Tom Cairney scored a stunning second-half goal to seal a 2-0 win for Fulham against Newcastle United at Craven Cottage on the final day of the Premier League season.
The result gave manager Marco Silva a winning send-off, though his future at the club remains deeply uncertain heading into the summer transfer window.
Silva is scheduled to meet with Fulham’s hierarchy next week to discuss whether he will extend his five-year stay or leave the club entirely.
Reports suggest Benfica are preparing to make an approach for the Portuguese manager to replace Jose Mourinho, who is set to take charge at Real Madrid.
Fulham have offered Silva a three-year contract extension, but he has repeatedly declined to commit himself either publicly or privately to remaining at Craven Cottage.
Those close to the situation believe it is increasingly likely that Saturday’s victory over Newcastle was Silva’s final match as Fulham manager.
Issa Diop opened the scoring in the first half, heading home after a Kevin free-kick struck the crossbar and set the ball rolling for the hosts.
Cairney then gave the afternoon a memorable finale with a fine strike that wrapped up the three points and sent the Craven Cottage crowd home in good spirits.
Despite the positive ending to the campaign, Fulham have much to reflect on after falling short of their European ambitions for the second consecutive season.
Their hopes of a top-six finish were dealt a decisive blow when Bournemouth beat them 1-0 at Craven Cottage on 9 May, a result that proved costly in the final standings.
Had Fulham won that home fixture against Bournemouth, the victory over Newcastle would have been enough to secure sixth place and a spot in European competition.
Newcastle’s own European ambitions had already collapsed far earlier, with a run of one win in seven matches in February effectively ending their Champions League challenge.
A key pattern that emerged during Fulham’s season was their inconsistency in back-to-back victories, having managed consecutive league wins only once since the turn of 2026.
That failure to sustain winning momentum throughout the campaign is reported to be a significant factor in Silva’s thinking as he weighs up his future at the club.
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