Fulham

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The issue around the footballing calendar and the demands being placed on players right now is a difficult one.

First, we need to take into consideration the really high demands on the body that go on all-year round with few breaks, especially for international footballers and those in teams competing on multiple fronts.

I know the men's and the women's games are different, but we got exposed to these issues when we went from amateur to professional. There was a lot of loading, a lot of games and the result of that was a higher risk of injury and we have seen a lot of anterior cruciate ligament injuries now in the women's game.

From the fans' side, their point is often that players get paid a lot of money but I think that is irrelevant. That is just the industry players are in and, if you take out the money, they are still human beings.

The governing bodies need to look at who they consult with about changes in the calendar such as World Cups being held in winter and summers where there is just a couple of weeks off before going straight back into it. The changes and fixtures that are put in are there to generate more money, which makes it difficult. As a business, it is about money.

We talk about mental health a lot and you wonder, where is the time to switch off and have that time away from playing? To have that family time which is a deep human need? At some point mentally, if not physically, it will take its toll.

None of us want to see players striking, but players need to be listened to. What do they need to do to make change happen?

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

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None of Fulham’s 16 Premier League home games against Newcastle have finished level, with the Cottagers winning nine and losing seven. The only fixture to be played more without being drawn in the competition’s history is Everton v Fulham at Goodison Park (17).

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We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Carabao Cup game between Preston North End and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Will: Didn’t take our chances and had a keeper that couldn’t save penalties. All that drama and nerve for nothing.

Sergio: Marco Silva said that he wanted to go far in this cup, did he mean Preston? If we cannot beat a Championship team, we will struggle this season.

Bob: I thought the 11 changes was a crazy decision by Marco, especially when it was said he took this competition seriously. To wait until the 77th minute to start making substitutions was a ridiculous decision! With most of the main squad only playing for a short time in this match, they should be raring to get stuck in and play in our next league match.

Sean: Not great, was it? I think we seriously need to look at signing a striker in January.

Bournemouth and Wolves are interested in Cameroon defender Joel Matip, 33, who remains a free agent after leaving Liverpool during the summer. (HITC), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Fulham lost a marathon penalty shootout 16-15 to Championship club Preston North End, but boss Marco Silva said one positive from their Carabao Cup third-round tie was the performance of Ryan Sessegnon.

The left-sided player set up Reiss Nelson's goal at Deepdale in his second start since returning to Fulham in the summer.

"He is getting better," said Silva of Sessegnon, who has not yet appeared in the Premier League this season.

"It was a very good game from him. From the first minute until the last minute, he kept composure, always up and down [the pitch], strong defensively and, of course, we know he is capable of being decisive with quality.

"It was not just the goal. Most of the chances we created came from his decisions in attack.

"He's going to be a really useful player for us. He already is, but he's going to be better and better. It's important for him to get the right confidence because we all know the qualities that he has."

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

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Fulham reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup last season but this term they exited in the third round.

Marco Silva made the full 11 changes and his side looked disjointed as a result.

Reiss Nelson scored his first goal for the Whites on his first start after Preston had gone in front.

However, Fulham were unable to push on after they equalised with Silva waiting until the 77th minute to make changes.

Timothy Castagne and Jorge Cuenca missed their spot kicks as Preston won 16-15 on penalties. It was the longest shootout in League Cup history, eclipsing the previous record set by Derby County and Carlisle in 2016 when the Rams won 14-13.

Rodrigo Muniz blazed an effort over the bar and was unable to convert the rebound from Harrison Reed's fierce strike which came off the crossbar.

Attention now turns to Saturday when they host Newcastle (15:00 BST) in the Premier League in a bid to get back to winning ways.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Fulham’s performance, external

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

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Six Premier League teams are in Carabao Cup third-round action on Tuesday:

• Brentford v Leyton Orient - 19: 45

• Everton v Southampton - 19:45

• Preston v Fulham - 19:45

• QPR v Crystal Palace - 19:45

• Manchester United v Barnsley - 20:00 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra)

All kick-off times BST

Follow all the action live

Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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Conceding a last-minute goal. That silence that engulfs you and those around you. The roar from the opposition fans that sounds so faint and yet so deafeningly loud.

It’s one of the worst things about being a football fan – but sadly we’re really used to it at Fulham – particularly in the Premier League.

Danny Ings’s 95th-minute goal to salvage an undeserved point for West Ham on Saturday certainly wasn’t a shock for most of us, despite the Whites controlling the majority of the game. Conceding late always feels inevitable.

Since we returned to the top flight under Marco Silva for the 2022-23 season, we’ve conceded a whopping 19 goals in the 85th minute or later, home and away. What’s more, those late goals have cost us a total of 13 points; four in our first campaign, eight last year and now three already this term after just four games.

So, what is it? A chronic lack of concentration? Poor game management? Or just bad luck? I think these numbers alone rule out option three. West Ham’s goal came from a quick throw-in from Vladimír Coufal, leaving Antonee Robinson and Calvin Bassey wrong-footed, but as Marco says, these tactics are common-place, and we simply “switched off”.

Joshua Zirkzee’s 87th-minute winner at Old Trafford on the opening day was a sucker punch, but it’s unlikely we’ll be competing with Manchester United come May. Our home form is what will define our season, and games against the West Hams of the league are our bread and butter. We needed – and need – to do better.

We have another game at the Cottage next week, as Newcastle United come to town. We lost 1-0 last year, going down in the 81st minute. If it’s still tight come the final 10 next Saturday, I fear for our collective sanity.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Carabao Cup third-round tie at Championship side Preston North End (kick-off 19:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He said there were a "few knocks" following Saturday's game against West Ham, although they are "nothing serious" and "we will keep assessing".

• On taking the Carabao Cup seriously: "Last season gave us a taste for the competition. We know what we are capable of, but we also know what can happen if we are not fully focused and committed."

• He said "we have to be really solid" against Preston and his side "have to show quality to reach the next round".

• Saturday's draw "was a tough one to take" and they conceded in injury time after "switching off". Silva added: "The effort and commitment was there from the players, but we were punished by our own mistake."

• He was impressed by Reiss Nelson and Sander Berge and the way "they impacted the game".

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Fulham and West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

Keir: We switched off and lost two points. That's the one thing we haven’t fixed from last season, but the new signings have shown their talent. Looking forward to better things to come.

Sean: Dominated large parts of the match, but if you don’t take your chances in this division you’ll be made to pay. Reiss Nelson looks a good acquisition, albeit only on loan.

Marko: Tom Cairney is a club legend but a massive liability. We were punished for not finishing the game and instead playing for a 1-0. Nelson looked bright and ultimately Fulham's poor judgement mixed with some poor officiating (Soler should have been sent off and I am certain it was not West Ham's throw-in the build-up to the goal) We move on.

West Ham fans

Dave: Another game that suggests we are going to have to be very patient with this West Ham team. They were largely ineffective in the first half but Lopetegui is not afraid to make the changes required to get a result and perseverance paid off. There is still room for improvement, however, and we may not see the best of this team for a little while yet.

Mike: Outplayed and outthought. Second best the whole game. Very lucky to get a point.

Keith: The West Ham team after the subs were made should be our starting line-up with Todibo given a start. We looked much better in the latter part of the second half.

Gary Linker brings you highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa 3-2 Everton

Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport journalist

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Eyebrows were raised when Fulham completed the initial £27 million signing of Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal in the summer window.

The 24-year-old opened his Fulham account before the international break in the 1-1 draw at Ipswich and he registered his first assist for his new side against the Hammers.

Marco Silva likes his side to play possession-based football and Fulham are capable of that but the addition of Smith Rowe has given them more of a cutting edge in attack.

Shown in flashes during his time with Arsenal, Smith Rowe is well capable of unlocking a defence or scoring a goal of his own.

His run for the opening goal was timed to perfection and he showed great composure to get his head up and pick out Raul Jimenez in the box.

Fulham fans stood to applaud the midfielder as he was substituted - they know they have a superstar on their hands.

With England interim head coach Lee Carsley handing out debuts to under-21 talent, Smith Rowe may expect to add to his three caps in the near future.

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Marco Silva spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Fulham drew with West Ham: "It [95th minute equaliser] just shows that in this Premier League you cannot switch off for one second. We are aware of the quick throws and we have to keep focus and concentration.

"A big frustration for us because before that it was a good performance. It was clear we were the best team on the pitch. They did not have one shot in the first half.

"It was a clear, clear, penalty in my opinion. It's difficult to understand why it was not a penalty in that situation. I don't even want to say anything more about it.

"We should have won this game. It was not a game West Ham pushed us back. The goal came after we switched off. It just shows you have to keep focus until the last second."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

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What did you make of West Ham’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Read the match report and follow reaction

There are eight Premier League games on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action and reaction throughout the day.

All time are BST

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BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries:

• Liverpool v Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa v Everton