Fulham are firmly in contention to qualify for European competition in 2025/26, after climbing from 11th place to eighth in the Premier League table by defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Sunday.
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The west London club won their latest derby match in the capital with second-half goals from substitutes Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon, and the latter spoke about the wider context of their victory afterwards.
"It puts us right up there for the European spots," Sessegnon told BBC Match Of The Day.
"As a team we have one eye [on qualifying for Europe]. We're taking it game by game. We just need to keep going."
Changes in prospect for European places
Fulham are now four points off fourth place - usually the cut-off for UEFA Champions League qualification - and three points off fifth, which would normally qualify its occupant for the UEFA Europa League.
However, if the Premier League is granted an extra, fifth place in the Champions League next season, as a reward for English clubs' performances in European competition this season, then the team finishing sixth would qualify for the Europa League.
If the team in sixth place has already qualified for Europe by winning a competition, such as the EFL Cup, FA Cup, Europa League or UEFA Conference League, then the next highest-placed team in the table would receive the Europa League place allocated by Premier League position.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
28 | +9 | 47 |
| 7 |
Brighton
BHA
|
29 | +6 | 47 |
| 8 |
Fulham
FUL
|
29 | +5 | 45 |
| 9 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
29 | -4 | 45 |
| 10 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
29 | +12 | 44 |
| 11 |
Brentford
BRE
|
29 | +5 | 41 |
Sessegnon v Spurs
Speaking about his role in Fulham's triumph - their fifth in the last eight Premier League matches - Sessegnon said in his BBC interview: "I was told to bring energy on the left-hand side.
"I was told to keep it tight but at the same time keep that threat going forward too. It was nice to get a goal as well."
While Muniz joyfully leaped on to his team-mate's shoulders, Sessegnon's own celebrations were muted after scoring against his former club.
He told Fulham's official website: "I spent five seasons there [at Spurs]. I still have a lot of respect for the club and for the people that work for the club. Hence why there was no celebration."
Silva: I don't like 'ifs' in football
Meanwhile, Fulham head coach Marco Silva insisted his team - by moving into the top 10 - are on track for a target they set last summer.
"We wanted to finish in the top half of the table at the start of the season," Silva told BBC Match Of The Day.
"And of course if you are there you can go up [the table]. We're not going to try to compromise for anyone. I don't like ifs in football. I like to look to the present and the future.
"For us it's game by game, not the end of the season. The next one is the FA Cup [a quarter-final against Crystal Palace] and then another game [against Arsenal in the league].
"[The players will have] two days' break now and after that, it will be hard work for the players who will be with us [and not on international duty]."
