Match Report
Fulham (3) 5-3 (0) Leicester City
Premiership Match Day 35 22/23 at Craven Cottage
Monday 8th May 2023 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Robert Jones (Wirral)
|
Geoff Pruce
Fulham came out on the right side of an eight-goal thriller at Craven Cottage to defeat Leicester City.
There were braces for Willian and Tom Cairney, while Carlos Vinicius was also on target.
Two for Harvey Barnes and a James Maddison penalty in the second half made it a contest, but it was the Whites who took the win.
Marco Silva made two changes to his starting XI, bringing Kenny Tete and Harrison Reed back in from the off.
After a couple of half chances for Tosin at set-pieces, it was through a similar means that we went in front on 11 minutes. After Cairney and Antonee Robinson were both fouled wide on the right, Willian sent in a wicked curling delivery that bounced right in front of Daniel Iversen, throwing the City goalkeeper off completely and bouncing into the far corner of the net.
The visitors threatened a response when Maddison evaded three challenges in the box before squaring for Barnes, but the winger skewed wide under close scrutiny from Tete.
We then went straight up the other end with Harry Wilson who slipped in Reed. His angled drive was deflected behind by Caglar Soyuncu, with Tosin heading over from the corner.
And it was another driving run through the middle from Wilson that led to goal number two, with the Wales international waiting until the perfect moment to feed Vinicius’ run. With Iversen onrushing, Vinicius showed fine composure to just roll the ball in the other direction to double his team’s lead.
Leicester should have quickly got one back when Jamie Vardy read Robinson’s pass to burst through on goal, but Bernd Leno made an outstanding save to deny the former England striker.
Reed must have thought he’d scored with his snapshot following exquisite link-up between Cairney and Willian, but Iversen made a crucial block, before then denying Tete from the edge of the box.
The Foxes had a couple of half chances from range which caused Leno no concern, and at the other end Vinicius glanced a Tete cross wide at the far post as we tried to put the game to bed before the break.
That third goal did arrive on the stroke of half-time, and it was lovely. João Palhinha won a crunching tackle high up the pitch, Reed backheeled into Vinicius, who in turn found Cairney. The skipper then sat Soyuncu down before curling a sumptuous low shot inside the far post on his rarely-used right foot.
Barnes almost gave Leicester the perfect start to the second half with his placed effort across goal, but Leno got down at full stretch to push it wide.
Craven Cottage was then in uproar when Wilson’s immaculate first touch sent him through on goal, only to be wiped out by Boubakary Soumare. No decision came, though.
But spirits were quickly restored. Tete embarked on a barnstorming run down the right, looked up, and squared to Cairney who opened his body up to pass coolly beyond Iversen for 4-0.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Leicester City |
| Goals |
(3) 5 |
3 (0) |
|
| Scorers |
Willian 10 |
Barnes 44 |
| Scorers |
Vinicius 18 |
Barnes 51 |
| Scorers |
Cairney 44 |
Maddison pen 81 |
| Scorers |
Cairney 51 |
- |
| Scorers |
Willian 70 |
- |
| , |
| Goal attempts |
17 |
18 |
| On target |
7 |
9 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
41% |
50% |
| Possession |
57% |
43% |
| Passes |
507 |
377 |
| Passes Success |
82% |
78% |
| Crosses |
10 |
14 |
| Crosses Success |
50% |
29% |
| Corners |
2 |
7 |
| Tackles |
22 |
14 |
| Tackles Success |
64% |
57% |
| Saves |
6 |
2 |
| Fouls |
13 |
15 |
| Offsides |
1 |
4 |
| Yellows |
0 |
3 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
Barnes did give the away fans behind the goal something to cheer just before the hour mark, smashing in off the bar after Maddison found him in space in the box.
We could have had a very different game on our hands after Vardy beat Leno to a through ball and was tripped by the Fulham goalkeeper. Redemption was afoot, though, with Leno guessing the correct way to palm away Vardy’s spot-kick.
We soon went from an incredibly nervy moment, back to the joy of a four-goal lead. Reed switched the play to Willian who brought the ball back inside and unleashed an absolute laser into the corner from 25 yards.
Leicester threatened to reduce the deficit once again with a couple of good efforts – Maddison’s free-kick just clearing the crossbar, and substitute Tetê shooting inches wide.
They were then given another lifeline from the penalty spot after Maddison went flying following a touch from Palhinha, and he picked himself up to slot home.
A bizarre game saw them reduce the deficit further still when substitute Patson Daka was able to tee up Barnes for a simple finish following a mix-up in the Fulham box.
It made for a nervier finale than it needed to have been, but the lads professionally saw out a hefty period of stoppage time to bank all the points.
Fulham manager Marco Silva was delighted with Fulham’s performance and believed his side should have claimed an even more convincing win, saying: “Clearly we were the best team on the pitch and we should have won this game much more comfortably.
“Great moments of football, great goals and we started really intensely. I was really pleased to see the way the players expressed themselves on the pitch.
“The goals we conceded were unnecessary. They are moments where we have to be much more consistent. In some moments around our box we have to be more calm.
“But the performance was so good - even great, I would say.”
OptaJoe @OptaJoe
In Tom Cairney (32) and Willian (34), Fulham have become the first side in Premier League history to see two players aged 32 or above score twice in a single match. Wisdom.
Fulham enjoyed their 14th Premier League win of the season; only in 1959-60 have they ever won more games in a top-flight campaign (17).
Fulham scored five goals in a Premier League game for the first time since beating Norwich 5-0 in August 2012.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop (Duffy 77), Robinson, Palhinha, Reed (Lukic 77), Wilson (Kebano 82), Cairney (De Cordova-Reid 82), Willian (Solomon 82), Vinícius
Unused substitutes: Rodak, Soares, Harris, Dibley-Dias
Goals:
Willian 10 (It's a great cross from Willian on the left touchline, whipping a dipping ball into the box that evades everyone - including Iversen, who can't stop the ball bouncing past him and inside the far corner. The Leicester goalkeeper may want that one back, but it was a devilish delivery from the Fulham winger. FPL assist: Robinson)
Vinicius 18 (It's dreadful from Leicester, who leave a gap in their defence as wide as the River Thames. Vinicius is only too happy to wander into it, with Wilson's through ball finding the striker before he takes a touch and strokes a finish past Iversen. FPL assist: Wilson)
Cairney 44 (So good from Fulham - but Leicester are a mess! Faes gives the ball away with a poor clearance and Fulham pounce, Palhinha pinching the ball and quickly moving it forward. The football is so slick, with Reed flicking the ball to Vinicius, who turns it onto Cairney, with the Fulham captain cutting inside Soyuncu before bending a shot beyond the helpless Iversen. FPL assist: Vinicius)
Cairney 51 (It's shambolic again from Leicester, with Tete given the freedom of west London to charge up the right wing before picking out Cairney on the edge of the box. No player in blue has seen fit to track the Fulham captain's run, leaving him all day to control the ball before slotting past Iversen. FPL assist: Tete)
Willian 70 (The immense Palhinha starts things again, shrugging off a poor Soumare tackle to move the ball onto Reed, who promptly spreads the ball to Willian on the left flank. The winger immediately heads for goal, cutting infield before bending a stunning effort past Iversen and into the far corner from 25 yards out. Willian - and Fulham as a team - have been sensational today. FPL assist: Reed)
Leicester City: Iversen, Castagne, Faes, Soyuncu, Kristiansen (Thomas 76), Tielemans (Ndidi 60), Soumaré
e (Dewsbury-Hall 76), Praet (Tete 45), Maddison, Barnes, Vardy (Daka 76)
Unused substitutes: Ward, Evans, Souttar, Pereira
Goals:
Barnes 59 (Castagne crosses from the right and finds Maddison, with Fulham's defenders missing the chance to clear. The No 10 shifts the ball to Barnes, who opens his body and bends an effort that deflects off a defenders, hits the bar, bounces on the line, then just glances the net before bouncing back out. The referee signals for a goal but there's no celebration from Leicester's players - and barely any reaction from their fans. FPL assist: Maddison)
Maddison pen 81 (Maddison draws the foul off Palhinha. Maddison stepping up. Always the way: score the one that means nothing! Yet again it wasn't a great penalty, far from in the corner but Leno dived the wrong way. )
Barnes 89(What a mess by Fulham. Duffy and Leno get in all sorts of problems and Daka almost pokes it home. Barnes follows in from close range. Just two needed now for Leicester for a point - surely not? FPL assist: Daka)
Booked: Barnes (24,f), Maddison (58,dis), Soumare (70,f)
Referee:
Robert Jones (Wirral)
Attendance: 24,442