Cup win offers Fulham a break from Premier League woes

Wycombe 1-1 Fulham (Fulham win 5-4 on penalties)

Newcastle Unite 2-1 Fulham

How refreshing to start with good news. Fulham has reached the last eight in this season's Carabao Cup and supporters are once more daring to dream of Wembley. Admittedly the toughest opponents so far have been Wycombe Wanderers, who held the Londoners to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night and only succumbed in the penalty shoot-out.

The Wanderers took a fourth minute lead when a low drive from Cauley Woodrow caught goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte by surprise. Over a decade ago, on the 13 January 2015, a brace of goals by Cauley saved the Whites from defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers in an FA Cup third round replay (remember those?). Fulham won the penalty shoot-out that night also.

Wycombe hung onto their lead until the interval. Two desultory headers by Raul Jimenez and Tom Cairney's near miss did not satisfy the travelling supporters, but the second half introduction of Ryan Sessegnon brought immediate dividends. Sessegnon won a corner which Kevin teed up for Josh King to flick home. It was a pity that the scorer spoilt his image by an oafish foul that rightly earned him a yellow card and a lecture from the referee. The giant Issa Diop protected him from the Wanderers' ire.

Despite Kevin's best efforts there were no further goals and the penalty shoot-out began. Lecomte has not had many opportunities to show his talents this season so I urge you to watch the match highlights. He kept out the very first kick (Ewan Henderson), and though his opposite number Will Norris thwarted Sessegnon and substitute Jonah Kusi-Asara the Frenchman produced two further saves to give his team the advantage. It remained for Issa Diop to seal the victory.

Defeat on Tyneside

Fulham's record in the Premier this season has been less impressive. After purring over the Newcastle' s narrow victory last Saturday the BBC Match of the Day pundits expressed not a word about the present plight of the London club. Perhaps they felt that Marco Silva is too good a manager to allow the situation to get out of control.

True, Silva's reign has included other prolonged sequences of defeat. True, morale still seems high. The last four performances in the League may have deserved a point or two but they have not been good enough for victory. As Silva remarked at Newcastle 'I don't like to take positives when the things are so simple to do and we didn't do so well'.

Rightly he did not use the club's injury list as an excuse. Fulham were stronger for the return of Raul Jimenez (the team achieved five shots on target) and weaker for the absence of Harry Wilson and Joachim Andersen but a club with European ambitions needs to cope with a few casualties.

Having despatched Benfica in mid-week Newcastle tore into Fulham from the start. A panicking Kenny Tete received an early yellow card before Nick Woltemade hit one upright and Jacob Murphy hit the other. Murphy's centre then evaded the visiting defenders but fortunately also the lunging Anthony Gordon. There was more aggression than usual in Fulham's play though it is questionable whether it achieved much. A lot still depended on Bernd Leno.

Jimenez did have a low shot saved but in the 18^th minute Murphy hoodwinked a hesitant Calvin Bassey and surged forward planting the ball beyond Leno's reach. Sander Berge reacted quickly testing Nick Pope but Adama Traore could not convert the rebound. The Spaniard did not get much change from Dan Burn that afternoon. Our redoubtable keeper prevented Murphy from doubling his tally.

The first half had been enjoyable but the second period delivered more excitement. Diop and Sessegnon snuffed out two dangerous attacks before Kevin, replacing Emile Smith Rowe, executed a beautiful cross to allow Jimenez a spectacular bicycle kick though it did not really test Pope. In the 56^th minute, again prompted by Kevin, Jimenez hit the bar and Sasa Lukic bravely headed home the rebound despite the proximity of Sven Botman. Both players received head injuries and Sasa was able to continue.

Fulham fought on and looked sure of a point until Eddie Howe's 86^th minute introduction of the speedy Will Osula, adding to the fire power of Anthony Elanga and Sandro Tonali. Osula intercepted a weak Bassey pass and embarked on a purposeful run ending in a shot that Leno could only parry. Bruno Guimaraes was perfectly placed to notch the winner. The exciting interplay of Jimenez and substitute Josh King had come too late to save the visitors from defeat.

Once again Fulham emerged with dignity yet with no reward. Their next opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers sit at the foot of the Premier with just two points but those were gained at the expense of Spurs and Brighton so a home win on Saturday is not inevitable. Anything less will be a cause for concern.