Fulham's run of draws was bound to end eventually.
That said, Scott Parker and his players earned respect for defying Liverpool and Spurs, they did not garner enough points to move clear of the relegation zone. A home victory over Chelsea would have been just the ticket, especially as Frank Lampard's men had recently succumbed to Everton, Wolves, Arsenal and Manchester City.
The first half of Saturday's match was going well. Alphonse Areola in goal had no problem coping with Chelsea's Olivier Giroud or Hakim Ziyech. On the left side, Antonee Robinson and Ademola Lookman were combining well to test the Blues' defence, and one of their moves gave Ivan Cavaleiro an opportunity to score.
Although he wasted it, his manager's strategy seemed to be working once again. Then in the 44th minute, Robinson undid all his good work by launching himself at Cesar Azpilicueta with a 'silly, needless tackle' as Parker admitted later. VAR confirmed the red card and Fulham's hopes of a victory vanished.
Second half
Even without Robinson, the Whites were able to contain the visitors for most of the second half and actually had opportunities to score, first when Ola Aina ran through and later when Cavaleiro failed to exploit a mix-up in the Chelsea defence.
In the 75th minute, Callum Hudson-Odoi replaced Ziyech and almost immediately inspired a goal for the visitors. From his pass Ben Chilwell put in a centre that Areola punched away. The keeper for once had made the wrong decision, for the ball went to Mason Mount, who thumped it into the net.
No equaliser
Fulham lacked the wherewithal for an equaliser. They won only one corner against a team notoriously weak on such set pieces and managed just three shots on target. After the match, Scott Parker appealed to his bosses for some new players to be signed as soon as possible. A reliable striker must be the top priority. This was even more apparent in the midweek visit of Manchester United, where Fulham gave a much better performance but still lost by the odd goal.
Pogba strikes
The match brought early joy when Frank Anguissa on the half-way line spotted a gap in the visitors' defence. He sent Lookman away and the RB Leipzig loanee skimmed the ball past David De Gea.
United were stunned – and a bit mystified that Martin Atkinson had not consulted VAR. They rallied fiercely but would not have equalised in the first half had not Areola fumbled a low centre from Bruno Fernandes and presented a simple chance to Edinson Cavani. How strange that this admirable keeper should make the same error in consecutive games. He atoned with some athletic saves.
Level at the break, Fulham produced some lovely football in the second half – but the shooting was substandard. Eventually, Paul Pogba gave a brief masterclass, beating Areola with a low, curling, left-footed shot from outside the penalty area. Parker sent on Abou Kamara and Aleks Mitrovic but neither could fashion an equaliser. Mitro came nearest in added time when his off-target header was almost deflected into the net by Eric Bailly.
Two difficult home matches have yielded no points. The forthcoming FA Cup match should be interesting but the subsequent visits to Brighton and West Brom look crucial.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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