Aleksandar Mitrovic is too good for the Championship

24/11/21 2186

18 games. 21 goals. 5 assists. 3 braces. 2 hat-tricks. Let’s face it – Aleksandar Mitrovic is too good for the Championship.

We may only be just over a third of the way through the season, but the prolific Fulham striker already finds himself miles clear at the top of the Championship Golden Boot standings.

Having bagged 18 goals in 21 league appearances, Mitrovic is averaging 1.21 goals per 90 this term. That means he has netted a goal every 74 minutes.

Better still, he heads into Matchday 19 on a seven-game scoring streak – having bagged 11 goals during that period

So, how has Mitrovic achieved such phenomenal numbers in such a short space of time?

After firing a blank on Matchday 1, he scored in four successive games against Huddersfield, Millwall, Hull and Stoke. He then blanked against Blackpool before bagging a brace against Birmingham

Following four goals in two games against Bristol City and Swansea, including a hat-trick against the Swans, Mitrovic’s seven-match scoring streak began

Along with doubles against QPR and Nottingham Forest, the 27-year-old netted his second hat-trick of the campaign – scoring all three goals in a 3-0 win over West Brom

As it stands, he has scored 63 goals in exactly 100 Championship games. It goes without saying that he thrives in the second tier.

Yet, despite making 104 Premier League appearances over the years, he has only managed to score 24 top-flight goals

We all know the gulf between the Championship and the Premier League is vast, but the Serbian hasn’t been able to replicate his second-tier form in the top flight

That said, if he carries on the way he’s going, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Fulham gained promotion come the end of the season

The Cottagers currently find themselves one point clear of second-place Bournemouth atop of the Championship table

They have lost just three of their 18 league matches this term, picking up 13 wins and two draws along the way.

It is also worth noting that Fulham head into Matchday 19 on a seven-match winning streak. Thanks largely to Mitrovic’s goals, they are the division’s top scorers, too

Although Mitrovic has struggled to adapt to the Premier League in the past, there is absolutely no denying that he is too good for the Championship

If Fulham can keep hold of him during the winter transfer window, maybe he will get another chance to prove himself in the top flight next season.