Fulham squandered an excellent opportunity to leapfrog Sheffield Wednesday and earn the sixth place, i.e., the last playoff spot, as they were outclassed by a relegation-threatened side in the form of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Goals from Ivan Cavaleiro, Andreas Weimann and Dave Edwards for the Wolves were a bit too many to be nullified as Dennis Odoi’s strike after coming on from the bench yielded no dividends.
Nonetheless, Slavisa Jokanovic has neatly constructed a formidable side which is making a late dash to earn a ticket back to the Premier League. In a gameweek when even the Owls had to succumb to Reading, a win for the Cottagers could have given them a two-point lead in the sixth place over Carlos Carvalhal’s troops.
However, despite their failure to derive maximum benefits from what transpired on Saturday, Fulham are still in contention to be promoted.
Amidst a handful others, Ryan Sessegnon has been one of the torchbearers for the London-based outfit’s handsome run this campaign in the Championship. Marauding strides have been taken by the 16-year-old sensation who has been a subject of intense speculation of late with respect to his future which is mainly owing to his calibre which has been put on display by him.
Fulham faithful, however, can breathe a sigh of relief as reportedly, Sessegnon is believed to have signed a new four-year-deal with Jokanovic’s side.
The England Under-19 has registered 20 appearances for his current club which is also the club where he spent his youth career, scoring 4 goals and bagging 2 assists so far. Defensively speaking, he has made 1.7 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 2 clearances and 0.1 blocks per game and no wonder he has been so highly rated by the football fraternity, particularly after how he destroyed Newcastle United last weekend by repeatedly outclassing Vurnon Anita on the flanks.
It was important for Fulham to tie Sessegnon down with them, for he is a modern-day left-sided full-back who can also play on the left wing. A brutally ruthless player whilst going forward, Sessegnon dribbles past the opponents’ defence with ease and creates space for his teammates by pulling defenders towards him in the final third.
Moreover, he isn’t caught over-committing himself forward and maintains a proper balance between his attacking and defensive endeavours which makes him a perfect utility player and thus, his contract extension is a massive boost for Fulham. While promotion this season will be a desperate aim, they also have to make sure a system is in place for a similar run next season.
