Fulham and Bournemouth have had two fairly differing seasons so far this year as the west London side have slumped towards the bottom end of the table, while Bournemouth have arguably been the surprise package of the Premier League season.
Under Eddie Howe, Bournemouth have been superb and currently sit sixth in the table. At the centre of that resurgence has been the performances of the superb defender, Nathan Ake.
Fulham on the other hand, spent heavily in the summer but have so far severely underperformed. At the back, the team has struggled but in fairness, they’ve been without summer signing, Alfie Mawson.
Alfie Mawson
Signed for £20 million over the summer, Mawson joined a Fulham side that was heavily reinvested in over the summer but has so far struggled to get going this year.
Going forward, the west London side have played reasonably but at the back, they look completely open and have conceded a horrific 25 goals this year. Mawson has been unable to affect the club’s poor defence as he’s only played four games this season, after missing out for the first few weeks due to a knee injury.
During his time at Swansea the English defender was a standout performer for aside that eventually went down. When fit, he will surely improve the side’s defence but as of yet Jokanovic seemingly doesn’t know what his best backline is.
At the moment, it hasn’t been a great start to Mawson’s Fulham career.
TT Grade: C+
Nathan Ake
Following an impressive loan spell with the south coast club, Bournemouth signed Ake in 2017 for a reported £20 million fee and it looks as though they’ve signed a superb defender.
Another product of the Chelsea loan system, Ake has been able to blossom since arriving on a permanent deal. Despite not being the typical colossus of a defender, Ake’s mobility and ability with the ball have been ideally suited to Eddie Howe’s style of play.
Although Callum Wilson might get the plaudits for being the man to fire The Cherries up the table, Ake has arguably been as good, if not better than the forward. He’s played in every one of Bournemouth’s games this season and has apparently attracted interest from Manchester City and Tottenham.
Signed for just £20 million, Bournemouth look like they’ve pulled off a shrewd piece of business and one that might help lead them to Europe.
TT Grade: A-
The Verdict
Considering Mawson’s struggles with injury this season and Fulham’s terrible defensive record, this wasn’t the hardest battle.
Ake has been superb this season and looks like a potential top six player in the making. He’s a typical modern day defender and Howe is going to have a tough time keeping him come the summer.
Where Mawson has struggled, Ake has thrived and looks like another former Chelsea player to find success elsewhere.
