Last season:
Championship: 3rd (Promoted via the playoffs)
FA Cup: Third round (Lost 1-0 to Southampton)
Carabao Cup: Second round (Lost 1-0 to Bristol Rovers)
After four years down in the Championship plotting a return to the big leagues, Fulham FC are finally back in the Premier League, and there’s plenty of buzz surrounding the West London side.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s squad were one of the most entertaining sides to watch in England last season with the likes of Tom Cairney, Aleksandar Mitrovic and home-grown wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon helping the Cottagers gain promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs.
So what can we expect from Fulham in their first Premier League season since 2013/14?
An impressive summer of ins
If you were to look at the list of players Fulham had signed over this summer transfer window, you never would have guessed they were a newly promoted side.
Jean Michael Seri, who was linked with FC Barcelona and Arsenal not to long ago, made the surprising move to Craven Cottage in a £27 million move, and former Chelsea and Germany international Andre Schurrle also joined the club on loan from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
As well as signing some players with big international reputations, Mitrovic signed permanently from Newcastle following his half-season heroics last season for Fulham, and recently relegated Swansea defender Alfie Mawson joined the club on a cut-price deal.
With Calum Chambers set to also join the club on loan from London rivals Arsenal and star player Sessegnon remaining at the club for another season, Fulham could be a surprise team for many this season. Whether or not the new signings gel well with the current core of players in the team will be the difference between a mid-table finish or a relegation dogfight.
Update: Deadline Day madness
Well, Fulham went a bit mad on Transfer Deadline Day.
The Cottagers didn’t bring in just one or two signings, they brought in a whopping FIVE signings on the final day of the summer transfer window. But these players were not just panic buys, these signings were genuinely quality.
Firstly we have Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico, who joins the West London side on a season-long loan. An experienced keeper and a potential heir to David de Gea’s #1 shirt for Spain, Rico will ensure Fulham quality between the sticks and will no doubt save the Thames-based side points.
Two more signings followed in the form of Manchester United youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah and exciting Argentine striker Luciano Vietto, both on loan too, and then moments later Bristol City defender Joe Bryan was announced as a permanent signing for the newly promoted side.
Just because Fulham hadn’t done enough spending already on the final day of the transfer window, Jokanovic then decided to break the club’s transfer record on Marseille defender Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in a deal worth a reported £30 million to take the Cottagers’ spending over the £100 million mark.
What to expect this season
For many Fulham fans, their expectations this season are simple. Don’t get relegated.
Too many times have we seen clubs get promoted from the Championship and then immediately get overwhelmed by Premier League football and instantly drop down into the second-tier again. But with Fulham, there’s a real chance that this might not be the case.
Like we have already mentioned, Fulham were a joy to watch last season in the Championship and were unlucky not to have gained an automatic promotion spot and going into this season the Cottagers, as well as fellow promoted side Wolves, have outstanding chances to stay up in the Premier League this season.
Fulham’s opening six games will be a good test for the West London side too. They open their campaign off at home to city rivals Crystal Palace before playing arguable the best side in London in the form of Tottenham.
Burnley and Brighton away follow suit, and then the big test comes up in game number five as Fulham face Premier League holders and favourites for this season Manchester City away after a two week international break.
Watford at home rounds off the opening six games for the newly promoted side that many have tipped for success this season, so it will be interesting to see how Jokanovic’s men do this season in their returning season to the Premier League.
