Fulham’s Alex Iwobi has grown into one of the most underrated players in the Premier League this season following Marco Silva’s adjustment.
The Cottagers enjoyed a strong start to the season, with just one loss from their first five Premier League games. It didn’t take long, however, for their form to drop massively. Four straight losses immediately after that.
At the time, we wrote a piece on how a more tricky winger could unlock their line-up. They desperately needed flair and speed down the wings. And Alex Iwobi is more effective in central zones.
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Marco Silva took it a step forward. While we suggested Kevin, Samuel Chukwueze ended up having more of an impact as they changed their fortunes for the better. Though the Brazilian has had his moments as a starter.
But the Portuguese manager not only gave Iwobi more central touches, but also dropped him deeper, replacing Sasa Lukic. Emile Smith-Rowe got the No.10 spot and the team got better.
How has Alex Iwobi’s change in position influenced Fulham?
Individual brilliance
This is not the first time Alex Iwobi goes from a wide-attacking-playmaker to a box-to-box midfielder. Frank Lampard had already converted him into a No.8 in his Everton days, to start the 2022-23 season.
Of course, playing deeper in a Lampard-led side still includes drifting out wide to whip crosses into the box.
But it was a move that benefitted Iwobi massively in terms of expanding his range. Under Sean Dyche, however, he went back to playing wide. And he did well — so much so that Fulham came knocking and paid the Toffees over £15million for his services.
Three years later, Marco Silva does the same. Takes Iwobi out of the wing and gets him into midfield. And the difference is clear.
Iwobi has been allowed to express himself much more, being involved more often and getting the team out of defence into the attack. All while still being able to charge forward and enter the box. In his last two games, he recorded two goals and one assist (one goal vs Tottenham Hotspur, two goals, one assist vs Sunderland).
Collective reaping the rewards
And yet, Iwobi is not the only one who is benefitting from playing deeper. Fulham got rid of a combative, yet largely uninvolved midfielder in the attacking half (Lukic), whose main creative contributions came from set pieces.
Instead, they found themselves with a different kind of player, who does a little bit of everything. And it also left a vacancy out wide, which Chukwueze and Kevin have done a good job filling with speed and skill – something they severely lacked beforehand.
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Harry Wilson turning into one of the great stories this season also helps, of course. But Fulham have a record of seven wins and five defeats in 12 games with Iwobi down the middle (58% of points won).
With the Nigerian out wide, they had two wins, two draws and six losses from 10 games (27% of points won).
While Iwobi was away during the Africa Cup of Nations, the Cottagers more than held their own. Marco Silva switched to a back-three and they lost just one of their six matches in this span. They won three, drew two and lost one, winning 61% of the available points.
| Fulham stats | Iwobi as a CM | Iwobi as a WM | Without Iwobi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 12 | 10 | 6 |
| Goals scored | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Goals conceded | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| Shot attempts | 13.3 | 10.6 | 12.8 |
| Shots faced | 12.0 | 11.6 | 12.0 |
| Expected goals | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Expected goals against | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| Possession | 52.2% | 49.8% | 52.3% |
Perhaps there is still a middle ground that we have yet to see between the defensive solidity that a three-at-the-back set offers and their usual and attacking 4-2-3-1 with Iwobi and Sander Berge in the double pivot.