Fulham are hitting their stride at the right time and look on course to earn promotion back to the Promised Land in record-breaking fashion.

It was a miserable time for the Cottagers when they were relegated from the Premier League in the 2020/21 season, winning just five of their 38 matches, and Scott Parker's decision to leave and take over at Bournemouth in the summer didn't help the situation.

Silva Repaying Faith

The board made the decision to bring in Portuguese tactician Marco Silva, whose knowledge of English football has been growing after stints in charge of Hull City, Watford and Everton, and that has proven to be a masterstroke, as things stand.

Silva, 44, has significantly improved a dreadful Fulham defence that conceded 53 Premier League goals last season to have now shipped just 23 times in the Championship to date - the joint-second lowest behind only West Bromwich Albion.

However, it is at the other end of the pitch that the Portuguese has got the Cottagers flying and they are playing, arguably, some of the most attractive, entertaining and attacking football in the country.

Goals, goals and more goals

On Tuesday evening, Fulham recorded their second straight 6-2 victory in the Championship when defeating Birmingham City, following on from the same thumping win against Bristol City three days earlier.

Before those two triumphs, Silva's men slotted seven past Reading in a stunning 7-0 success - the second 7-0 victory they have had in the Championship this season - and they are on fire in the final third.

Fulham have now scored a massive 70 goals from 26 league games, 26 more than next closest Blackburn Rovers, and those strikes have helped to open up a five-point lead at the top of the standings.

To put that scoring record into context, no team in the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga or Ligue 1 have managed to better that tally so far this season, with Bayern Munich the closest with 61 goals.

Record to be broken

Reading currently hold the record for most goals scored in a Championship campaign when they struck 99 times on their way to the title during the 2005/06 season. Much has changed for the Royals since then and, at the time of writing, they occupy 21st spot in the standings.

With the Cottagers still having 20 games left this term and only 29 goals off the record, they look destined to break that record and win the title in the process, which is available to back at 4/11.

Individual award heading Serbian's way

While the likes of Harry Wilson, Fabio Carvalho and Neeskens Kebano have all contributed in the final third - scoring 23 times between them - it has been the form of Serbia international Aleksandar Mitrovic that has propelled the club into top spot.

The former Newcastle United striker has scored an incredible 27 times from 25 appearances and he is 1/8 to win the Golden Boot, with Blackburn's Ben Brereton, who is the closest challenger on 20, priced at 6/1.

The 27-year-old has bagged three hat-tricks and he is only two behind Dwight Gayle's record of five hat-tricks in EFL Championship history, which he achieved across three different clubs (Peterborough United, Newcastle United and West Brom).

It has been a stunning campaign for Mitrovic and he will be hoping to stay on the goal trail when Fulham make the trip to Stoke City on Saturday. The Cottagers are 10/11 to win and their Serbian hitman is 11/10 to score anytime.

Position	Club	Points
1	Fulham	54
2	Bournemouth	49
3	Blackburn	49

Points record a way off

Reading may see their goals record broken this season but one piece of history they created back in the 2005/06 should remain in tact, with their sensational 106 points total unlikely to be bested.

The Royals only lost twice during that incredible campaign, winning 31 times and drawing the other 13 matches, and Fulham will have to go some if they are going to surpass that amount.

Sitting on 54 points with 20 games remaining, there is a total of 60 points left to play for and if Silva's side were to go perfect from now until the end of the season they would finish on 114 points.

However, it is highly unlikely they will not slip up during this period, especially given the fact they have already lost four times this term and still have Blackburn, Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers, Bournemouth and West Brom still to play.

Fulham need 53 points more to break Reading's record, which gives them just seven points to drop, and the Cottagers will have to settle for a potential new goal record and promotion to go with it.