Raul Jimenez’s brace handed Sunderland their second successive home defeat and Fulham secured a deserved 3-1 victory.
Regis Le Bris’ side had enjoyed an unbeaten 12-game unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light before Liverpool’s visit two weeks ago, but a series of uncharacteristic mistakes paid off as they suffered their second home defeat.
For Fulham, Jimenez nodded Alex Iwobi’s corner past a completely unmarked Robin Roofs before calmly converting the penalty, which was scored by Calvin Bassey seven minutes after the opener and was awarded after a VAR review. Both scenarios were completely avoidable.
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Raul Jimenez takes charge of Fulham from the penalty spot after VAR intervention.
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Raul Jimenez puts Fulham ahead at Sunderland.
Those two goals looked like Fulham would have taken all three points, but a clumsy Ryan Sessegnon challenge gave Enzo le Fey the chance to score the spot, which he converted emphatically. But that reprieve only offered a glimmer of hope, as Iwobi soon scored Fulham’s third goal on the counter.
This breakthrough was initiated by the in-form Harry Wilson, who Iwobi brilliantly scored from a narrow angle. It is only the third time in his Premier League career that he has scored and assisted in the same game.
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Fulham scored in the Premier League against Sunderland with Alex Iwobi’s late goal.
Fulham ended a three-game losing streak and moved into 10th place, overtaking Newcastle in the top half of the Premier League. Sunderland, on the other hand, sit comfortably in 12th place and have already secured their place in the top flight next season.
Silva praises Fulham’s resilience after tough run
Fulham manager Marco Silva:
“It’s a big win. We knew this was another important game for us. Coming from a bad result, this is very important. We wanted to come back.
“It was difficult for any team to play against Sunderland. It’s no coincidence that they were the only unbeaten team (at home) before playing Liverpool. With the extra players in the stands, it makes things very difficult for the opposition.”
“We had to stay aggressive. We were real in the second half and prepared for this moment. Then the game settled down. We coped well with the pressure. The stadium erupted after they scored, and we scored the third goal in an unbelievable moment. Top finish from Alex (Iwobi). It was a big battle.”
“We want to be in a different position. Three big points.”
Le Bris: Down to his usual form in the Premier League
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris:
“It’s not unusual (suffering a downturn) in the Premier League, for us or any other team in the league. You can be in the top six and still have a bad run for a long time. We’re in this part of the process now.”
“Resilience, unity, consistency, standards – those are the same values we always need. It’s a bit difficult, but the journey is always defined by key moments.
“You try to find a way to change the situation. The players’ intentions were positive, but they struggled to find the right way to express it.”
