Fulham manager Marco Silva is fully aware of the standards Manchester United are capable of reaching at Craven Cottage on Sunday, despite the Red Devils sitting 13th in the Premier League table.
Ruben Amorim has won seven of his 16 matches since taking over at United, the most notable of which being a victory away at Manchester City, while they’ve also recorded a draw against Liverpool and an FA Cup penalty shootout win at Arsenal, which Silva believes shows they’re a dangerous opponent.
“There’s been some games where they’ve been solid, difficult and compact – like against Liverpool and Arsenal, where they’ve mostly played in their defensive half,” said the Fulham boss in his pre-match press conference.
“With space, they are capable of punishing you. The quality they have in certain areas of the pitch is really high. With a player like Bruno [Fernandes], they have a player who is able to provide in a very good and assertive way in most of the moments they create. He’s a player who sees different things. The game can go in many different directions, it can be a more open game, a more compact game, but let’s see how it goes.
"We know we’re facing a massive club and with the quality they have, they are capable of playing the way that they played against Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.
“We have to be ready for everything. One thing is for sure, we are going to be Fulham and you are going to recognise our team on Sunday, for sure.”
The reverse fixture at Old Trafford, back in August, was one of just two times Fulham have failed to score in the Premier League this season.
Since then, a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Southampton is the only time the Whites have failed to hit the back of the net in the top flight, with Silva pleased at his side’s attacking output.
“We have been able to create more chances than the seasons before,” he said. “Performance wise, we are making the right steps and improving season by season. We mix well, starting from the back a little bit and more unpredictable in other moments.
“We have been scoring a very good number of goals and we have been consistent with the goals we are scoring in games. With the chances we’ve created, we should have scored much more.
"It’s a sign that the we play creates chances and allows us to be dominant in moments. We want to be more consistent and solid as a team. The secret is the way we prepare, the way we build our attacks, the quality we have and the way the players trust the message from ourselves. After that, it’s up to them to express themselves on the pitch."