In the Premier League\u2019s game of musical chairs over the final European spots, Fulham have been going under the radar and find themselves in seventh place with 15 games to go.<\/p>\n
Marco Silva\u2019s side mainly focus on attacking the wide areas or combining in central spaces through striker Raul Jimenez. Another attacking solution for them this season has been their runs in behind the defence.<\/p>\n
Jimenez\u2019s link-up play dovetails with Harry Wilson\u2019s off-ball movements behind the opponents\u2019 defensive lines, as illustrated in the Welsh winger\u2019s goal in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool earlier this month.<\/p>\n
One of the points Silva highlighted on that goal was Jimenez and Wilson making \u201copposite runs\u201d to manipulate Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate.<\/p>\n
Here, Wilson dashes forward as Jorge Cuenca finds Jimenez, who is retreating. The winger\u2019s movement delays Konate\u2019s forward jump because he knows his right-back colleague Conor Bradley is unable to track both Wilson and left-back Antonee Robinson at the same time.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/06094247\/Jimenez_6.png\")
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This delay gives Jimenez an advantage, and he flicks one around the corner into Wilson\u2019s path, and he scores to give Fulham the lead.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/06094238\/Jimenez_7.png\")
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![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/06094231\/Jimenez_8.png\")
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Another example is Samuel Chukwueze\u2019s equaliser in the 2-1 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, this time with Wilson dropping to create the opposite movement.<\/p>\n
Playing in a No 10 role, Wilson drops and drags Brighton\u2019s left centre-back, Lewis Dunk, out of position, isolating Chukwueze against Olivier Boscagli.<\/p>\n
Joachim Andersen spots the right-winger\u2019s run and plays a ball behind the defence\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/27105306\/Fulham_runs_6.png\")
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\u2026 which Chukwueze controls, before curling a shot into the bottom corner.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/27105257\/Fulham_runs_7.png\")
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\u201cThe reality is that we scored a great goal for us \u2014 simple, but great,\u201d Silva told reporters after the match. \u201cThe pass from Joachim, the opposite run from Chukwu, and they know that we need it against teams that come to press so high. We need runs in-behind, we need players to chase them in-behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andersen\u2019s long-range passing plays an important role in Fulham finding these runners.<\/p>\n
The Denmark international, who mainly plays on the right side of central defence, is able to ping those passes in different directions, which allows Fulham to diversify their runs in behind the opponents\u2019 defence. However, Andersen favours the long diagonal switch towards the left wing, which is visible in his most common line-breaking passes. These are defined as passes that progress the ball through, over or around defensive blocks.<\/p>\n
Using data from SkillCorner, Andersen\u2019s long passes to find an advancing Robinson or Ryan Sessegnon \u2014 or one of the forwards \u2014 behind the opposition defence has been one of his six most common line-breaking passes in the Premier League this season.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/27105349\/J.-Andersen_common_linebreakers_2025-26.png\")
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In this example, from the 3-1 victory against Brentford in September, Josh King is positioned between right centre-back Sepp van den Berg and Michael Kayode, the wing-back on that side, while Alex Iwobi drops in midfield and Sessegnon is in an advanced position down Fulham\u2019s left wing.<\/p>\n
The positioning of King and Iwobi, in conjunction with Sessegnon\u2019s movement, forces Kayode to hold his position to maintain the compactness of the defensive line \u2014 if Kayode were to move wider to defend Sessegnon, King could attack the gap between him and Van den Berg, with the Fulham attacking midfielder being accessible directly by Andersen or a combination play through Iwobi.<\/p>\n
This allows Sessegnon more time on the ball when Andersen plays it to him in the space behind Brentford\u2019s right wing-back.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/28053634\/Fulham_runs_9.png\")
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Sessegnon then crosses the ball into the penalty area, and Ethan Pinnock mistakenly puts it into his own net.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/27105313\/Fulham_runs_5.png\")
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In another example, from the 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United in December, Fulham\u2019s left-winger, Kevin, positions himself on the outside of Lewis Miley, with Robinson in an advanced position.<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s position prevents Miley from defending Robinson\u2019s runs behind the defence because the Newcastle right-back is unable to shift markers due to the distance between Malick Thiaw, his closest centre-back, and Fulham\u2019s Brazilian wide man.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Robinson times his run perfectly to evade Jacob Murphy and create the overload down that left side. As is customary, Andersen finds his left-back\u2019s run with a diagonal pass behind the opposition defence.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/27105342\/Fulham_runs_1.png\")
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Miley thinks about defending Robinson, but Kevin\u2019s presence prevents him, allowing the American more time on the ball.<\/p>\n
Robinson then crosses towards Sasa Lukic, who attacks the space in front of the six-yard area after Jimenez forces Newcastle\u2019s centre-backs deeper\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/27105336\/Fulham_runs_2.png\")
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\u2026 and the Serbia midfielder heads the ball into the net.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/27105328\/Fulham_runs_3.png\")
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There are many factors behind the effectiveness of Fulham\u2019s runs in-behind this season.<\/p>\n
Andersen\u2019s accurate long-range passes deservedly grab the spotlight, but the timing of the runs by Sessegnon and Robinson \u2014 or one of the forwards \u2014 allows Silva\u2019s side to create an advantage before the opponents can react. In addition, the positioning of the other Fulham players and their opposite movements create more space for the runner or allow him more time on the ball once he receives it.<\/p>\n
Fulham\u2019s next test is a trip to Old Trafford to face a revitalised Manchester United, currently fourth in the table, on Sunday \u2014 a game where their runs in-behind could be a handy attacking solution.<\/p>\n
Silva\u2019s side may be going under the radar, but their long passes behind the defence are starting to gain attention.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n