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In Focus: Jimenez finding feet at Fulham after slow start
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Callum Rice-Coates
LiveScore
Raul Jimenez has hit form for Fulham in the Premier League
Raul Jimenez has hit form for Fulham in the Premier League

Raul Jimenez's Fulham career had an iffy start.

The former Wolves striker failed to score in his first 12 appearances in all competitions following a summer move to West London.

But Jimenez has had a change of fortunes in recent weeks with goals beginning to flow again.

Ahead of today's FA Cup tie with Rotherham, we take a closer look at the forward's upturn in form.

Falling into place

Fulham's major concern in the early weeks of the season was a lack of goals.

Marco Silva's team scored just 13 times in their first 13 Premier League games of the campaign as they flirted with a potential relegation battle.

But the Cottagers have been prolific since November, netting 18 goals in their last eight league matches.

Jimenez has bagged five of them, including four in his last five appearances.

Raul Jimenez has been ruthless in front of goal in recent weeks
Raul Jimenez has been ruthless in front of goal in recent weeks

The only blot on his recent record was a straight red card during the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle, resulting in a three-game suspension.

But he returned with a goal in last weekend's 2-1 win over title-chasing Arsenal.

Jimenez is overperforming his xG of 4.16 and is only likely to add to his tally if Fulham can create chances more consistently.

Overcoming adversity

Last weekend's goal against Arsenal took Raul Jimenez clear as Fulham's top scorer this season
Last weekend's goal against Arsenal took Raul Jimenez clear as Fulham's top scorer this season

Persistence and self-belief have been key for Jimenez.

He showed plenty of it in his recovery from a horrific head injury in 2020, though his goal return understandably slowed in the aftermath.

More than three years on, Jimenez still bears the scars of the incident but looks like returning to the kind of form that made him such a threat for Wolves.

Fulham boss Silva said: "In anything, it is so important to be resilient, to keep working and working through difficult times.

"When there's darkness all around, it is tough, but eventually the sun will shine again. For Raul, he had to go through some darkness but he never let his attitude or his work rate drop.

"This is not the most important thing in the world at all, of course, but it can feel quite tough if it is not going well.

"Raul has had to be patient and has to deal with frustrations but that almost made him work even harder, he has never let his standards drop."

New year's resolutions

Raul Jimenez has led the line effectively for Fulham since joining in the summer
Raul Jimenez has led the line effectively for Fulham since joining in the summer

A promising purple patch is a significant step forward for Jimenez.

He will be hoping to sustain his recent form throughout the campaign, with the new year looking like a potentially fruitful one for Fulham.

The striker might even be targeting a best-ever return in the Premier League, although he is a way off his total of 17 goals in 2019-20.

Reaching double figures would represent progress for the 32-year-old, who has had to endure significant setbacks to get back to such a high level of performance.

Jimenez's immediate priority will be to continue his current scoring streak as Fulham host Championship outfit Rotherham in the FA Cup.

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FulhamRaul JimenezFA Cup
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