Fulham ‘second best’ and ‘not at the level, Silva admits

Marco Silva confirmed Fulham were hampered by a sickness bug in the lead-up to their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal – but he refused to use that as an excuse for his team’s woeful display.

Sander Berge was absent from the squad because of the illness, while other players have been affected over the past few days

“Yes, a virus at the training ground; some players, some staff members too,” Whites boss Silva said.

“That was the reason why Sander was not in the squad list. Some of them had a completely different week.

“It’s not the reason why in the first half we weren’t at the level. I don’t like to start the press conference in this way, because it looks like the easiest explanation, or easiest way to find an excuse.”

Viktor Gyokeres scored twice and the Ealing-born Bukayo Saka also netted in a resounding win for the title-chasing Gunners.

“We made their life too easy, too easy, that first half, the way we were not at a level that this type of game demands from ourselves,” Silva admitted.

“One thing that is making us be a team that is always hard to play against, because we are always very competitive, we are always brave, we have a clear identity how to play, and during the first half, all these aspects were not on the pitch.

Fulham ‘second best’ and ‘not at the level’ in defeat at Arsenal – Silva pic.twitter.com/HGqFnHbkQu

— West London Sport (@WestLondonSport) May 2, 2026

“We expected Arsenal to start in the way they did. We planned to start, to try to start strong too, and to try to express ourselves, to spread ourselves on the pitch.

“Sometimes it’s not easy to set your game straightaway when you come to this type of place—their quality, their capacity to press, they let the game go for individual moments, which is not easy sometimes to beat.

“Come that moment that you have to be strong in some individual duels, you have to be able to hold the ball, you have to be able to beat your man. And of course off the ball you have to be—to do the basics, the basics well.

“If you look at the way we conceded the three goals during the first half, we are not at the level that the Premier League demands from you.

“And that was the reason why the first half was a big frustration from us and a disappointing performance from ourselves in all aspects of the game. We were second best in almost everything during the first half.”

Silva also said Emile Smith Rowe was taken off in the second half because of cramp.”