Fulham visit Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday, four years on from striker Aleksandar Mitrovic starring as the Cottagers took their last win over Wolves.
The Craven Cottage natives head to Molineux at the weekend without a win over the West Midlands outfit in four fixtures in all competitions. Wolves have won each of the past three meetings between the teams 1-0, with Fulham last victorious in a 2-0 Championship affair.
- WORLD CUP: ONE PLAYER TO WATCH FROM ALL 32 NATIONS AT QATAR
- WORLD CUP: TOURNAMENT RECORD OF FRANCE ICON ZINEDINE ZIDANE
Fulham are also without a victory on the road to Wolverhampton Wanderers since January 2015. The west London natives triumphed in the FA Cup, after penalties, having come from behind during regular and then extra-time with a 122nd-minute Ross McCormack penalty.
Aleksandar Mitrovic starred as Fulham took last win over Wolves
Aleksandar Mitrovic was one of Fulham’s stars of the show as the Cottagers took their last win over Wolves. The Serbian striker rounded out the scoring in the 71st-minute at Craven Cottage, after Ryan Sessegnon had broken the deadlock for the hosts late in the first-half.
The February 2018 result extended Fulham’s unbeaten start to the calendar year as Slavisa Jokanovic’s side cemented a play-off spot. Wolves, meanwhile, remained nine points clear of Cardiff City at the top of the table, as the Molineux club went on to win that term’s title.
Sessegnon afforded Fulham a deserved lead in the 38th-minute when the winger, aged 17, tapped in after John Ruddy could only parry Mitrovic’s shot. The forward would eventually beat Nuno Espirito Santo’s former first-choice with a powerful low drive from 20 yards out.
Mitrovic’s goal was also his second in a Fulham jersey after joining on loan from Newcastle United in January 2018. Wolves also marked his third start for Fulham, so who else opened the action as the Cottagers took their last win over the Molineux side with the 73-cap star?
Marcus Bettinelli (GK): Now Chelsea backup started last Fulham win over Wolves
Marcus Bettinelli is now a benchwarmer at Chelsea with just one appearance to date since the goalkeeper left Craven Cottage for Stamford Bridge in 2021. He switched west London sides in a free transfer after seeing his contract with the Cottagers expire after 120 games.
The 30-year-old was Fulham’s first-choice between the sticks in the 2014/15 and 2017/18 Championship seasons. While his clean sheet to help Fulham to their last win over Wolves in February 2018 contributed toward his 12 shut outs – the 11th-best through the division.
Ryan Fredericks (RB): Starter of last Fulham win over Wolves now at Bournemouth
Ryan Fredericks spent three seasons at Fulham from 2015 to 2018, and started in their last win over Wolves. The right-back would ultimately leave Craven Cottage four months after the 2-0 affair to join West Ham United in a free transfer after allowing his contract to end.
The 29-year-old registered 114 appearances through his time with the Cottagers across all competitions – his most with one club yet. But Fredericks would only make 75 for the Irons before leaving at the end of his terms this June and joining newly-promoted Bournemouth.
Tomas Kalas (CB): Former Cottagers loanee now at Bristol City after Chelsea exit
Tomas Kalas enjoyed two spells at Fulham on loan from Chelsea as the Czech Republic star failed to breakthrough at Stamford Bridge. He initially moved to Craven Cottage during the 2016/17 campaign, and returned for another season before joining Bristol City in 2018/19.
The Robins would ultimately purchase Kalas – who made a combined 76 appearances with Fulham – from Chelsea in 2019 for £8m. The 31-cap international has gone on to reach 146 games for Bristol City so far, but is also now in the final year of his contract at Ashton Gate.
Tim Ream (CB): Starter of last Fulham win over Wolves may play at Molineux
Tim Ream started as Fulham took their last win over Wolves in 2018, and may also start at Molineux this weekend. The 46-cap USMNT defender has been with the Cottagers since he left Bolton Wanderers in 2015, and has made 257 appearances with the West London side.
Marco Silva awarded Ream his latest Fulham appearance as the team marked their return to the Premier League with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Saturday. He also afforded the 34-year-old the captain’s armband at home to Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasing Anfield natives.
Matt Targett (CB): Starter of last Fulham win over Wolves now at Newcastle
Matt Targett started the last time Fulham beat Wolves, having joined on loan for the latter half of 2017/18 from Southampton. He played 21 games in west London, before returning to St Mary’s, enjoying a spell with Aston Villa and then joining Newcastle this year for £15m.
Kevin McDonald (CDM): Free agent started in last Fulham win over Wolves
Kevin McDonald started the last time Fulham beat Wolves, but now finds himself without a club at 33 years old. The five-cap Scotland international has been a free agent since June after leaving Dundee United following a short spell at the club following his Cottagers exit.
Fulham released McDonald last summer after 128 games with the club, which featured six goals and five assists. He has never played more for a team than with the Cottagers, above the 126 outings the Carnoustie native amassed with Wolves before joining Fulham in 2016.
Tom Cairney (CM): Midfielder captained Fulham to last win over Wolves
Tom Cairney captained Fulham to their last win over Wolves in 2018 and he remains under contract at Craven Cottage until 2024. The two-cap Scotland international headed to west London from Blackburn Rovers in 2015 and has so far played 246 times in all competitions.
Stefan Johansen (CM): Starter of last Fulham win over Wolves now QPR captain
Stefan Johansen started the last time Fulham beat Wolves, but the 2017/18 season would be his last high spell in west London. The midfielder ended the term with eight goals and eight assists over 45 regular-season Championship games, but never scored another goal.
Stepping up to the Premier League would also see the 55-cap Norway international fall out of favour. Fulham would then loan Johansen to West Brom in 2019 and later Queens Park Rangers in 2021, who bought the midfielder last summer and would name him as captain.
Floyd Ayite (RW): Forward now in French second-tier with Valenciennes
Floyd Ayite now plies his trade in the French second-tier at Valenciennes, after joining the Ligue 2 outfit from Genclerbirligi Ankara last summer. He had joined the Turkish second-tier side from Fulham in 2019, ending a three-year stay at Craven Cottage after 84 games.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (ST): Striker scored in last Fulham win over Wolves
Fulham signed Mitrovic on loan from Newcastle in the January 2018 sales to help fire the club to promotion. The Cottagers would then use the prize money from play-off glory to buy the Serbian for an initial £22m, rising up to £27m with performance-related add-ons.
Mitrovic scored 12 goals during his loan spell, including Fulham’s second in their last win over Wolves. He has since taken his tally for the club to 98 goals from 178 appearances in all competitions, after his Championship record 43-goal tally across 44 games last season.
Ryan Sessegnon (LW): Scorer in last Fulham win over Wolves now at Tottenham
Sessegnon broke out of Fulham’s academy to become an established first-team player in the 2016/17 season. His 16 goals and eight assists in 2017/18 then helped guide the club into the Premier League, where the left-sided dynamo added six assists from 35 outings.
Tottenham saw a lot of potential from Sessegnon’s performances in west London and paid £25m, rising to £30m, in 2019. But the 22-year-old’s north London career has been a slow burner, with just 34 games. Yet he is now finding a home at full-back under Antonio Conte.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
