Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 01/12/20...

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Fulham shock Leicester as Ivan Cavaleiro ends run of penalty failures

This was supposed to be the start of a torrid schedule for Fulham, with Manchester City and Liverpool up next after this trip to Leicester, but the way they won at the King Power Stadium suggests those other fixtures may not be foregone conclusions and nor is Fulham's fate this season.

They are out of the bottom three thanks to a win that was as deserved as it was surprising, even managing to score a penalty after bungling three of their four previous spot-kicks this season.

Ivan Cavaleiro had shanked one over the bar in embarrassing fashion against Everton last week but he atoned by guiding a perfect penalty beyond Kasper Schmeichel for what turned out to be the winning goal.

"I asked him in training if he would take the penalty and he looked me deadpan in the eye and said: 'Yes, I'm ready,'" Scott Parker said. "The courage to step up after everything that was probably said about him, those are the moments you need. This was a massive win for us, really something we can use to push forward."

As well as the penalty, Fulham executed their plan impeccably, negating Leicester's strengths and striking on the counterattack. Ademola Lookman opened the scoring on the half-hour, eight minutes before Cavaleiro's successful spot-kick and, although Harvey Barnes scored late on for Leicester, even Brendan Rodgers conceded the visiting side merited their win.

Leicester have lost three of their five home matches and have developed a worrisome habit of falling flat when top spot is within reach. Last week they went to Liverpool with high hopes but never troubled the champions en route to a 3-0 defeat. Here they struggled to get going against a team who began the match in 19th place.

Although Fulham arrived having lost seven of nine league matches, they did not look like a team who had had the confidence beaten out of them. Well organised and tenacious, they gave Leicester's creative players no space in which to work and then landed two telling blows on the break.

That said, Fulham needed to survive a scare in the 18th minute when a free-kick by James Maddison was repelled by the wall but came back to Youri Tielemans, who struck a splendid left-foot volley against a post from 20 yards. Wesley Fofana tried to score from the rebound but poked it against the crossbar.

The only threat Leicester posed from open play in the first half came six minutes later when Dennis Praet hared down the right wing and crossed for Jamie Vardy. The striker had barely touched the ball until that point but produced an acrobatic flick that demanded a save from Alphonse Areola.

Fulham struck on the counter on the half hour, when the excellent André-Frank Zambo Anguissa pounced on a careless pass by Tielemans and strode forwards 40 yards before threading the ball through to Lookman. The forward rewarded that service with a cool finish, sliding the ball past the onrushing Schmeichel. Rather than celebrate, Lookman ran to the touchline to collect and hold aloft a Senegal shirt like the one worn at the 2002 World Cup by Papa Bouba Diop, the former Fulham midfielder who died last weekend at the age of 42.

Eight minutes later Fulham were given an opportunity to double their lead following a foul by Christian Fuchs on Bobby Decordova-Reid. Schmeichel might have fancied his chances but undeterred Cavaleiro guided a perfect shot beyond the reach of the keeper from 12 yards.

Rodgers made two substitutions at half-time but Leicester could not work a clear opening until four minutes from time. Barnes exploited it spectacularly, sending a thunderous shot into the net from 10 yards after Vardy nodded a cross by Tielemans back to him. Too little, too late.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/nov/30/leicester-fulham-premier-league-match-report

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Fulham tribute to Diop in win at Leicester

Fulham won 2-1 at Leicester City to move out of the Premier League's bottom three while West Ham United accounted for Aston Villa by the same score to jump up to fifth.

The victory on Monday was Fulham's second of the campaign with Cottagers players celebrating one of their goals with a tribute to the former star Papa Boupa Diop after his death.

Ademola Lookman held up Senegal's No.19 jersey, worn by Diop, after scoring the 30th-minute opener at King Power Stadium for Fulham.

Diop, fondly nicknamed "Wardrobe" during his time at Fulham, played for the southwest London team from 2004-07. His death was announced on Sunday.

Ivan Cavaleiro added a second goal for the visitors from the penalty spot in the 38th after Christian Fuchs tripped Bobby De Cordova Reid.

Fulham previously failed with three attempts from the spot this season.

But Brendan Rodgers' fourth-placed team struggled to break through the worst defence in the league, with an 86th-minute goal from substitute Harvey Barnes all Leicester could manage.

"I'm delighted with the team's efforts," Fulham manager Scott Parker said.

"With where we are, we're judged on our results. It was a battling display, some magnificent performances and some real quality as well."

Rodgers said the Foxes were deservedly beaten.

"Evenings like this show the youthfulness of the team and we've still got work to do. We're not good enough to be complacent in this league," he said.

In London, goals early in each half from West Ham's Angelo Ogbonna and Jarrod Bowen sank Aston Villa, who were left to rue a missed second-half penalty.

The Hammers rode their luck, though, as Villa equalised once through Jack Grealish on 25 minutes and had the chance to snatch a point, only for Ollie Watkins to miss a penalty in thr 74th.

In stoppage time Watkins had the ball in the net but VAR intervened to rule an offside and come to West Ham's rescue.

"Matty Targett has whipped in a great cross and luckily enough Ollie Watkins is offside, it's small margins... to get the offside, and obviously so late on, it was probably an equaliser, so to come away with the three points, we've got to be happy," West Ham midfielder Declan Rice told Sky Sports.

Villa are 10th, two points behind the Hammers.



https://au.sports.yahoo.com/fulham-win-escape-relegation-zone-200010581--spt.html

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Parker relieved as Cavaleiro proves spot on

LONDON (Reuters) - When Fulham were awarded a penalty in the 36th minute at Leicester City on Monday their fans watching at home on TV might have been inclined to duck behind the sofa.

So lamentable has Fulham's recent record from 12 yards been that having a penalty awarded in their favour has become a poisoned chalice for whoever lines up the shot.

Before Monday, Fulham had failed to convert five of their last eight penalty kicks in the league, including their last three. Three weeks ago Ademola Lookman had left manager Scott Parker fuming after attempting a "Panenka" chip in stoppage time when trailing 1-0 to West Ham United.

Then, in their last game, a 3-2 defeat by Everton, Ivan Cavaleiro slipped in his run-up and kicked the ball against his standing foot and watched in horror as his attempt ballooned up and over the crossbar.

So when Cavaleiro took hold of the ball after Christian Fuchs had fouled Bobby Decordova-Reid the stage was set for another entry into the "how to miss a penalty" back catalogue.

Instead, the Portuguese's aim was firm and true and he drilled his effort past Kasper Schmeichel to double Fulham's lead given to them by Lookman.

Parker could not hide his relief and it proved crucial too as Fulham won 2-1 to move out of the relegation zone.

"We've practised penalties all week, I asked (Cavaleiro) yesterday if he's ready to take one tomorrow," Parker said. "He looked me dead in the eye and said, 'yeah, I'm ready.'

"The courage, the bravery after a slip, to step up there, they're the things that we need. They're the things that will determine what these players will become, how good they'll become, and us as a team, what we'll become.

"Cav putting his hand up, putting himself on offer to again be scrutinised. I'm not on Instagram or Twitter but I can only imagine what's been said, the jokes at his expense."

It was redemption too for Lookman who showed great coolness to put Fulham ahead after being played through after 30 minutes.

This time there was nothing fancy, just a neatly placed shot past Schmeichel.

"He came under a lot of stick three weeks ago for the penalty, and rightly so, like I said at the time, you have to take your medicine for that," Parker added.

Lookman celebrated his goal in poignant fashion by running across to the touchline and raising the Senegal shirt of former Fulham player Papa Bouba Diop who died, aged 42, on Sunday.

"Ade showed his respect by scoring tonight and putting up the shirt, so that was pleasing," Parker said. "For someone to lose their life at such a tender, young age is tragic."

Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Christian Radnedge



https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-lei-ful-report-parker/parker-relieved-as-cavaleiro-proves-spot-on-idUKKBN28A34T