Fulham v Rotherham: Pick of the statspublished at 15:51 3 January
15:51 3 January
Fulham have won their past four meetings with Rotherham, but this will be the first time they have faced each other in the FA Cup.
Rotherham are without a win in their past 17 FA Cup away games against top-flight opponents (D5 L12), since a 3-1 win at Newcastle United in January 1953.
Fulham have progressed to the fourth round from 12 of their past 15 FA Cup third-round ties.
Rotherham are looking to reach the FA Cup fourth round for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign. They have gone out at this stage 12 times since then, including in the past five seasons.
Whites boss Marco Silva has won all five of his FA Cup third round matches as a manager - twice with Fulham and once with Hull City, Watford and Everton.
Transfer news: Andre move on holdpublished at 08:50 3 January
08:50 3 January
Fulham's move for Fluminense and Brazil midfielder Andre, 22, is on hold because they are unwilling to meet the £25m asking price now they believe PJoao Palhinha is staying at the club. (Football Transfers, external)
Deeney's memories of playing under 'ruthless' Silvapublished at 17:11 2 January
17:11 2 January
Former Premier League strikers Jermain Defoe and Troy Deeney are back for a new series of their Football Firsts podcast on BBC Sounds.
In the latest episode, they reflect on the first rollockings they ever received from a manager.
Deeney, now a boss at League Two side Forest Green Rovers, was asked which manager that he played under scared him the most.
"Sean Dyche would have to be up there, but do you know who was, but it was more for his ruthlessness? Marco Silva," said Deeney.
"Small in stature, a nice guy but he'll cut you off. It's his way or no way.
"When he came in at Watford, and bear in mind I was doing alright, he wanted more pace up front which is fine. He signed Andre Gray, and he said to me: 'You're a legend, I don't want to be disrespectful, but you're slow.' And I was like: 'OK, I can't do anything about that.'
"He said: 'You're a nice guy but you're just too slow' and just walked off. It was just 'this is why he's in, deal with it'. He was just straight.
"I've got a great relationship with him now and I've been into Fulham to see him but we've never really spoken about it actually."
Sunday's win over Arsenal was an incredible way to end 2023.
All in all, it was a pretty remarkable year to be a Fulham fan. The Whites secured a top-10 finish, beat Chelsea in the SW6 derby for the first time in 16 years and reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup for the first time.
The win over Arsenal was another major achievement for this team. Despite a very impressive season and a half back in the top flight, victory over a side in the top four has eluded us. We've come close many times, but never quite got over the line, so to finally get that off our back is a huge milestone.
It also eases some of the pressure that was beginning to form after three successive league defeats. After the excellent 5-0 wins over Nottingham Forest and West Ham, we were all looking up rather than down - but our blip, coupled with a resurgence by the bottom three, meant the gap had narrowed once again.
While we aren't safe yet, a nine-point cushion lifts the mood and allows Marco Silva and his players to fully focus on the cups.
The upcoming semi-final games against Liverpool are two of the biggest matches in our history, and the Arsenal win just allows us to give those the attention they deserve.
Plus, if we can beat the Gunners, what's to stop us grabbing another scalp this month?
Captain Cairney signs contract extensionpublished at 10:51 2 January
10:51 2 January
Image source, Getty Images
Tom Cairney has extended his stay at Craven Cottage until June 2025, after signing a contract extension which will see the captain complete a decade of service for the club.
The 32-year-old midfielder joined Fulham from Blackburn Rovers in June 2015 and has served as club captain since the beginning of the 2016-17 season.
After signing his new contract, Cairney said: "It means everything to me to extend my contract. Ten years is a hell of a long time in football, a very rare thing.
"I said from quite early on that Fulham feels like home. A lot of players say that and then move on, but I feel like it’s obvious that I meant it as I’ll still be here ten years later.
"I just want to thank everyone for the support over the years. The Fulham fans have been incredible with me and I’ll just look to keep repaying them."
Fulham owner Tony Khan added: "I don’t think the importance of Tom Cairney joining Fulham in 2015 can be underestimated in terms of our recent history.
"He has been a great signing for the club, whose contribution over the years has led to so many memorable successes on the pitch.
"Tom Cairney's new contract will also take him into a special group of players that have reached a decade with Fulham, and I'm delighted for him and his family.
"He’s a fantastic person who I have much admiration for, and it is timely that this announcement comes just two days after our victory over Arsenal in which Tom was named Player of the Match."
Transfer news: Cairney signs one-year contract extensionpublished at 08:50 2 January
08:50 2 January
Fulham have triggered a one-year contract extension for club captain and Scotland midfielder Tom Cairney, 32, after his impressive recent form. (Sun), external
What Whites need to do in January transfer windowpublished at 17:24 1 January
17:24 1 January
We asked you what transfer business you want to see Fulham do in January.
Here are some of your answers:
Max: The key to the January transfer window is keeping Joao Palhinha (also keeping Tosin Adarabioyo, who has been on form recently). There will be big offers but I hope we can prevent his departure until next summer. In terms of signings, I think Andre from Fluminense would make a great partnership with Palhinha in the middle and perhaps take his role once he leaves.
Keir: Raul Jimenez may have started scoring, but we still need another striker. However, the million dollar question is: are we going to lose Palhinha? If we do, we need a top-class midfielder.
Joe: A couple of new signings to make the squad more competitive.
Luke: Defensive options are great, but we have shown that we are in trouble offensively with just a couple of absences. A new striker capable of playing at the top level to back up Jimenez is the most urgent.
'This is a game where we had to suffer'published at 14:02 1 January
14:02 1 January
Image source, PA Media
Willian praised Fulham's spirit and said his team "had to suffer" to secure a 2-1 win over Premier League title challengers Arsenal.
Bukayo Saka gave the visitors an early lead at Craven Cottage on Sunday, but Fulham fought back to win with goals either side of half-time, coupled with an excellent defensive display.
"We're a team that wants to get better and stay in a better position, so this is a game where we had to suffer - but when we had the ball we showed the quality, and we did it," said winger Willian.
"In football, you cannot give up and you have to play 90 minutes and fight to the end to try to make life difficult for the opposition. We have to believe in ourselves and that's what we do.
"We always want to try to improve. It's difficult to play against these types of teams and we've had some not great results against these teams in the last minutes."
'He put in a performance worthy of what he's capable of'published at 12:07 1 January
12:07 1 January
Image source, PA Media
There is "excitement" at Fulham about the form of Raul Jimenez and what he can help the team achieve, says former England defender Matthew Upson.
Mexico striker Jimenez struggled to score regularly for Wolves after sustaining a serious head injury in 2020 and, having moved to Fulham in the summer for £5m, failed to find the net for his new club until the middle of November.
However, he has netted five times in his past seven Premier League appearances, including in Sunday's 2-1 win over Arsenal.
Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast: "It was a massive leap of faith really. We all know that if you're getting Jimenez in top form, it's a steal because he's a super player, but there were a lot of question marks over that move in terms of what he would be capable of and getting back to form.
"He struggled to do that coming back at Wolves and maybe the fresh start of a different environment has really helped push him on, but it hasn't been overnight. They've had to be really patient together; him, the club and the supporters.
"I was delighted for him. He put in a performance that was worthy of what he's capable of for a top number nine leading the line. He had physical presence, won a lot of balls, used his body well against two physical centre-backs, got his goal in the right place at the right time and looked a threat.
"There's a lot of excitement there about what he's going to be capable of for this team."
'If you can make Arsenal predictable, you've got a better chance'published at 10:56 1 January
10:56 1 January
Image source, PA Media
Fulham forced Arsenal to be "more predictable" in attack as the Gunners slipped to their second consecutive defeat on Sunday, said former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha analysing the game on Match of the Day 2.
The Gunners had 74% possession and 30 shots in Thursday's home loss to West Ham, compared with only 13 attempts in the 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.
"This one was very different," said ex-Manchester City centre-back Onuoha. "When you see the amount of touches they had in the opposition box [against West Ham], it was nothing like it at all [against Fulham].
"In the backline, Fulham were very competitive, and even though they didn't have the ball, they were trying to make Arsenal more predictable. At times, they were forcing someone like Bukayo Saka across the field. They were trying to make sure that Arsenal, when they attacked them, attacked them from wide. For most of the game it worked well and, when it didn't, usually there was someone there to come over and deal with it.
"For all of Arsenal's creativity they have and players like [Martin] Odegaard who can roam, if you can make them predictable, you've got a better chance.
"Fulham were comfortable overall. There were eight touches in Fulham's area in the second half, compared with 77 in total [against West Ham]. I think that says a lot about how far back that performance was in relation to the one before."
Your thoughts on Fulham v Arsenalpublished at 09:20 1 January
09:20 1 January
We asked you for your thoughts after Fulham hosted Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Here are some of the top comments:
Fulham fans
Bob: Absolutely brilliant by Fulham. 10/10 for all the players. Putting Arsenal to the sword was great - about time!
Mario: Glad we got back to winning ways. Overall performance was good but still a lot of improvement from all areas of the team, especially the time-wasting and getting carded for it. But, we now go into the new year with the biggest scalp of the season. Let’s push on get to the final in the Carabao Cup, win in the FA Cup and climb the table.
Brian: Bobby deserves that winning goal, what a player he’s been for us. So consistent.
Calvin: After a shaky few weeks, what a result to end the year. So proud of Marco and the team.
Arsenal fans
David: Do not blame this on not having a striker. Arsenal's inability to break down teams who put 10 behind the ball is palpable. Both West Ham and Fulham made Arsenal look like schoolboys and deserved their wins. Arteta needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan B.
Daniel: So disappointed with Arsenal. It’s like they are not sure of what they are doing. Players on the ball cannot make the pass and players off the ball are not moving in space to get the ball. On Sunday, many players were static when Arsenal had the ball. You hard saw any runs or movement to make chances.
Lee: Drop Raya - he’s not commanding the defence like Ramsdale does. The energy isn’t there in defence as they’re not playing as a unit - the past few games it’s really shown. Arteta created this problem and it takes a decent manager to hold his hands up and admit he’s made a mistake.
Bobby: We won't win the league with Arteta, too stubborn and one dimensional. Goalkeeping situation hasn't helped, neither has loaning out Tierney. We look poor at the back and out of ideas in other areas on the pitch.
Catch up with Sunday's Premier League actionpublished at 09:00 1 January
09:00 1 January
Watch highlights and analysis of Sunday's two Premier League fixtures.
'The best way to finish 2023'published at 16:29 31 December 2023
16:29 31 December 2023
Image source, Getty Images
Fulham manager Marco Silva, speaking to BBC Sport: "Really the best way to finish 2023, definitely. Our ambition was to finish on a high and react from the last two games. I really believe we deserve it. Over the 95 minutes we deserved it more.
"It was very good reaction after the first goal. The way we beat their pressure and began to play our way. We even had more chances to score a third goal.
"We want to improve in this aspect [consistency] of our journey but it is the most difficult as well. The reaction was brilliant."
Fulham 2-1 Arsenal: Key statspublished at 16:29 31 December 2023
16:29 31 December 2023
This was the first time that Arsenal lost a Premier League game in which they scored the game’s opening goal since New Year’s Day 2022 against Manchester City (Bukayo Saka put them 1-0 up both then and today). It ended the Gunners’ run of 48 league games unbeaten when going 1-0 ahead (W42 D6).
Fulham won a Premier League game in which they had fallen behind at any stage for the first time since October 2022 against Leeds, ending their 26-game winless run when falling behind in the league (D4 L22).
Having only lost two of their opening 18 Premier League games this season (W12 D4), Arsenal have lost both of their last two, just the second time since the start of last season that the Gunners have suffered back-to-back league defeats (also in May).
Fulham ended their 11-game winless run against Arsenal in the Premier League (D3 L8), with this their first league win over the Gunners since January 2012 (2-1).
Fulham’s Raul Jimenez has scored four goals in his last four Premier League games, as many as his previous 50 appearances in the competition beforehand.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season for Fulham (18th app), matching his total for the whole of last season (36 apps).
'We wanted to make a statement'published at 16:21 31 December 2023
16:21 31 December 2023
Image source, Getty Images
Fulham captain Tom Cairney, speaking to Sky Sports: "We have been great at home, not so good away.
"We were very disappointed with the Boxing Day performance [3-0 loss at Bournemouth] and wanted to make a statement today. We were on top form.
"To react the way we did to going a goal behind was very good."
Analysis: Fulham 2-1 Arsenalpublished at 16:13 31 December 2023
16:13 31 December 2023
Emma Smith, BBC Sport
Fulham's first win in 12 meetings with Arsenal, a run stretching back to 2012, was thoroughly deserved.
The Cottagers created the best chances and restricted the visitors to just one blocked shot on target after Bukayo Saka's fifth-minute opener.
Fulham, facing the prospect of four straight league defeats without scoring for the first time since 1971, held their nerve and took control.
That control was largely down to Willian in midfield, who hugely impressed after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
Fulham lost all three games, scoring none and conceding eight, but looked much more cohesive here at both ends of the field.
A large part of that can be put down to the Brazilian playmaker, who condemned one of his former clubs to a damaging defeat.
Full-time: Fulham 2-1 Arsenalpublished at 16:01 31 December 2023
16:01 31 December 2023
Arsenal missed the chance to go top of the Premier League at New Year after a disappointing defeat at Fulham.
Bukayo Saka put the Gunners ahead inside five minutes but Raul Jimenez equalised on his return from suspension, before Bobby Decordova-Reid scrambled home the winner on the hour.
The loss left Arsenal fourth and two points behind leaders Liverpool, who host Newcastle on New Year's Day.
Fulham are 13th after ending a run of three straight defeats.
Arsenal made the perfect start with a fifth-minute opener following a quick break from the back. Gabriel Martinelli's curling shot from the left was palmed out by former Gunners keeper Bernd Leno, allowing Saka to stick out a right leg and loop the ball into the net from six yards.
But Fulham reacted well and equalised in the 29th minute when Willian, another ex-Arsenal player in the home ranks, fed captain Tom Cairney down the left and his dangerous low cross was swept in by Jimenez.
Marco Silva's men deservedly claimed the winner from a corner when Decordova-Reid stabbed a finish past David Raya following pinball in the box - condemning Arsenal to consecutive losses following the 2-0 home defeat to West Ham on Thursday.
Were you at Craven Cottage or did you follow the match from home?
Fulham v Arsenal: Sutton's predictionspublished at 10:32 31 December 2023
10:32 31 December 2023
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.
For the fixtures taking place over the turn of the year, from 30 December to 2 January, he takes on Shed Seven singer and song-writer Rick Witter, who is a Manchester United fan.
Shed Seven's new album, A Matter of Time, is released on 12 January.
Sutton's prediction: 0-1
This is a huge game for Arsenal now, after their defeat by Crystal Palace.
The Gunners are widely considered to be a bit more streetwise than they were last season, but they have 10 fewer points after 19 games than they did at this stage of the 2022-23 campaign, when they were out in front for so long.
This time, they are playing catch-up to Liverpool, with Manchester City also ahead of them after winning their game in hand.
So, the Gunners have to respond here... and I think they will. Fulham have hit a bit of a bump in the road with three straight defeats, but it is not long since they were flying and scoring loads of goals.
Fulham will make it hard for them, but I think Arsenal will find a way of winning this one - they really have to.
There's been plenty of talk already about how Mikel Arteta needs to sign another striker in January to push on in the second half of the season. Brentford's Ivan Toney has been linked for a while now but he's not played for months because of his suspension. He will have been training, but how much match sharpness does he have?
Arsenal are trying to win the title this season, so they haven't got time to wait for anyone to get up to speed. If we are looking at the names that are supposedly within their grasp then Bournemouth Dominic Solanke stands out as the best candidate for me.
Rick's prediction: Fulham's form has dropped off a bit, but they have still had a good month in terms of scoring goals. I was looking at my Fantasy team and thinking about sticking a few of their forwards in it. I am still backing Arsenal to edge it, though. 1-2
