The 2008-09 Premier League season remains the high water mark for Fulham. Under Roy Hodgson, they finished seventh with a best-ever total of 53 points; it secured qualification for the inaugural Europa League, in which the Londoners went all the way to the final.
For a decade and a half, that idyllic era seemed very far away for Fulham fans. But after a sun-soaked April day where they deservedly handed champions-elect Liverpool a first away league defeat of the season, they may start to believe those glory days may return.
Marco Silva’s class of 2025 have moved on to 48 points with the win over Liverpool, just five shy of the club’s record tally with seven league games still to play.
They sit eighth in the Premier League, firmly in the congested battle for Europe. Certainly Fulham are candidates for the Europa League – and potentially even more.
If this 3-2 win over Liverpool was the only Fulham game you saw this season, you would believe they could be a Champions League side. Silva’s men were good value for the win, and could have been further in front following a first half where – an Alexis Mac Allister wonder goal aside – they were rampant.
Fulham pressed Liverpool relentlessly, like few sides have this campaign. Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, so often like granite, cracked under the relentless work-rate of Rodrigo Muniz, whose status as feared Premier League front man will astonish those who witnessed a failed loan stint at Middlesbrough.
Konate was caught out after six minutes trying to turn on the ball in his own area, and Liverpool were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Caoimhin Kelleher looked to have fouled Muniz. He was subbed in the second half after a torrid afternoon.
For the third goal, Muniz beautifully pulled a ball from the sky and finished low through Kelleher as Van Dijk was left standing by the Brazilian.
Alex Iwobi continued his remarkable career resurrection with an afternoon of pace, power and creativity. Makeshift full-back Curtis Jones will beg Arne Slot not to be played there again.