Upping the ante
Despite Fulham leading 1-0, the opening 35 minutes had largely been a quiet affair at Craven Cottage. That all changed when Neeskens Kebano slammed home number two. That ignited something in the Whites, and we quickly went on to score three goals in nine minutes at the end of the first 45, leaving Blues completely shellshocked and the home fans thrilled at another scintillating half of football.
Hit for (at least) six
Fulham’s recent free-scoring form has seen statisticians in their element. The last English side to score six times in three consecutive matches was Chester way back in 1933, when they defeated Rochdale 7-1, Darlington 6-1, and Accrington 7-0. There have been more recent examples of similar goal scoring feats, with the 1954 Everton side recording 6-2, 6-1 and 8-4 victories in a row, but they suffered a 3-1 FA Cup defeat during that spell. Chelsea could also lay tentative claim to a similar run, ending the 2009/10 season with an 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic, and then starting 2010/11 with two 6-0 wins. But we’re definitely not counting that…
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Playing for the team
With Fulham bagging six goals, it was perhaps a little surprising not to see either of our two top scorers in the mix. That said, both Aleksandar Mitrović and Harry Wilson put in phenomenal contributions on Tuesday night, something that wasn’t lost on their Head Coach. “It is a good sign for us if we are able to score six goals and create more chances even if our top scorer does not score,” Marco Silva said. “Two players in our front line didn’t score – Mitro and Harry – possibly they were the most important players for us.”
Full-back contributions
Denis Odoi and Antonee Robinson each played key roles in Fulham’s sequences going forward against Birmingham, and were duly rewarded with attacking returns. We’ve already seen Odoi set up a goal with a first time cross this season, and his delivery for Neeskens Kebano for the crucial second goal was another delight, putting Denis on four assists for the season. Robinson matched that tally with his lovely floated cross for Fabio Carvalho’s header, while he also got his name on the scoresheet with a fine late finish – his third of the season, all of which have arrived in stoppage time.
Extra point in the bag
Having scored 70 times already by mid-January, Fulham’s goal difference of +47 is more than double that of anyone else in the Championship. It is also greater than the goals scored by every side in the division, with Blackburn Rovers coming closest having netted 44 times. Naturally we’re hoping that we don’t end up relying on our excellent GD, but it is always good to have in the back pocket, with our superior numbers effectively worth an additional point in the standings.
