Mitrovic the key as Fulham Aim for Survival
Fulham take their place back in the Premier League and the Cottagers have a clear aim for the 2022/23 season. Survival is the first target for Marco Silva and his team as they look to shake off their unwanted ‘yo yo’ tag.
The term is applied to clubs who continue to switch between the top two divisions of English football. Fulham have proved that they are too good for the Championship but is this the year that the side shows that they can compete in the EPL?
Key Man
Fulham FC’s promotion last time out was certainly a squad effort, but the West London club could not have progressed without the goals supplied by their main striker. Aleksandar Mitrovic hit the target 43 times in 44 league games and the Serbian international was the Championship’s leading scorer by a wide margin.
If the Cottagers are to survive, Mitrovic will be pivotal to the club’s targets. It would be wrong to expect the same type of scoring ratio that he delivered last season, but the player will need to improve on his returns from Fulham’s previous campaign in the top flight.
Back in 2020/21, the striker scored just three goals in 27 league matches as the side were relegated. His performances are a mirror of his club’s struggles as a whole and they underline just how much of an improvement is needed.
Fulham’s Survival Chances Rated
Relegation markets open for the new season some weeks in advance. If we look at the top betting sites UK bookmakers list the newly promoted teams as the favourites to go down at the end of the term.
Nottingham Forest lead this particular market while Fulham and Bournemouth are close behind. According to those odds, which are supplied by sources affiliated with Sbo.net, other teams in danger include Leeds United and Fulham’s west London neighbours Brentford.
As the new Premier League season gets underway, those odds will shift to the live section of those sportsbooks and they will have scope to change. Sbo.net will monitor the figures and any updates will be passed on to their readers.
While on the site, it’s also possible to access news items plus hundreds of bookmaker reviews. There’s plenty of knowledge available and anyone wishing to test it can sign up with any of the recommended sportsbooks.
Following a swift and secure registration process, many of those operators have a generous welcome offer in place. A set of deposit options offers a channel for adding funds while customer service can assist with any queries.
Once playing regularly, there may also be scope to access more promos while mobile betting and in-play markets should be a part of the package. It’s a useful site for all Premier league betting but can Aleksandar Mitrovic help Fulham to upset those odds?
What can we Expect from Aleksandar Mitrovic in 2022/23?
The quality of defences in the EPL means that Mitrovic will not get close to his goal a game average from last season. However, if we look at the list of the league’s leading scorers from 2021/22, there are some pointers as to his targets.
Fellow west London outfit Brentford were impressive and looked to be safe for the majority of the season. Their key centre forward Ivan Toney struck a healthy return of 12 goals in 33 matches. A further eight strikes from Yoane Wissa helped the Bees to safety.
Those are the sort of numbers that should be within the reach of Aleksandar Mitrovic. If the Serb were to hit those targets while receiving scoring support from within the squad, Fulham can start to aim towards the middle of the table.
Fulham will also look to strengthen their roster and rumours of a move for Manchester United midfielder Andreas Perreira are gaining momentum.
It’s clearly not all about one player and everyone within the Cottagers’ squad has a part to play next season. Fulham’s defence will need to stand firm and all players will need to be on top of their game.
Goals win matches, however, and that’s why the spotlight is firmly on Aleksandar Mitrovic as he looks to supply the strikes that will guide Fulham to safety.