Tactical Watch: Serial crossers Fulham provide physical test

Despite losing another key player (João Palhinha) in another successive summer, Fulham have enjoyed a great first half of the season. What’s the secret to their success?

Much of the praise should be directed to manager Marco Silva, who has done a tremendous job not only reinventing this Fulham team year or year to deal with the loss of star assets, but to craft a playing style that can bloody a few noses too.

They’ve held Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to draws, beaten Newcastle United, and were the first team this season to really put Manchester City through the mill, losing 3-2 but totting up a whopping 2.7 xG on the day.

Only Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have lost fewer games than Fulham (4) in the Premier League so far, solidifying their status as a team that backs up some good attacking play with a stern defensive spine.

Impressive left-back Antonee Robinson dispossesses Mohamed Salah at Anfield

What can Southampton expect from their attack?

There are two distinct sides to Fulham’s attacking play, and it’s perhaps that variety which has made a good match for any team they’ve faced so far.

There are times where they focus on attacking very directly. They can go long to striker Raúl Jiménez then play off him, skipping from defence to attack quickly. Adama Traoré, one of the fastest players in the league and by far the most forceful dribbler, can also prove an effective outlet.

There are also times when they look to work the ball more slowly through the thirds, dominating possession and arriving at the opponent’s box through combinations. It’s here that Emile Smith Rowe begins to shine, as his interplay and movements in these areas is brilliant. Alex Iwobi, who is likely to operate off the left flank, also gets heavily involved.

Whatever the approach, left-back Antonee Robinson is a key outlet for them. When attacking directly, he uses his searing pace to drive upfield with the ball; when building play more slowly, his overlapping runs will hit the byline and his much-improved crossing can cause problems.

Fulham are tied for the most crosses per game (22) in the league and Robinson’s a big part of that. Expect a fairly obvious left-sided bias to their attacking moves given he, Iwobi and Smith Rowe (drifting over) can all combine there.

What will they offer in defence?

There’s a reason the Premier League’s top teams have found Fulham such a difficult nut to crack: playing against them is a bruising experience, particularly at Craven Cottage.

They’ve got a couple of tough tacklers in midfield in Saša Lukić and Sander Berge. They’re both Palhinha replacements in a way, with the former’s smart balancing work in the middle and the latter’s big-bodied, bustling style a neat representation of their predecessor’s skillset.

They lead a very physical effort from Silva’s troops, whose pressing is fairly strong - although the setup will be weakened by the absence of Andreas Pereira, who is suspended for this game.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukić; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jiménez.

• If Joachim Andersen is fit, he’ll return to the centre of defence at the expense of Diop

• Wilson’s been a super-sub this season but may get a starting shot with Andreas suspended; his long shots are something to be wary of