The December 17thHe Fulham from Raul Jiménez was left out England Cup after the fall 2-1 in front of him Newcastle United in a duel that was decided in the final moments and left the London team no room to react.
The Mexican striker He started and played the entire gamein a game in which his physical and defensive contribution stood out more than his presence in the opposition area.
The exit comes at a difficult time for the Cottagers, who are also having an irregular campaign in the season Premier League. With this result, Fulham will have to concentrate entirely on the league where he is aiming move away from the bottom of the table.
The meeting in St James’ Park It was intense from the start. Newcastle opened the scoring Minute 10But Fulham He responded almost immediately with a well-constructed move that ended in a draw.
From then on the game became balanced and tactical, with the home team controlling possession and the visitors relying on defensive order and quick transitions.
When it looked like the game was heading towards a penalty shootout to advance to the final Semifinals against the Manchester Citythe final blow came: a header from Lewis Miley in it Minute 92 that left the team Marco Silva from the competition.
The elimination, while painful, reflects the difficulties the club has had in completing games this season. On his part Raul Jiménez Completed in 90 minutes and had a performance that was characterized by effort and physical confrontation. Their numbers reflect a large fluctuation:
- 1 key pass
- 12 of 22 precise passes
- 4 defense contributions
- Won 2 tickets
- Won 5 out of 10 aerial duels
Although he was not directly involved in the goals, the Mexican contributed to the pressure, recovery and creation of space. His role was more of a support than a completion in a game where Fulham generated few clear chances.
The elimination in England Cup joins a complicated campaign Premier Leaguewhere the equipment stays 14th place the classification. On an individual level Jimenez had a competitive semester with two goals and two assists in the leagueplus something in the glass.
The challenge now will be to restore stability to the league and find greater offensive force. Jimenez remains an important piece for Marco Silvaand his experience will be the key to that Fulham can right the ship in the second half of the season.
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