Fulham boss Marco Silva shared insights on his squad, potential signings, and the upcoming match against Arsenal in his recent press conference.

Marco Silva, Fulham’s manager, addressed the media ahead of the much-anticipated Premier League fixture against Arsenal this Saturday.

Silva’s commentary on potential signings, player fitness, and Fulham’s strategies sets the stage for an interesting match-up.

• Marco Silva outlined Fulham’s preparation for the match against Arsenal, including player fitness updates.
• Silva discussed the need to find the right striker after Aleksandar Mitrovic‘s departure, dismissing Moise Kean as an option.
• He praised Arsenal’s achievements last season and ongoing improvements, signalling a respect for the opponent.

Fulham’s preparations for Arsenal’s clash

Marco Silva opened his press conference by sharing Fulham’s readiness for their Premier League clash against Arsenal on Saturday.

He highlighted the team’s ongoing training sessions, particularly mentioning that Willian is a “slight doubt” for Saturday’s match, Joao Palhinha trained “all the week with his teammates,” and Calvin Bassey is “going to start” against Arsenal.

Silva’s search for the right striker

Addressing the departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, Silva stated his need for a new striker.

He expressed his resolve to sign players who can have a lasting impact, but remained non-committal on specifics.

“If we are going to sign a striker, it has to be someone who can have an impact in our squad. Of course we need to sign players, but we need to sign the right ones. I will not answer anything more about Mitrovic. It would show a lack of respect to the player,” said Silva.

On rejecting Moise Kean

Silva also rejected the idea of signing Moise Kean, saying, “he is not the right solution for us. That is not the player we are looking for.”

Praise for the current squad

Reflecting on his existing squad, Silva displayed confidence in his players, appreciating their commitment.

“Fulham have a great group of players who are always giving their maximum for the shirt,” he remarked.

Silva’s take on Arsenal

On discussing the upcoming game against Arsenal, Silva commended their performance last season and observed their continued improvements.

“Everything they did last season was impressive, and they were able to improve the squad. You can see that they have a plan,” he noted.

Arsenal vs Fulham key stats

• Arsenal’s track record against Fulham is remarkable; they have never lost a home league game against Fulham in 30 meetings, winning 24 and drawing six. This stands as the most one-sided home record against a single team in English league history.
• Fulham, fresh from their 1-0 victory over Everton, will be keen to secure two opening away wins in a top-flight campaign for the first time in the club’s history.
• Leandro Trossard, since his Arsenal debut in January 2023, leads the Premier League in assists (10), with three of those coming against Fulham just this March.
• Fulham’s away performance in London has been less than impressive, with only one win from their last 19 top-flight matches against other London clubs (D4 L14). Their sole victory was a 3-0 triumph at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day the previous year.