to get the whole squad pulling together, I don’t think we are terribly far from pairing our quality of play with some terrific results.

Emery - Villa’s golden ticket

Aston Villa have Barcelona in a few days’ time so one wonders if their energy is being reserved for a trip to the Nou Camp… the performance tonight was some way off the energy levels seen in their win over Manchester City, for instance, and after the initial wave of pressing they threw at us in the first half they were the subordinate force in the game until they brought players off the bench in the second half. It’s understandable that the new-look team will have games like this, where Fulham’s love of the ball makes for an evening of chasing and harrying, but with the midfield unable to push themselves into the game Villa’s main strategy was aerial attacks to their pacey forwards, hardly a reliable route to goal against a functioning Premier League defence.

That said, it’s hard to dismiss the achievements of Emery at the club, even in a game like this - they’ve recruited well, most obviously with Suzuki refreshing the vacancy Martinez left behind, but also through the attacking trio Manzambi, Jackson and Alysson, who for all their sides’ inconsistency are generating chemistry and goals for their side. To lose the core of the Europa League winning side and be able to turn the game their way with the bench is impressive, blending veterans like Barkley and Buendia with young talent like Mbaye. They have a top manager, and with Arbeloa still working out how to make a substitution you can feel the difference in the closing stages of the game with a strong head making the decisions. We will be incredibly lucky to be three points behind Villa at the end of the season.

Supporting Fulham is a love/hate relationship most of the time, and this week I am certainly in the hate camp. Yet another golden opportunity to have a run at a piece of silverware was thrown away after an inept performance on home turf.

There are so many statistics aligned to Palace’s win on Wednesday night, but 14 shots, nine corners and zero goals really do sum up how disappointing that game was.

Palace had lost three of their last four coming into the game and conceded 12 while doing so. There really is no justification for a performance like that – it feels like two small steps forward for Fulham, then an almighty step back. Truthfully, I am finding it hard to love anything about this Fulham side right now, and I have similar sentiment towards the manager.

This weekend our sights turn to Aston Villa away, where Fulham has lost on their last seven visits. Emery’s men sit in ninth, having turned a corner after a rocky start to their campaign. Three wins in their last four, including a deserved victory against Manchester City, Villa will be favourites going into this game.

So as we embark on a quest to bag some more Premier League points, here are five things to look out for.

1. Committing to being dangerous in wide areas

After the win against Coventry and the defeat to Palace, Arbeloa spoke to creating more chances from wide areas, and it’s somewhat of a recurring theme. That’s all well and good, but the tactical selections do not match the ambition. Oscar Bobb is frequently the only natural wide player selected, often matched on the left by Iwobi or Palacios. Both come inside. We’ve also seen substitutions effect the balance of the side too, namely against Palace

We saw again, against Palace, that Bobb’s width was counterbalanced by Palacios drifting into the half-space. Ideally, it’s to create pockets in semi-central areas, but with Fulham increasingly coming up against low blocks, the result is often predictable and leading the opposition to deal with one true wide player down the left: Antonee Robinson.

Villa like to play a compact game, and they’ll be more than happy to let Fulham have much of the ball. Most of their work is done on the counter, anyway. Introducing another true wide player into the mix could help pull apart Villa’s lower block andcreate space for others to be effective. Arbeloa lamented that Palace waited to pick us off with a mistake – it worked, so why not learn from that and try an new approach?

2. Dangerous Villa picking up steam

After a summer of departures Villa are beginning to look like themselves again. It took a while for the new faces to bed in, but our opponents are finding their groove. Nicolas Jackson looks every part the player Chelsea thought they were going to get, and his reunion with Emery (they worked together at Villarreal), has worked wonders. New boys Joao Gomes and Manzambi are also beginning to settle well, Manzambi, in particular, is finding the form that he showed at the World Cup.

Outside of Arteta, Emery might just be the best manager in the league. His formation often looks like a traditional 4-4-2 on paper, but there are so many intricacies that make this system so dangerous. They sit narrow and explode wide; they play great vertical football that isolates their opposition and they create premium chances. Villa are exceptionally good on the counter, and this will be a test of Fulham’s defence, which has improved markedly over the past three months.

Marking Jackson and Manzambi out of the game and managing the counter using Berge/Charles, is going to be a key part to getting something out of this game.

3. Unpicking the low block

Fulham passes vs. Crystal Palace: 789. Fulham passes vs. Coventry: 657. Fulham passes vs. Hull: 752. Two goals and 12 shots on target to show for it. Unpicking the low block has been a real challenge for Fulham, it often feels like possession for the sake of possession. The Whites must be far quicker moving the ball around and reducing the number of touches they’re taking in tight spaces.

There feels like a lack of instinct with Fulham at times, like the players are trying to walk it in. To beat this Villa side, Fulham are going to have to be far more aggressive and take more risks; hit the byline, add more interchanges and recycle the ball quicker. There has also been a sense that Fulham are reluctant to cross, but to truly get the best out of Gonzalo, Fulham are going to have to get in behind to at least let the Spaniard attack the box. That being said, it’d be great if Garcia could stop missing sitters too.

Perhaps it is time to open the draw, blow off the dust and use my favourite saying: is this a game for Tom Cairney? Tom has usually come on to act as the metronome to suffocate the other teams, but in a game where it’ll take a piece of brilliance to unlock the door, it feels like TC could be that person. There is the fear that he could get caught in the transitions, but if Fulham want the ball there feels like no better fit.

4. Looking better at the back

On the Thursday Club this week, Jack and Elizabeth discussed the victories over Hull and Coventry and noted both played awfully against us, but was it down to Fulham? Personally, I think both matches lacked a lot of quality in key areas. But, Fulham have improved markedly from their early season form and have the second-best defensive record in the Premier League over the last five games.

The back five definitely feels established at this point, and the full-backs have found balance when attacking and defending. The pace of Affengruber and Bassey does provide Fulham with a platform to play a higher line, which helps to implement the press further up the pitch. This has been key to Fulham reducing the number of shots on target against per game. The battle between Castagne and Tete has been an interesting watch; the consistency of Castagne is just edging the selection, although Tete did show some good vibes against Palace.

Arbeloa has also adapted the game-plan slightly, introducing a more conservative approach to his defensive midfielders – their gameplan has reduced to simply blocking passing lanes, regaining possession and progressing as quickly as possible. This has helped players understand their core roles, and bought balance to a midfield that previously looked confused and out of position. It was like when you chose all the fancy roles on Football Manager because they sound good.

5. Stop shoehorning in the Madrid boys

Ultimately, this is a small issue in comparison to others across the pitch but a persistent occurrence throughout this season. I believe that one of the three summers signings has featured in every game this season – I can understand wanting to select familiar players while in a new role, however, it has felt egregious at times.

The deployment of Gonzalo Garcia against Palace was strange; he ended up playing in a quasi-left-wing position and looked totally lost. It was a move that had completely undone the good work of the previous set of subs, and one that had to be remedied a few minutes later.

Palacios has also looked to be struggling with the physicality of the Premier League, and hasn’t looked anywhere near as assured in possession as he once was. He also didn’t have the best game against Palace, but then again nobody else did either.

It’d be nice to see Arbeloa use some other options off the bench this week.

Here is to undoing the hoodoo for another Fulhamish win. COYW

There hasn’t be much time to wallow in our Carabao Cup defeat. An incredibly frustrating evening, but time to move on and look ahead. Two more games before the final international break of 2026. First up, we travel to Aston Villa. Villa Park has been a horrendous place to visit as a Fulham fan in recent times.

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