Fulham were widely expected to regress this season. As much as they tried to prolong it, they lost the very public battle of retaining João Palhinha, the important cog in their midfield opting to sign for Bayern Munich in the summer. Adding to the challenges, they have not had a reliable goalscorer since Aleksandar Mitrovic’s departure a year earlier and lost several first-team players in the past transfer window. Yet early results have dispelled concerns of a decline. Fulham sit sixth in the Premier League – up from 11th at this stage last season.
The departure of Palhinha posed a unique challenge: try to replace an irreplaceable player or adapt without him. Marco Silva opted for the latter. Without their midfield destroyer, the manager has pushed Fulham higher up the pitch, now deploying the fifth-highest defensive line in the league, behind only Manchester City, Brighton, Tottenham and Arsenal (Fulham ranked 17th last season).
