Fulham 1-0 Sunderland: Raul Jimenez the match-winner as Cottagers sink high-flying Black Cats | OneFootball

Mexican veteran was on hand to earn crucial three points

Fulham secured a precious three points as Raul Jimenez’s late goal helped them beat high-flying Sunderland 1-0 at Craven Cottage.

Silva’s contract expires next summer, and after a frustrating transfer window and a slow start to the new season, the question of whether he will stay in west London next season is a point of increasing agitation.

Injuries have not helped, with the continued absence of Antonee Robinson and Rodrigo Muniz.

Robinson provided the most assists of any defender in the Premier League last season while Muniz, handed a long-term contract last month, had been expected to take over from Jimenez as Fulham’s first-choice striker.

The pair have started four games between them, and in their absence, it has felt like the Cottagers are just about getting by on Silva’s intuition - it was his substitutions that made the difference this afternoon.

This is a Fulham team, entering their fourth successive season in the top flight, full of seasoned Premier League performers. Alex Iwobi recently surpassed 300 Premier League games, while 34-year-old Jimenez netted his 61st top-flight goal to move them three points clear of the relegation zone.

Their strength lies in their solidity and understanding. Ultimately, though, they lack pace and unpredictability in attack - Fulham until today had not won a game this season without the assistance of an own goal.

Firmly on top against Sunderland - by half-time they had held more than 62 per cent of the ball and taken three times the number of touches in the opposition box - they struggled to test Robin Roefs in the Sunderland goal.

Club record signing Kevin, signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for £34.6million on Deadline Day, has been brought in to provide that edge. It has, however, been a slow start for the Brazilian, who is still getting up to speed after arriving late in the transfer window.

Presented with an opportunity to open the scoring in the first half, he scuffed his shot straight at Roefs. A more confident player would have pushed the ball out of his feet and arrowed his finish into the corners.

These are the moments Silva will want Kevin to take ownership of, and when put through again after a nice flick by Josh King, he was quickly dispossessed by Trai Hume, who was simply more alert to the break of the ball.

Sunderland had let Fulham apply the early pressure, but they grew into the game after the break as Silva’s side looked increasingly short of answers, with Kevin and King taken off just past the hour mark for Emile Smith Rowe and Samuel Chukwueze.

The game looked to be heading for a stalemate, but the hosts, energised by Silva’s substitutions, continued to push on in search of a winning goal and eventually found the breakthrough after 84 minutes as Chukwueze crossed superbly for Jimenez.

This was a vital three points for Fulham, but there is no escaping the issues they still need to address.

Assessing their problems is to cover old ground. Silva has known for some time what he needs to propel the west Londoners to the next level. He has, as yet, not been backed well enough in this regard.

The January window will offer a clear glimpse into how true to their word the club is about backing the manager. Fail to do so, and the Portuguese could walk next summer.

The league table does not tell the full story. Fulham have been more competitive than their recent results suggest, but they need to give Silva the keys to help the club push on.