If Fulham’s Christmas wishes are to come true, then Tosin Adarabioyo’s decisive penalty against Everton will serve a greater purpose.
The centre-back’s cooly-converted spot-kick fired Fulham into their first ever League Cup semi-final.
But Fulham must hope the penalty proves the moment that convinces Adarabioyo – their best central defender - to commit his future to the club.
The 26-year-old, who is out of contract next summer, has rejected three offers of a new deal and might well have left for Monaco in August had the French club bid more than the £8.5million which Fulham rejected. An increased follow-up bid was also turned down.
Time and time again when Fulham were clinging desperately to their 1-0 lead in the second half at Everton, Adarabioyo was the first defender to the ball, volleying and heading away countless clearances.
Eventually, a scruffy equaliser duly arrived in the 82nd minute and then penalties. But Fulham kept their composure, were helped by a save from goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Amadou Onana for Everton’s fifth penalty and silenced Goodison Park as Adarabioyo calmly stroked home to give the visitors a 7-6 win in the shoot-out.
“He’s a key player for us”, Silva said of Adarabioyo. “He’s one of the leaders in our dressing room.
“We missed him a lot in the first three months of the season. Issa [Diop] did really well, but Tosin is a special player for us — I can’t hide that situation. The way he can defend the box, and on the ball, he’s a special player. He can build the way I want to play.
“He’s just played the last four or five games, and he’s getting better and better. A great performance from him tonight, and to be able to take the decisive penalty, he deserves all the credit.”
Having missed more than two months of the season after undergoing groin surgery, Adarabioyo has played every minute of Fulham’s last four games, including the 5-0 routs of Nottingham Forest and West Ham in the Premier League.
Tottenham are long-time admirers of Adarabioyo and there is the possibility they see him as a January solution to their centre-back shortage. But Fulham will hope a Carabao Cup semi-final tie and the prospect of a pay rise lead to Adarabioyo signing a new contract.
