Three Fulham players who have exceeded all expectations this season
It has been a topsy-turvy tale for Fulham in the Premier League so far. The Cottagers got off to a poor start on opening day, with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace. They followed it up with a better performance against Tottenham Hotspur but that was not enough to avoid a 3-1 defeat. However, Slavisa Jokanovic’s men turned their fortunes around in their third game with a 4-2 over Burnley at home.
Jokanovic didn’t hesitate to break the bank to sign new reinforcements in the summer transfer window. With the likes of Andre Schurrle, Jean Michael Seri and Aleksandar Mitrovic in their ranks, Fulham boast of a team strong enough team to do well in the Premier League.
The win against Burnley was a sign of better things to come. The likes of Mitrovic, Seri, Schurrle and Luciano Vietto all combined well together. Captain Tom Cairney was quite impactful when compared to the previous games and he provided some important deliveries into the box.
As a result, the Cottagers carried their positives into last weekend’s clash against Brighton & Hove Albion. Although they have only themselves to blame for being unable to hold on to their two-goal cushion, they were arguably the better side in the 2-2 draw.
Here are three Fulham players who have exceeded expectations this season.
1. Aleksandar Mitrovic
The Serbian striker joined Fulham last season on loan from Newcastle United and played a major role in their promotion to the Premier League. Jokanovic made his deal permanent this summer and the 23-year-old has taken his game to a new level.
In the game against Brighton, the Serbian got on the scoresheet twice and played a key role in the team’s 4-2 victory. He has used his towering 6ft 2 in stature to good effect, making a deadly impact with his headers so far. In fact, three out of his four goals have come from headers.
More often than not, Mitrovic seems to be the right place at the right time. He used his good presence of mind and headed in Ryan Sessegnon’s low cross from the flanks in the second game against Spurs. The Serbian has shown good positional sense and was present at the back post to head in Tom Cairney’s perfectly-measured chip ball.
The 23-year-old used every bit of his strength against Brighton and drove past the defender to make space for himself and found the back of the net. He is currently the top scorer in the Premier League and the Cottagers have every reason to expect more from him.
2. Jean Michael Seri
The Ivorian, who joined Fulham for a club-record fee of £25million, has settled down well at Craven Cottage and has looked impressive in the midfield. Not only has he been immaculate with his passing and ball distribution but he has also helped the team defensively with tackles and interceptions.
Seri made space for himself in the final third and fired a beautiful shot from the edge of the box to score Fulham’s first goal against Burnley. He followed it up with a lovely assist for Schurrle against Brighton.
His vision and movement in the centre of the park have caused a lot of problems for the opposition and Fulham need him to perform well throughout the season if they are to stay alive in the Premier League.
3. Andre Schurrle
The German joined Fulham from Borussia Dortmund on a two-season loan deal in the summer and he has already hit the ground running with goals in back-to-back games against Burnley and Brighton.
He has looked quite lively, often drifting to the central areas to engineer attacks. Schurrle has utilized his pace and agility to good effect and has caused a lot of problems for the opposition, cutting inside onto his right.
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He has worked hard and has been good with his positioning and movement in the final third as well.
