Match Preview
Fulham vrs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Premier League Match Day 25 22_23 at Craven Cottage
Friday 24th February 2023, KO: 20:00
Referee:
Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Live on SkySports
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Fulham, taking on fellow Europa League chasers Brighton at the Amex last weekend, somehow quelled the Seagulls onslaught - which saw Brighton have 21 shots on goal compared to just five for Silva's men - but when it mattered most, substitute Manor Solomon made no mistake to clinch the unlikeliest of wins in the 88th minute.
Credit must also go to the impenetrable Bernd Leno and the rest of the Cottagers' rearguard for their third win on the bounce across all competitions - one which sees the newly-promoted side incredibly sit sixth in the table and just four points off Tottenham Hotspur in the final Champions League spot.
Dreams of European nights will become a reality if Fulham continue performing in the same vein, although Brighton, Liverpool and Brentford are all just three points behind with games in hand, and Fulham will face the latter two teams either side of a clash with league leaders Arsenal during a fear-inducing March schedule.
Nevertheless, Silva's side can always rely on their staunch backline to do the dirty work, with Fulham keeping clean sheets in each of their last three top-flight games, and their upcoming opponents are not exactly renowned for prolific final-third play.
Following the script of their season, Wolves left Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto relatively untroubled despite doing the majority of the attacking at Molineux, and Lopetegui's strugglers would be made to pay for their profligacy in a chastening loss.
Back in the starting lineup with a bang, Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier struck the only goal of the game in the 49th minute for the Cherries, who brought Wolves crashing back down to earth following wins over Liverpool and Southampton for the West Midlands side.
By returning to losing ways, Wolves enter Friday's game languishing in 15th in the table - three points clear of the drop zone - and their March schedule makes for grim reading too, as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United lie in wait over the next few weeks.
Nevertheless, playing on rival turf has been a pleasant experience for Wolves in recent fixtures - losing just one of their last five away from home, and even that was against Manchester City - but Lopetegui's side have kept just one clean sheet on their travels in a goalless draw at Bournemouth in October.
Wolves managed to hold Fulham to a 0-0 stalemate at Molineux in August, which made it five games without defeat for the West Midlands side against the Cottagers, who have incredibly not beaten their upcoming visitors in a league fixture since a 5-0 romping in March 2012.
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Fulham's only victory in 13 league matches against Wolves was 2-0 at Craven Cottage in the Championship five years to the day before this latest fixture (D3, L9).
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The Cottagers have gone four Premier League games without a goal versus Wolves since Ryan Sessegnon scored in a 1-1 home draw on Boxing Day 2018.
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A Wolves triumph would equal their club record of seven Premier League wins against a particular opponent. They've beaten both Southampton and West Ham seven times.
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A win would give Fulham 41 points, the highest tally by a promoted team after 25 fixtures of a 38-match Premier League season
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Only the two Manchester clubs have earned more points than Fulham's 19 since the Premier League resumed after the World Cup
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Sixth-placed Fulham's solitary defeat in 17 league games this season against teams currently below them in the table came at West Ham in October (W11, D5).
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They can equal the club top-flight record of four consecutive clean sheets, set in March 1963 and matched in December 2001
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Manor Solomon can become only the second Israeli player to score in three successive Premier League appearances, emulating Ronnie Rosenthal for Liverpool in November 1992.
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Wolves can win consecutive away league matches for the first time since a run of four from December 2021 to February 2022.
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Their only point from five Premier League visits to London this season came in a 1-1 draw at Brentford in October.
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Wolves are unbeaten in their past seven top-flight away games against promoted opposition since a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United in July 2020.
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Craig Dawson is one short of 250 Premier League appearances.
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Mario Lemina scored one goal in 28 Premier League matches for Fulham during a loan spell from Southampton in 2020-21.
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