Antonee Robinson: the American left back finding career form at Fulham

Oothers could appear before Antonee Robinson on the Mount Rushmore of current U.S. Men's National Team icons. Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah may all get a mention for their European exploits ahead of Robinson, but the Fulham left-back is currently outperforming them all.

Mohamed Salah knows how well Robinson is playing at the moment. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jarrod Bowen too. They all recently started against the American for a resurgent Fulham team and struggled to make an impact. Robinson – called “Jedi” since childhood – stopped them. The force is strong with him right now.

Three wins in four games have pushed Fulham into the top half of the table and Robinson's form is a major reason behind this dramatic rise in form. No one plays better for the Cottagers. Moreover, Robinson is playing the best football of his career so far. He is emerging as a real difference maker at Premier League level.

For all that Robinson has helped Fulham to a number of emphatic victories of late, it was in the 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield where he shone brightest, causing the Premier League toppers constant problems with his relentless running down the flank . “His play was top level,” said Fulham manager Marco Silva afterwards. “He was almost always in the right position for the 100 minutes we played.”

By setting up Harry Wilson for the equalizer at Anfield, Robinson also became the first American to register an assist in three consecutive Premier League matches. Against one of the strongest teams in England – and Europe – the Fulham left-back was one of the best players on the pitch, to the extent that his individual display received particular attention in a segment of Match of the Day.

Robinson has become an integral part of the way Fulham play. His speed and direct running style make him a useful funnel into the attacking third. His overlapping and overlapping runs give Fulham a forward edge, while Robinson and Alex Iwobi naturally disrupt the opposition defence.

The 26-year-old's crossing ability is also used by Silva to set up Raul Jimenez, who comes to life as he attacks a ball in the opponent's penalty area. Robinson gives him that (Andreas Pereira is the only Fulham player to average more crosses per 90 minutes), just as he gave Aleksandar Mitrovic the same – it's no coincidence that the Serbian was known as one of the Premier League's best headers when he had Robinson set him up.

In the build-up play, Robinson has a similarly important role to play for the Cottagers, regularly forming passing triangles with Pereira and Willian to promote possession down the left. He ranks in the 70th percentile for touches per 90 minutes among players in his position, highlighting Silva's confidence in Robinson's ability to handle the ball under pressure.

Defensively, Robinson is also improving. Although Liverpool scored four goals against Fulham earlier this month, Salah was repeatedly prevented from finding the net or even posing a threat to Bernd Leno's goal. This was largely due to Robinson making more interceptions (13) than any player in a Premier League match since the start of the 2009/2010 season.

Statistically, Robinson excels in several areas: progressive carries, successful take-ons, interceptions, long passes, crosses, ball recoveries and even aerial duels. Some attacking full-backs are too reliant on their physical attributes, but Robinson is not one of them. As an all-round defender, there are few better than him at the moment.

Of course, Robinson's potential as an elite-level fullback has been evident for some time. Before signing for Fulham in 2020, he came close to joining AC Milan. The $13 million transfer from Wigan Athletic fell through after an irregular heart rhythm was discovered during his medical treatment. Later that same year, Robinson transferred to Craven Cottage.

USMNT fans are also well aware of Robinson's quality. There have been few players more reliable for the national team in the Gregg Berhalter era than the left back who started all four of the USA's matches at the 2022 World Cup. Robinson is almost always one of the first names on the team sheet for his country.

Other USMNT fullbacks haven't fared as well lately. Not long ago, Sergino Dest would have been on the USMNT Mount Rushmore. He was considered the best American fullback in Europe. Now, however, Dest is struggling to get his career back on track after being loaned out to PSV after failing to make it at Barcelona. His international performances have also suffered; see his slump after last month's defeat to Trinidad and Tobago.

There's something to be said for the way Robinson has quietly grown season after season. In retrospect, Fulham might have been a better place for the left-back to develop his game than AC Milan, where the pressure could have crushed him the way it seemingly crushed Dest at Barcelona. Craven Cottage has been a healthy environment for Robinson.

With Robinson in such scintillating form, it's fair to think about his future. At 26, the left-back is entering the best years of his career, so could he still have a step up the transfer market ladder in him? Could Robinson's recent performances alert bigger clubs willing to give him an even higher platform?

Fulham has long been something of an outpost for the USMNT. That is why the club is called 'Fulhamerica'. Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride (who had a bar named after him in Craven Cottage) are both club legends, while Tim Ream is similarly revered after spending eight years there. But right now, Robinson is flying the American flag higher than anyone at Fulham – and possibly higher than anyone in European football.