Fulham’s match-winner Aleksandar Mitrovic said his side “want to keep the dream going” after a 1-0 victory at Leicester City lifted them to seventh in the Premier League table.
The striker headed home Willian’s cross in the 17th minute to help the Cottagers win their third game in a row since their return to the league after the World Cup break.
Fulham’s latest win means they now sit on 28 points – level with Liverpool – and in a Europa League place.
In their last two Premier League campaigns they went down with 26 points in 2018-19 and 28 in 2020-21.
“It’s amazing,” Mitrovic, 28, said. “When you get promoted, the first goal is to stay.
“We don’t think ahead, we keep both feet on the ground. We’ll see what happens in the end.
“It’s a dream for us — we want to keep that dream going.”
Joy and pain for match-winner Mitrovic
Relegation battles feel like a thing of the past for Marco Silva’s side, who had their first chance of the game through Willian’s curling shot.
The Brazilian then set up Mitrovic, whose opener was his second goal in three games and 11th of the campaign to equal his season’s best in the top flight.
The only blemish on the Serbian’s record was a 78th-minute yellow card for a foul on Harvey Barnes, which will rule him out of Fulham’s next league match with Chelsea next Thursday.
Fulham had a chance to double their lead in injury time but Harry Wilson put his shot just wide when one-on-one with Leicester keeper Danny Ward.
“It was a great way to end 2022 and a great way to start 2023,” said manager Silva.
“We have to be realistic and keep our feet on the ground. Nobody expected us to be in this position before the season started. You are here to enjoy the challenge and accept it.
“We have 28 points, it’s a big achievement for us now but we have to keep working.”
Rodgers wants a January arrival after a third straight loss.
Leicester, who were greeted with boos at the full-time whistle, suffered a third defeat on the bounce and moved three points up in 13th.
They almost equalized through Yuri Tielemans, who smashed an 80th-minute effort against the crossbar.
Yves Perez also went close for the Foxes, failing to convert Tieleman’s cross, while Fulham keeper Bernd Leno made a crucial stop to deny Barnes.
While Fulham have shone since the restart, Leicester’s form has been slow, even if they were unlucky to lose to Liverpool last time out.
