Pressure is on misfiring Muniz and Antonio to spark campaigns into life

WHEN Andreas Pereira and Willian presented Rodrigo Muniz with the Premier League player of the month award for March, the striker’s tears of joy spoke of his own surprise at how drastically his fortunes had changed.

- Dom Smith

That month brought four goals in as many games for Muniz, who became only the third Fulham player ever to win the award, after Louis Saha and Mark Schwarzer.

It took him to nine goals — eventually 10 — in a season which began with Raul Jimenez and Carlos Vinicius both above him in the pecking order and ended with Marco Silva parking plans to sign a new striker.

Muniz has now failed to score since April, though, and Jimenez put the pressure on last month when he scored on a rare start in the 2-0 EFL Cup win over Birmingham.

Back at Craven Cottage and up against a West Ham back-line newly formed after the summer’s spending spree, Muniz will be desperate to end his six-game goal drought on Saturday.