Marco Silva has insisted that Fulham will "fight until the end of the season" for European football following their 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. That result leaves Fulham three points behind seventh-placed Brentford, who play Wolves on Monday night.
Marco Silva has insisted that Fulham will “fight until the end of the season” for European football.
Fulham drew 0-0 with Nottingham Forest in a game of few chances, missing out on the opportunity to close the gap with seventh-placed Brentford.
That gap remains at only three points, with Everton, Newcastle, Bournemouth and even sides below Fulham in Brighton, Sunderland and Crystal Palace all in the hunt for the final European spot.
With eight games to go, Fulham are 11th in the table but within striking distance of Brentford, who face 20th placed Wolves on Monday night.
Silva admitted that it will not be easy to finish ahead of all of those sides but said his team will not give up the fight.
Fulham left the City Ground with a hard-earned point. Image Credit: Reuters.He said: “If you are in this position right now in the table, of course we have to look ahead. Every game that we have now should be played like a final.
“We are some points behind seventh position but if it’s there for us to fight for, why not?
“We are going to fight as hard as we can to be there. Until the end of the season, we’ll fight.”
Fulham are out of the FA Cup following their 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton in the Fifth Round, meaning their season hopes are all pinned on the Premier League run-in.
With relegation not on the cards, Fulham are in a position to look up and dream of Europe.
Silva, while positive, made it clear that every game is going to be extremely challenging for Fulham, with every team in the league mathematically in a position to fight for something.
Calvin Bassey had Fulham's biggest chance against Nottingham Forest. Image Credit: Action Images via Reuters.Following the draw to Forest, he said: “[It was] a difficult game as we expected.
“We’ve come to the moment of the season where all the teams, it doesn’t matter what they’re fighting for, every game is going to be much more difficult to get the three points.
“Very tight, the first half. I think both teams, they didn’t get the tempo or the momentum. The biggest chance was from us, from Calvin Bassey in the six-yard box, completely alone from a set piece.
“Apart from that, we arrived in certain areas, dangerous areas with the ball but didn’t get the right decisions or inspiration that we needed to create something more. It was a very balanced first half.”
Who do Fulham face in their remaining games?
A crucial clash with 19th-placed Burnley is their final match before the March international break.
Following that, Fulham travel to Anfield and then to Brentford, in what could be the decisive game to see whether or not they can overtake their local rivals.
The Cottagers host Aston Villa and Bournemouth either side of a daunting away trip to Arsenal, before their final matches of the season against Wolves and Newcastle.
Fulham remaining fixtures:
V Burnley (H) 21 March 15:00
V Liverpool (A) 11 April 17:30
V Brentford (A) 18 April 12:30
V Aston Villa (H) 25 April 12:30
V Arsenal (A) 2 May TBC
V Bournemouth (H) 9 May TBC
V Wolves (A) 17 May TBC
V Newcastle (H) 24 May TBC