What constitutes a goal drought? Well, it depends who you are.
Since his winner at Leicester on January 3, Aleksandar Mitrovic has failed to score in any of his next five matches.
For a player who bagged 43 goals in 44 games in the Championship last season, five matches without one certainly appears to be a drought. Mitrovic will be desperate to get back among the goals on Saturday, when Fulham host Nottingham Forest.
Yet Fulham manager Marco Silva does not seem panicked about the situation. “It’s not a concern,” Silva said this week. “Sometimes strikers have these moments.”
Mitrovic admitted he would rather have scored than assisted Andreas Pereira for a goal in his side’s 3-2 FA Cup win at Sunderland on Wednesday. But the 28-year-old was open and willing to speak about his barren spell.
Rightly so. The Serb continues to contribute in other ways, making intelligent runs off the ball and always preoccupying a defender when one of Fulham’s full-backs is preparing to cross. He also exhibits excellent hold-up play — vital for a traditional No 9 — and has chemistry with playmakers Pereira and Willian.
On closer inspection, his five goalless games have incorporated two substitute appearances in the FA Cup, as well as three League matches against top sides. Failing to net against Newcastle, Tottenham and Chelsea is no indictment.
Midfielders Tom Cairney and Harrison Reed are injury doubts for tomorrow’s game at Craven Cottage, having suffered minor injuries in the victory at the Stadium of Light.
However, Fulham can now finally call on January signings Sasa Lukic and Cedric Soares.
