Fulham travel to Wearside to take on Sunderland this weekend.
The Black Cats are aiming to return to winning ways after losing consecutive Premier League fixtures for the first time this season in recent defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool, and will also be looking to bounce back after suffering a first loss on home soil this term against the defending champions.
But while Silva was full of praise for Sunderland during a pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, he is firmly of the belief that his team have what it takes to beat their hosts for a second time this term at the weekend.
What did Fulham boss Marco Silva say about Sunderland?
He said: “[It won’t be easy] At all. Their home record... I know that they lost the last game and Liverpool broke that brilliant, brilliant run from them at home, that is true, but it's not a coincidence that before the Liverpool game they were the only team in the Premier League without a defeat at home. Just shows how brilliant they have been at home.
“As you mentioned, it's always a tough place to go, but I prefer to look at it in a different way. First of all, their quality - good side. Collective point of view, very good manager. Individual point of view, very physical side, capable of playing good football as well, but in some moments physical enough in the other part of the game to be very aggressive... in a good way of course. Set pieces, on and off the ball, very aggressive side too.
“And of course with great home support. That is, I would think, a good place to play football, with great home support. The way I look at it, I really enjoy this type of challenge, and I like to see my players do it in the same way. The support is going to be incredible there. Our fans are going to be there in a good number, for sure, on a tough, long journey. But these are the moments that you have to test yourself with these types of crowds behind you, and you have to show the quality, you have to pop up, and from a collective point of view, you have to show your quality. Individual point of view, you have to step up as well.”
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Looking back on the last meeting between the two sides, which Fulham won 1-0 at Craven Cottage in November, Silva continued: “They are strong. That game was a good example of how you can control a team that can create things in many different ways. It was a game where we were completely in control of the game. I know that we scored a late goal, but we didn't have to score before. It was a game that we controlled very well then. We didn't give anything for them in terms of chances. That showed our capacity, how we were solid in that game, how we kept the focus throughout that game as well.
“Of course, at home the results show clearly that they have been stronger than away, but we are going to need all the characteristics that we showed in the first game at the Cottage against them that gave us the chance to win the game. We have to replicate some of the good things that we did in that game away from home against a side that, with home support, have been showing that they are stronger.”
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