Fulham

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There has been a lot of conversation this week about "dark arts" in football following the draw between Manchester City and Arsenal on Sunday.

Realistically, everyone who has watched football for longer than one game has seen things they would perceive as "dark arts"; whether it is a player always going down winning free-kicks to take the sting out of the game, kicking the ball into row Z when there was no multi-ball system or time-wasting on goal-kicks.

These are things we see all the time but our perception of it is dependent on the context of a game. You always see some version of it somewhere, and you hope your team would be doing the same thing if in the same situation - because why should you do something that would benefit the opposition you are against?

It is the same as going down a bit more easily to win penalties - some people will say "this guy is a cheat", but then on the other side of their mouth, if it is something that could benefit them, they say "he has tried too hard to stay up, he needed to go down there".

You can have rulings, Ifab can get involved to change this and that, but there will always be a way to push the rules to their limits.

What we saw with Arsenal in that game, where David Raya sat down to get some treatment while the teams gathered, we have seen those moments before. It is not just new to Arsenal - other teams do it.

It is always based on certain moments. You do get more frustrated if it happens against you, but when you need to do it, you encourage people to do it. That is one of the beauties of football - the way you see things is always going to be down to perception, context and just whether you think it is benefiting you or not.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Phil Cartwright

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Silva feels they have been "growing" in their performances this season, even after changing "so many players and important players": "[We] signed some good players too. All teams need time to gel, create connections between players and understand our identity and philosophy."

• He also felt they should be higher up the table: "Should we achieve more points? Yes, definitely - against West Ham and against [Manchester] United, but that is the Premier League. You always have to be on your best level to achieve the points you want. It's been a good start and the main thing for me is how we are performing and getting better."

• On Raul Jimenez's comments around a shift in culture and mentality at Fulham: "It is good to hear that. I didn't have this conversation with him - it is something overall. It is important players feel that the word 'enough' isn’t one we like here. Of course, the Premier League is tough - the most difficult in the world - and you must always demand more from yourself."

• He added: "Believe me, if we are going to push for something more, then we will push. The reality is we have to look for the next game as the most important one. We want to do better than last season."

• On the impact of summer signing Emile Smith Rowe: "He is a talent and different than what we had in the last few seasons. Emile has everything in that position. He didn’t play enough in the past few years - that is tough. He will get more minutes and there is more to come from him. He is a shy and normal guy. I want him to express himself on the pitch."

• The Fulham boss said Adama Traore is a player that "always needs a little bit of love": "One thing we have been working on is consistency because it is important. If he is always on, then he can impact games in many, many ways."

• On if the win over Newcastle set a standard: "Recently and last season we showed we are more than capable of that. It did not surprise me at all. One of the biggest differences from the first and last season is difference in some big games where we showed our quality and ability against these teams."

• Before the trip to Nottingham Forest, he said it "isn't fair" to compare games: "If you go to last season, then you go to two seasons ago and we won there [at the City Ground]. Each game is a different story. Let’s hope we can write a different one in our favour."

Catch up on all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Marco Silva's team have been receiving plaudits after not losing since the opening day but we asked you for the thing nobody is talking about yet with the Whites this season.

Here are some of your suggestions:

Tim: The one thing nobody is talking about? Bigger clubs coming in for Silva (Man Utd anyone?). Surely if Fulham are in the top 10 come December there will be owners looking at him. I just hope I haven't jinxed it by bringing it up now....

Keir: We have had only one loss this season so far, but the draw with West Ham felt like one and I think that’s the biggest difference this season. We have the feeling that this team with the new signings might just be able to do something a little bit special.

Fern: I think people haven't noticed how good the midfield partnership between Sasa Lukic and Andreas Pereira is working. They are working hard to replace the figure and stats of Palinha and accomplishing it with success. Their efforts should be praised.

Bob: Nobody talks about how good Calvin Bassey is. He keeps Fulham so defensively safe and man-marks the opposing striker so well. He is certainly a centre-back that has a great future!

Keith: Alex Iwobi. Fast, skilful, strong and with a remarkable engine. He is tearing it up for Fulham and forming a strong partnership with Emile Smith Rowe on Fulham's left, even though his best position is on the right.

Peter: No one is talking about the fact that Fulham have yet to be tested against a really quality side. This will happen in October when they face City and Villa back to back. Only after these two games can we really get a measure of where our season might be heading.

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In the Premier League in 2024, only Kevin De Bruyne (74) has created more chances than Fulham’s Andreas Pereira (66).

Forty one of those have come via set pieces, which is the most of any player.

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Fulham are a good side - they have these spells when they go under the radar.

Marco Silva knows the talent they have with his new acquisitions and they have a style of play which can cause trouble to anyone.

The Newcastle game was a chance for their opponents to go top of the league, but in the first half and for segments of the second half, Fulham really dominated them.

There is a sense of belief. It is early in the season so you cannot hang your hat on them being there or thereabouts come the end of the season, but the best thing about football in August and September is that winning makes you believe that anything is possible.

While they are doing that, I think they can enjoy their football.

It is good to see them doing well and good to see players like Emile Smith Rowe and others getting their chance to play - and this is a great opportunity for him.

You can see his confidence is there because he knows he is going to be in the starting team pretty much every week, and he can play to his strengths because they can see how he benefits the side.

He does not need to worry about whether he is going to get five, 10 or 20 minutes from the bench in this game or that game. He can be on the field and directly influencing things.

We are seeing a better version of him, but we should not be surprised because he is somebody who has been highly touted for a long time.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Phil Cartwright

Marco Silva's side have not lost since the opening day with record signing Emile Smith Rowe powering their impressive start alongside a reinvigorated partnership between Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez.

We want you to tell us what you've spotted so far.

When it comes to the Whites, what is the one thing nobody is talking about - good or bad?

Tell us over here, external

Fulham and Brentford are interested in a January move for Newcastle's 32-year-old England striker Callum Wilson. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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Seven and a half years. That’s how long it was since Fulham recorded a win against Newcastle. That period of time spanned nine games, during which we drew only twice, scored just two goals - and lost the last six in a row.

Marco Silva oversaw five of those defeats. It must have felt good for our gaffer to finally get one over Eddie Howe; you’d have to scour the record books to find a bigger bogey manager for Marco.

The win on Saturday was emphatic - and banished the disappointment of our late switch-off against West Ham. On paper, if you’d swapped those two results and offered them to Fulham fans we’d have all been delighted.

Eight points from our opening five games, unbeaten at home, and just one defeat - on the opening day - constitutes a fine start to the season. And what’s more; it was a near-flawless day in the autumn sunshine at Craven Cottage.

The club had two main targets in the summer window: they wanted to bring Emile Smith Rowe in once it was clear there was a chance to do so, and the club recently revealed to the Fulham Supporters Trust that they were also determined to bring Joachim Andersen back to the club, identifying him as “a potential future club leader”.

ESR bagged his second goal of the season and Andersen put in another towering performance at the back. Strong recruitment, then.

Stronger still when you consider that former Arsenal team-mate Alex Iwobi provided the assist for Smith Rowe, while former Wolves comrades Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez linked up in the first five minutes to send us on our way. Assembling successful puzzle pieces from other Premier League clubs is proving to provide a strong foundation for this Fulham side.

We all know how easy it is to get carried away, but after scratching our seven-year Newcastle itch and creeping into the top eight, whisper it quietly: things are looking pretty rosy in SW6.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

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Former Premier League defender Ashley Williams has been praising Kenny Tete and Adama Traore's attacking partnership, after Fulham extended their unbeaten league run to four games against Newcastle United.

"They were a real strong point for Fulham in this game and their relationship has really been blossoming at the start of this season," Williams said on Match of the Day. "They are starting to form a really good bond.

"For the first goal, Tete had the ball and Traore picked it up in a central midfield position. We know about Traore's pace, power and strength through the middle, but it was his desire to score that goal [that stood out].

"Their link-up play is one-touch stuff. They both had so much possession down that right-hand side. You can see that they are comfortable with each other and Traore looks full of confidence.

"You wouldn't want to face Traore as a defender - I have played against him before and he is a nightmare!

"Tete also had a great game - he was playing the ball and following his passes. He was full of energy, even towards the end of the game, but there was maybe just a slight lack of quality with his shooting at the end [of his moves]."

Williams added: "There was a real strength in Fulham's attack down that right-hand side against Newcastle. It is something that teams are now going to have to focus on trying to stop."

Catch up on Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Fulham and Newcastle United.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

Iain: Fully justified result. We were by far the better and more creative side. This should have been the score last week as well. There's a lot to be impressed by and, if continued, a push for a European place might be on the cards perhaps.

Lucas: A really good and promising performance. After the disappointment of the Carabao Cup exit, I thought the players really bounced back. It was a very good goal from Raul Jimenez and I thought they showed great composure to kill the game in the final minutes. A very deserved three points on the board!

Toppy: Beautiful! We discarded the trend of meaningless possession and we made our opportunities count. The new signings were great. Onwards and upwards!

Bob: Great result, but we must make sure we keep focused when coming out for a game. We were 2-0 up going in at half-time and we had done a lot of the hard work in the first half, but a minute into the second half, we got caught. We must be aware that things can change in a second. There were lots of chances which we must try to start putting away in games as these could cost us. Well done.

Newcastle fans

Richard: A result that everyone knew was coming. No European distractions, a chance to go top, and yet we were two goals down in 20 minutes against a mid-table side that is hardly full of potency. Improvement on last season is hard to see right now and the fixtures only get harder from here. A testing few weeks are coming up.

Kegs: Finally we got what we deserved this season - nothing. Including the Carabao Cup, that is now six poor performances in six games. Eddie can't work out who his starting three central midfielders should be and every combination he has tried so far this season has failed. There is no cohesion or creativity in midfield. Has the captaincy gone to Bruno's head? He has been awful.

Paul: Something's not right with Anthony Gordon. He has been poor this season, by his high standards, and his body language against Fulham suggested someone who didn't want to be there. He might be upset by the attempt to offload him, understandably, but he cannot sulk on the pitch. He should have been hooked at half-time.

Tom: Christmas came early for Fulham with Nick Pope, Fabian Schar and Bruno Guimaraes the three unwise men. The only player who can come out of that shambles of a first half with any credit is Harvey Barnes. A slightly improved second half but ridiculous individual errors have cost us that game. It wasn't helped by the questionable team selection - Sandro Tonali must be a starter.

Fulham, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are monitoring Galatasaray’s 24-year-old winger Baris Alper Yilmaz. (CaughtOffside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

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Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport

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Fulham have been picked out as a team who could gatecrash the top half this season and have showed signs why in an encouraging start.

Not being clinical enough has been the source of frustration, however.

Fulham paid the price for being wasteful in an opening-day defeat at Manchester United and last weekend's draw against West Ham.

So the manner in which they saw off Newcastle was understandably a source of pride for boss Marco Silva.

Emile Smith Rowe is already looking to be an astute signing and netted his second goal of the season to help secure an impressive win over Newcastle.

The former Arsenal attacking midfielder's energetic performance was not the only positive.

Seasoned Mexico striker Jimenez has taken his chance after being restored as a starter ahead of Rodrigo Muniz, while Adama Traore's pace offered another threat in a formidable front four.

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Fulham have gained their first win against Newcastle in the Premier League since March 2014, having failed to defeat the Magpies in any of their last eight in the competition (D2 L6).

The Cottagers are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games (W2 D2), their longest run without defeat since February 2023 (also four games). They have never been on a longer run under manager Marco Silva in the competition.

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Fulham manager Marco Silva has been speaking following the win: "It was a very good performance from us. Looking all over the pitch, and for the whole game, I think we were the team who deserved to win the game - clearly.

"It was a very good first half in the image I like us to play - creating problems in different ways for the opposition and really enjoying embracing the challenge in front of us.

"We built from the back and, every time we arrived in central areas, we should have scored more goals from the moments we created.

"We were dominant - the best team on the pitch in the first half - and we left nothing for a side with top players. It showed the capacity we have as a team.

"We conceded a late goal against West Ham [last weekend] and it took a bit of time to organise, but we had more chances for 3-1 than they did for 2-2."

Chris Latchem
BBC Final Score at Craven Cottage

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That felt like it meant more than just three points for the Fulham fans lucky enough to be at the Cottage today.

Fulham had such a rotten run against Newcastle, but they seemed determined to end that from the first whistle today.

Raul Jimenez has now got nine goals in his last 12 starts. He seems a constant threat and he is perhaps back to his pre-head injury goal-scoring best.

Emile Smith-Rowe floated through the game and scored a really well-worked second, albeit with a little help from Nick Pope on the way in.

He has been substituted off in every game so far but what a handful he will be once he's 90-minutes fit.

Fulham scorer Emile Smith-Rowe on the key to his side's win: "Sticking together and staying patient at times, we know Newcastle are a really strong team so we had to sit at times and be patient, get the ball and score. We're really happy.

"We're happy we took our chances, first few games we struggled to take our chances, so we're happy with our three goals.

"It starts off the pitch, it's like a family in there and we know we want to do everything for each other and want to work and want to win."

On his form following a summer arrival from Arsenal: "I'm really confident at the moment and comfortable with everything. I've got to keep going and keep working hard.

"Everyone knows it has been a tough couple of seasons for me, I have to stay fit and I feel good at the moment. I'm feeling confident and happy."

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Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week five, he takes on singer-songwriter and West Ham fan James Smith whose debut album Common People is out now.

On Saturday, Fulham welcome Newcastle to Craven Cottage (15:00 BST).

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Fulham won nine and lost eight of their 19 home Premier League games last season, but I always fancied them to win at Craven Cottage.

They should have beaten West Ham there last weekend, when they had chances to go further ahead before Danny Ings' 95th-minute equaliser for the Hammers.

Newcastle are still a bit of an unknown quantity for me because I can't say I've been particularly impressed by them so far.

Eventually, Eddie Howe's side are going to come a cropper, but at the moment they are finding a way to win games, even if they are relying on moments of brilliance by individual players rather than playing well as a team.

Smith's prediction: 2-2

I am going for a draw here, with a few goals.

Read the full predictions and have your say here