Harry: Squad effort

Harry Wilson praised the effort of the squad as Fulham made it seven games unbeaten with a 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth.

It could have been an even better ending to 2024 for Marco Silva’s side, who would have climbed to sixth in the Premier League table had it not been for Dango Ouattara’s late equaliser at Craven Cottage.

But in what’s been a gruelling period for Fulham, who have played seven games in a 29-day spell, in which they’ve faced five of the current top 10, Silva’s side have come through the final month of the calendar year undefeated.

The run has been even more impressive given that the boss has been faced with several injury and suspension headaches throughout December.

“We’re in a good moment and if we get a few more wins then we’ll be a bit happier,” said Wilson.

“We’ve been missing a lot of key players. We were fairly lucky with injuries last season and at the start of this season but we’ve been really hit in the last month or two.

“The lads who have come in, who maybe haven’t played as much, have done really well and it’s been a real squad effort. To go unbeaten in the last seven games, with some really tough games in there, shows we’re a good team, but I also feel we can get better."

Wilson was rewarded with a start against Bournemouth following his heroics from the bench in the win at Chelsea on Boxing Day. The Welshman grasped his opportunity with both hands, nodding home Fulham’s second goal as he found the back of the net for the fifth time in his last 10 appearances.

It looked like it was going to be the winning goal, but Fulham conceded a second equalising goal as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, leaving Wilson and his teammates with mixed feelings at the full-time whistle.

“When you concede that late and don’t win the game, it always feels a bit worse than what it actually is," he said. "A point was probably fair but when you’re ahead that late in the game you’re always disappointed not to hold onto the win.

“The game was a little bit end-to-end, particularly after the 60^th and 70th minute. After we went ahead, we had a few chances to go 3-1 up and put the game to bed, but when you don’t do that there’s always a chance the other team will create one or two chances, and they were able to put one away.

“I’m not a player who likes being on the bench, so when I’m starting I want to make sure I’m contributing. I’m delighted to have scored my first goal as a starter. A win would have been nicer, but it's good to get to five goals and to be in a good position, with the team on a good run. We would like to have won a couple more games but to have an unbeaten run as long as we have is tough to do in the Premier League.”