Fulham clinch Premier League return in win over Preston

London, April 20: Fulham earned a third promotion to the Premier League in five seasons with their 3-0 win over Preston North End on Tuesday.

All three goals came in the first half at Craven Cottage in what became a routine game, with Aleksandar Mitrovic opening the scoring in only the ninth minute.

Fabio Carvalho doubled the margin, before Mitrovic added another before half-time.

The Cottagers have earned a 'yo-yo' reputation for bouncing between the Premier League and Championship in recent years.

They were promoted in 2018 and swiftly relegated, before going up again in 2020 and coming straight back down once more.

Now the elite ranks beckon again, with Marco Silva's team aiming to sustain top-flight status this time around.

Fulham had a 13-season spell in the elite from 2001 to 2014, which was the last time they enjoyed consecutive seasons at the top level.

Their campaign this season has been fuelled by a remarkable goal output from Mitrovic, who has now scored 40 times in the league.

Head coach Silva was appointed before the season got under way, replacing Scott Parker who moved on to join Bournemouth.

The Portuguese has previous Premier League experience from his time with Hull City, Everton and Watford.