Match Report
Fulham (1) 1-4 (1) Wolverhampton Wanderers
Premiership Match Day 12 24/25 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 23rd November 2024 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Robert Jones (Wirral)
|
Fulham returned from the international break with defeat at Craven Cottage.
Wolves came back from an early Alex Iwobi strike through João Gomes, Goncalo Guedes and a Matheus Cunha double.
Sasa Lukic made his first Fulham appearance in over a month, having sustained an injury during the October international break.
The defeat leaves Fulham sitting ninth in the Premier League going into Saturday evening.
Fulham started the game brightly, with Raul Jimenez going close a quarter-of-an-hour in; Antonee Robinson had done well to find the Mexican with a low-driven cross, but the effort rattled back off of the post from close range.
The early pressure was rewarded just five minutes later, with Iwobi curling in a superb left-footed effort past Jose Sa from 20 yards.
Wolves equalised with their first sight of goal on the half-hour mark, with Cunha lobbing Bernd Leno from close distance.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Wolves |
| Goals |
(1) 1 |
4 (1) |
|
| Scorers |
Iwobi 20 |
Cunha 31 |
|
- |
J Gomes 53 |
|
- |
Cunha 87 |
|
- |
Guedes 95 |
| , |
| Goal attempts |
10 |
10 |
| On target |
3 |
5 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
30% |
50% |
| Possession |
600% |
40% |
| Passes |
543 |
388 |
| Passes Success |
85% |
83% |
| Corners |
7 |
2 |
| Tackles |
23 |
18 |
| Tackles Success |
61% |
56% |
| Saves |
1 |
2 |
| Fouls |
14 |
14 |
| Offsides |
2 |
1 |
| Yellows |
3 |
0 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
There was a lengthy break in play when Nelson Semedo received treatment for an injury sustained from a Joachim Andersen challenge.
Wolves came out firing for the second half and took the lead seven minutes in. Fulham failed to win the second ball on the edge of the box and Gomes capitalised, finding space and coolly slotting past Leno on his left foot.
Marco Silva opted to bring on Tom Cairney and the in-form Harry Wilson just before the hour mark, replacing Emile Smith Rowe and Andreas Pereira.
Wilson's impact was almost instant, with a trademark left-footed effort from outside the box clipping the bar.
Three more changes were made soon after, with Rodrigo Muniz, Adama Traore and Timothy Castagne coming on as Fulham chased the game.
The gamble of using all five substitutions early on was caught out with 15 left to play - Andersen was forced to come off with an injury, leaving Fulham to see out te rest of the match a man short.
Wolves made the most of their advantage - Cunha got his second of the afternoon with an outstanding strike to the top right corner, before Goncalo Guedes raced in behind during stoppage time to add a fourth.
Fulham boss Marco Silva:
"He's [Cunha] a good example, it doesn't surprise me because they have individual quality. I know what they're capable of doing and they have players like Cunha who is a very good striker and has a very good impact in the way they play," Silva said.
"He never gives up and with all the balls, he fights, he can attack in behind and create problems for the back four. He's a good example of the quality they have."
Wolves boss Gary O'Neil:
"There's no limit to where he [Cunha] can get to, ability-wise. He's going to stay at Wolves for as long as possible firstly but after that there's no limit to where he can go.
"Everyone knows how important he is to us. This isn't the Matheus who arrived at Wolves.
"His numbers, his hunger, his willingness to do the other side of it, he's come on so much, he leads that and I love working with him, he can be a top player. He works every day to be as good as he can be.
"It was Matheus Cunha's best out-of-possession performance I've seen from him, we have big quality and can score goals.
"Bernardo Silva and Martin Odegaard are top without the ball - Matheus' numbers are as good as anybody."
Fulham: Leno, Tete (Castagne 71), Andersen (80), Bassey, Robinson, Pereira (Cairney 59), Lukic, Iwobi, Smith Rowe (Wilson 59), Nelson (Traore 71), Jimenez (Muniz 71)
Unused substitutes: Benda, King, Sessegnon, Diop
Goals:
Iwobi 20 (WHAT A GOAL!! It had been coming as this time it is Nelson who is released to the left byline and after his initial cross was only half cleared by the Wolves back line, Tete quickly reworks the ball to Iwobi on the right edge of the area - although the midfielder still had a lot of work to do to find the top lefthand corner with a delightful curler.)
Booked: Calvin Bassey (45+4,f), Andreas Pereira (57,f), Kenny Tete (67,f)
Wolverhampton Wanderers : Sa, Lemina, T Gomes, Ait-Nouri, Semedo, Andre, J Gomes (Doyle 91), R Gomes (Hee-Chan 92), Bellegarde (Doherty 87), Cunha (Guedes 92), Larsen
Unused substitutes: Doyle, Bentley, Forbs, Cundle, Pond, Edozie
Goals:
Cunha 31 (Out of nothing, Wolves are level and it is so simple, but a thing of beauty as Lemina's long ball over the top splits open the Fulham defence, although Cunha still had a lot to do to bring that pass down out of the sky and then beat Leno with a composed neat finish.)
J Gomes 53 (Wow, Wolves have turned this game on its head and now lead after a well-worked move opened up the Fulham defence, with Joao Gomes collecting Cunha's pass before keeping his cool to beat Leno with a low shot into the corner.)
Cunha 87 (Wolves have surely wrapped up all three points!
And what a way to do it!
First time, he bends the ball beyond the dive of Leno and into the top corner to spark the Wolves celebrations.
Craven Cottage is stunned!)
Guedes 90+5(What an afternoon this is turning into for Wolves.
They break quickly and Strand Larsen has options.
He picks out Guedes, who fires a low finish past Leno.
They are heading for back-to-back wins in the league.)
Referee:
Robert Jones (Wirral)
Attendance: N/A
Fulham are next in action on Sunday 1st December when they visit Tottenham Hotspur.
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