Maybe there was something in the water at Motspur Park this week.
Fulham do practise long-range shooting, as Joao Palhinha outlined after Tuesday night’s FA Cup victory over Leeds United. But this week it was actually Luis Boa Morte who was claiming the limelight before the game. The former Fulham favourite, now an assistant to Marco Silva, had dusted off the cobwebs over the weekend with three exquisite long-range efforts that he duly posted on Instagram, footage that proves you never lose it.
By 10.30pm on Tuesday night, however, his efforts had been thoroughly overshadowed.
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Palhinha and Manor Solomon added a touch of brilliance to proceedings as Fulham booked their place in the quarter-finals. Both scored goals of the highest calibre, but also ones that felt familiar.
The first from Palhinha summed up everything he does best: he dispossessed Marc Roca with a trademark tackle before instinctively bending a strike around an unsuspecting Illan Meslier from at least 30 yards. It was an upgraded version of his strike in September against Nottingham Forest, which was scored from closer range but again struck without hesitation.
João Palhinha. Take a bow.#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/PqxNl9tcX7
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 28, 2023
Solomon scurried off the left touchline in the second half as he had done all evening before playing a one-two with Aleksandar Mitrovic. His dart took him into the ‘Zone of Solomon’ as it shall henceforth be known — a small area just outside the box in-field from the left wing.
It is here that the stars align and his angles measure up perfectly for a curled effort into the far corner. It was a carbon copy of his goal against Wolves last Friday night. This is unlikely to be the last time this Arjen Robben-style technique will make an appearance at Craven Cottage.
YOU JUST DON'T SAVE THOSE ⭐️@ISRAELFA international, @Manorsolomon, curls in from an incredible angle for @FulhamFC 🇮🇱#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/DBOuP3XXhX
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 28, 2023
At full-time, head coach Marco Silva was asked to take his pick of the two efforts but he was reluctant to be drawn on which goal he preferred. That might be because he had actually missed Palhinha’s goal — he had been busy complaining to the fourth official, he admitted, as the ball whistled past Meslier. Some things never change.
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But while there was familiarity to be drawn from Fulham’s two wonderstrikes, the goals were also a reminder that the team’s on-field success this year has been underwritten by the quality of personnel recruited last summer. That was the difference between the two teams at Craven Cottage.
Leeds saw more of the play and threatened for long spells. They had 16 shots to Fulham’s seven and, in terms of expected goals (xG), the quality of the chances they created saw them edge out their hosts 1.44 to 0.2. Their coach Javi Gracia did say they were unlucky, and there was merit to that, especially as they had a goal ruled out for a soft foul on Harry Wilson.
But they were a blunt instrument in attack, whereas Fulham were incisive.
Their ruthlessness stems from a confidence instilled by Silva that has characterised Fulham’s performances this season. But it is also reflective of the quality they have at their disposal. Both Solomon and Palhinha arrived with Champions League experience, gained at Shakhtar Donetsk and Sporting Lisbon respectively, and appear to be perfect tactical fits for Silva’s system.
After previous promotion seasons, Fulham have signed good players. Yet they have not fitted effectively enough with the head coach’s outlook to be able to fulfil their potential. Players such as Andre-Frank Anguissa, who is now competing for the Champions League and a Serie A title with Napoli, and Ademola Lookman, the third-highest scorer in Italy with Atalanta, have come and gone without making a proper mark. This season, there has been no such issue regarding synergy between coach and recruitment; Silva’s targets have married with Tony Khan’s recruitment system.
It could potentially now take them to Wembley.
Opportunity knocks for Fulham. They have reached their first quarter-final since 2010 when they reached the final of the Europa League as well as the last eight of the FA Cup. There are only three teams left in the competition occupying a higher Premier League position than Fulham. Avoid those in the next round, and the home of English football beckons.
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Hope is growing that this can prove a truly special season. To achieve it, Fulham will need everyone pulling together. They must avoid risking division through issues like the ticketing before the Leeds game, which saw Fulham record their lowest attendance of the season — 19,359 — despite the crucial nature of the tie.
The Fulham Supporters’ Trust called the £40 adult ticket prices for a midweek game on terrestrial television “poorly judged”. There is no doubt a packed house can make a difference. Silva said as much pre-game when asked about ticket sales and the crowd’s importance: “I want to see the Cottage rocking, to play at home but feel at home. I would like to see it sold out, and hear our fans from the first to the last minute.”
A home tie in the quarter-final could swing the balance — Fulham have now lost only one of their last eight at the Cottage, bolstered by regular sold-out crowds in the league. On Tuesday they made do, stifling Leeds and displaying flashes of quality at vital moments.
Now all eyes will be yearning for a kind draw on Wednesday. To reach the semi-finals and Wembley would be to create lasting memories in an arena where the club have experienced great joy in recent years, not least in the 2018 play-off final.
To pack out the home of English football again, but this time in a major competition, would be on a whole new level.
“This season we have changed so many things at this club in terms of results,” added Silva. “Let’s see what we will do in the next round. But our ambition is big.”
(Top photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
