With the Premier League Summer Series starting on Saturday 22 July in the USA, Adrian Clarke assesses the six clubs involved, highlighting the key questions that could be answered during the tournament.
Team analysis: Fulham
Fulham have been given a huge boost ahead of the Summer Series, with news that winger Willian has penned a new one-year contract at the club.
It had looked like the Brazilian was heading to Nottingham Forest on a free transfer, but the 34-year-old has instead opted to extend his stay at Craven Cottage.
Willian was excellent for Marco Silva’s side last season, scoring five goals and making five assists.
It would have been a body blow to lose the former Chelsea and Arsenal winger, as he enjoyed a resurgence of form in west London.
Primarily operating off the left flank, Willian was a vibrant figure throughout 2022/23, always looking like he could make something happen inside the final third.
He will have been disappointed with his crossing, with just one of 34 open-play crosses finding a team-mate, but he was still Fulham’s most creative player.
Fulham's top chance creators 22/23
| Chances created/90 | Open-play chances created/90 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Willian | 2.14 | Willian | 1.55 |
| Pereira | 1.99 | Kebano | 1.17 |
| Kebano | 1.53 | James, Reed | 1.03 |
When running with the ball at his feet, Willian has a habit of drawing defenders towards him before slipping a clever pass to a team-mate.
That ability to commit opponents was an invaluable component of Fulham’s attack, with the Cottagers scoring in 29 of their 38 Premier League matches.
During the Summer Series contests against Brentford, Aston Villa and Chelsea, look out for the veteran’s ball-carrying prowess.
His runs helped to fashion an impressive 41 chances last season.
Most Fulham chances created from carries
| Player | Chance-creating ball carries |
|---|---|
| Willian | 41 |
| Pereira | 26 |
| Mitrovic | 15 |
Defensive improvements needed
Silva will have been delighted with last season’s 10th-place finish, but at times his side were a little too reliant on Bernd Leno’s heroics.
The German goalkeeper prevented 10.7 additional goals according to Opta, the highest figure among top-flight 'keepers.
Fulham started the 2022/23 campaign pressing excellently from the front, but that energy diminished as the season progressed, leading to more chances being created by opponents.
When you assess Fulham’s xGA (Expected Goals Against), they were ranked third-worst, surrounded by the sides who finished in the bottom six.
Worst clubs for xGA 22/23
| Team | xGA | Goals conc. | League finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds | 67.99 | 78 | 19th |
| Everton | 66.86 | 57 | 17th |
| Fulham | 65.56 | 53 | 10th |
| Leicester | 65.51 | 68 | 18th |
| Nott'm Forest | 65.20 | 68 | 16th |
| Bournemouth | 65.11 | 71 | 15th |
| Southampton | 62.06 | 73 | 20th |
To ensure they do not get sucked towards a relegation battle in 2023/24 Silva knows they must bring that xGA figure down.
It is not sustainable to expect Fulham to concede 12.6 fewer goals than the data says they should for a second consecutive campaign.
The table below shows the clubs who benefited from the biggest difference between the number of goals they were expected to concede (xGA) and the total they actually conceded.
Goals conceded compared to xGA 22/23
| Club | Difference |
|---|---|
| Fulham | -12.6 |
| Everton | -9.9 |
| Man Utd | -8.6 |
| Aston Villa | -7.4 |
| Newcastle | -7.1 |
Defensive reinforcements are likely to be brought into the club during this transfer window.
Also in this series
Part 1: How will Torres improve Emery's defence?
Part 2: Can Schade seize a spot in Brentford's attack?
Part 3: Can Brighton teenagers become key men?
Part 4: Will young Chelsea defenders make their mark?
Part 6: Why Howe is targeting Barnes
