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Before Fulham take on Manchester United, Pulse Sports analyse Calvin Bassey's recent performances in an unfamiliar position and examine Alex Iwobi’s showing at Brighton.
It is safe to state that Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi have had mixed starts to life at Fulham, even if it has been for varying reasons.
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17:37 - 26.08.2023
Calvin Bassey sees red as Fulham escape with a draw against Arsenal at the Emirates
Fulham secured a draw against Arsenal at the Emirate stadium despite having a man down towards the end of the game.
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21:41 - 27.09.2023
Alex Iwobi nets debut goal as Bassey shines in Fulham’s Carabao Cup win
Under the floodlights at Craven Cottage, Fulham Football Club qualified for the next round of the Carabao Cup with Nigerian duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey in fine form.
Bassey and Iwobi’s slow starts at Fulham
The former Ajax defender was sent off on his first Premier League start at Arsenal, and he has had to fill in as the right-sided centre-back in a back four in the Cottagers’ recent visits to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.
As for his national team colleague, the ex-Arsenal man has yet to become a permanent fixture in Marco Silva’s starting XI, undoubtedly an upshot of having to play catch-up after his deadline day switch from Everton.
Bassey’s run in the side is due to Issa Diop’s foot injury — the Frenchman started seven of the opening eight league games alongside USMNT centre-back Tim Ream — and Tosin Adarabioyo’s extended layoff since undergoing groin surgery in September.
Neither is expected to return for Manchester United’s visit on Saturday, pointing to the utilisation of Bassey and Ream at the heart of Fulham’s defence for the third Premier League game running.
The age-old consensus to never play two left-footed players in a back four was bound to be tested, with the Nigeria international expected to be put through the wringer at Spurs and Brighton — two of the league’s top three fiercest pressing sides, according to Opta.
Two moments decided Fulham’s 2-0 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and they came about from Bassey’s misplayed passes in the build-up phase. Both situations were similar but not the same.
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Bassey’s misplaced pass for Tottenham’s first goal
The situation that plays out for Heung-min Son’s opener sees Micky van de Ven intercept Bassey’s overhit pass to Sasa Lukic and Ange Postecoglou’s team score from the resulting turnover.
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Bassey’s pass selection was odd because he had Timothy Castagne and Bobby Decordova as safer options, and Silva’s gesture before and after the Nigerian passed the ball was instructive.
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It probably doubly irked the Portuguese boss because the 23-year-old had played similar passes into Decordova-Reid earlier in the game (minutes 19 and 28), albeit from slightly higher positions on the pitch.
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22:00 - 23.10.2023
Calvin Bassey shocker aids Tottenham in victory over Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur beat Fulham to return to the top of the Premier League table.
Bassey’s mistake against Spurs
If the defender could be excused for Tottenham’s 36th-minute goal, the Fulham man should not get off lightly for the Lilywhites’ second after halftime.
Under some pressure from the eventual goalscorer — James Maddison — the centre-back ignored a simple pass to Castagne to attempt one for a marked Lukic.
Palhinha drifting into that zone meant Fulham had a 3-v-2, and playing out would have been straightforward, with the full-back setting the midfielder free had Bassey passed to him.
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The immediate reaction was to resurrect the dangers of playing two left-footed defenders at centre-back in a back four, but Bassey had played admirably until the concession of those goals. The Nigeria international made several interventions to thwart attacks from the home side and broadly coped with being pressed on his weaker side.
In one instance in minute 16, albeit on his dominant foot, the Nigerian held off Destiny Udogie inside Fulham’s penalty area before slipping a pass to Antonee Robinson.
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That situation ended with Willian winning a free-kick to relieve pressure, which was unlikely to materialise had Bassey gifted the ball back with an attempted clearance downfield.
Going long seemed to be by design, as the Cottagers went that route several times in that opening half rather than play through the Tottenham pressure. There was an abundance of ball losses from such situations, but Bassey’s stand out because they preceded goals for the Premier League leaders.
How did Bassey fare against Brighton?
Reprising his role in a similar position against Roberto De Zerbi’s men, Bassey’s passing in the opening half at the Amex was markedly more conservative, with several balls played to Bernd Leno in goal.
While it should be noted that the Europa League participants were less intense than Spurs, the Nigerian opted against the type of pass that cost his team in North London. At Brighton, the Super Eagle opted for height and distance instead of playing a risky pass to a marked colleague.
The highlight of Fulham’s second half at Brighton was their enhanced intensity without the ball and front-foot approach in possession, aided by Iwobi.
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17:11 - 29.10.2023
Iwobi, Palhinha shine to help hardworking Fulham avoid defeat against Brighton
Fulham dug deep to come back from a goal down and earn a point against Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
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12:33 - 04.09.2023
Super Eagles' Alex Iwobi opens up on relationship with Fulham's Marco Silva
Nigeria Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi left the sinking ship Everton for an adventure at Fulham with his former manager at Goodison Park.
How Iwobi thrived in two roles for Fulham
Silva’s men offered little in the opening half at the Amex with their passive pressing out of possession and minimal inventiveness with the ball. Nevertheless, Iwobi — starting as the attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 — intermittently offered positivity with his dribbling and aggressive ball-carrying.
In the 10th minute, he dropped deep to receive Bassey’s pass and dribbled past Carlos Baleba before passing to Willian on the left flank after carrying the ball into the attacking third; the move resulted in a Fulham corner after Robinson’s cross was blocked.
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Silva’s men paid for their reluctance to engage De Zerbi’s side and the broader incoherence when they did, the latter leading to Evan Ferguson’s 26th-minute goal. The Cottagers were staring another defeat in the face after conceding the first goal, an eventuality that befell them against Brentford (3-0), Manchester City (5-1), Chelsea (2-0) and Tottenham (2-0).
However, they disrupted Brighton’s flow after the interlude.
Fulham’s intensity after the break was unmistakable, as the visitors unsettled Brighton with their assertive press.
Below are first-half screen grabs from Brighton’s build-up…
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…and two situations after the break.
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Silva made three changes before the hour — Andreas Pereira for Harrison Reed, Rodrigo Munoz on for Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson replacing Decordova-Reid — prompting a change of position and role for Iwobi, who now had to play deeper alongside Palhinha in central midfield after Reed’s exit.
The Nigerian was willing to be Fulham’s deepest midfield man to receive possession facing his goal…
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…and was switched on to help the team pressure the Seagulls higher up the pitch, leading to the Cottagers’ equaliser in minute 65.
There was a brief cameo on the left flank after Willian’s withdrawal, but Iwobi’s interpretation of multiple roles and positions in the 1-1 draw was eye-catching.
It remains to be seen if Silva trusts the summer arrival for consecutive league starts for the first time since moving from Everton, with Fulham keen to pile more pressure on the beleaguered Erik ten Hag.
Bassey is expected to start for the third straight game in an unusual role in what should be another fierce test despite United’s troubles.
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