MY ACCOUNT
Manor Solomon is gaining a reputation as a supersub at Fulham and the Cottagers will be hoping that he can step up if required against Brentford tonight.
The Israeli winger has scored in three consecutive appearances off the bench and could equal Jamie Vardy’s record in the Premier League if he grabs a fourth under the lights.
Ahead of the clash between two West London rivals, we take a look at the Shakhtar Donetsk loanee in more detail.
Manor’s new home
Solomon, 23, is still learning his trade at the top level but his performances in the Ukrainian Premier League were enough to prompt Marco Silva to bring the pacy forward in on loan for the 2022-23 campaign.
The speedster made a name for himself in his homeland with Maccabi Petah Tikva, where he scored eight goals and notched six assists in 73 appearances.
Having made his professional debut at just 17, it soon became clear that Solomon was destined for a move elsewhere.
That came in 2019, when Shakhtar secured his services before he netted 22 times in 106 outings, including four strikes in the Champions League.
Already earning 31 international caps, the diminutive attacker was earning a glowing reputation for himself before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in the suspension of his contract and subsequent move to the Premier League.
Getting up to speed
A promising debut against Liverpool was soon overshadowed by the knee surgery Solomon underwent in August but Silva has eased the summer signing back into action since January.
He has made 10 appearances in 2023 and caught the eye in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his last four outings as Fulham continued their march up the league table and into the FA Cup quarter-finals.
He netted the Cottagers’ second in a 2-0 home win over Nottingham Forest last month, before dealing an 88th-minute blow to Brighton at the Amex a week later.
A third-consecutive goal off the bench followed in the 1-1 draw with Wolves and his quartet of strikes was completed in the 2-0 cup victory against Leeds.
With every outing for the West Londoners, the talented winger is looking more at home in the English capital.
Making his mark
Fulham’s summer recruit seems to be developing a trademark finish at Craven Cottage and fans will certainly not get tired of seeing it.
Having bent a glorious curling effort past Wolves stopper Jose Sa last weekend, Solomon produced a carbon copy of his goal in the fifth-round tie four days later.
Using his speed to create space on the edge of the penalty box, the youngster whipped a shot around multiple players and into the side netting, leaving Illan Meslier with no chance.
His strikes were reminiscent of Brazilian trickster Willian in his prime, with the ex-Chelsea and Arsenal man now Solomon’s team-mate.
Solomon is averaging 2.83 shots on target per 90 minutes this term and is yet to miss the target with any of his four efforts in the Premier League.
Although his numbers appear inflated due to a lack of game time in the top flight, the No11 has certainly demonstrated that he has an eye for goal.
Silva’s gem
With city rivals Arsenal and Tottenham said to be interested in his supersub, Silva is not entering into speculation regarding Solomon’s future.
The Portuguese boss, 45, said: “Of course all that situation with Shakhtar took a little bit longer than we would have liked and in the end we signed him on loan.
“We have to wait for the right moment to speak with him again and see what will be the decision.
“It is not something that is our focus right now, of course it’s not for me or for Manor to take care of. We focus on the next game and to get the best from him.
“He is really focused on his role in this football club and let’s see what will be in the future.”
Victory at Brentford this evening could see Fulham move level on points with fifth-placed Liverpool in the table.
And should the Cottagers continue their fine form, expect plenty more suitors to line up for their Israeli starlet.
