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Thursday fulham Stuff - 28/01/21...

Started by WhiteJC, January 27, 2021, 11:58:38 PM

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WhiteJC

Results


Wednesday
Burnley
3-2
Villa
Chelsea
0-0
Wolves
Brighton
0-0
Fulham
Everton
1-1
Leicester
Man Utd
1-2
Sheff Utd

WhiteJC

Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Fulham


Brighton were aiming for back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since November 2019

Brighton's long winless run at home continued as they were held by fellow Premier League strugglers Fulham.

Graham Potter's side have now failed to win any of their last 14 top-flight matches on the south coast.

Lewis Dunk, Leandro Trossard, Adam Webster and Solly March all had excellent opportunities to score for the hosts who had the better of a hard-fought contest.

Brighton remain 17th in the table, with Fulham five points behind them in 18th.

While Fulham appeared to be holding on for long periods, they will also feel they could have claimed an important three points after failing to convert two glorious late chances.

Aleksandar Mitrovic saw his glancing header saved by Seagulls goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, while Dunk's brilliant goal-line clearance prevented Ruben Loftus-Cheek from scoring in stoppage time.

Brighton fail to fire

Before their victory against Leeds, Potter's side had endured a run of nine league games without a victory.

And this fixture represented an opportunity to put a major dent in Fulham's hopes of Premier League survival, while enhancing their own by establishing a seven-point gap to the bottom three.

However, once again their lack of prowess in front of goal proved the stumbling block.

Only six clubs have scored fewer goals than the Seagulls this term, with the bottom three as well as Newcastle and Burnley - the sides directly above them - among five of them.

Neal Maupay has managed a reasonable return of seven goals from 18 appearances but none of Brighton's best opportunities fell at his feet.

Instead, the French forward twice created opportunities for Trossard, who fired straight at Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from eight yards and saw a second attempt blocked.

And while Dunk and Webster also went close from corners the home side rarely gave the impression that they could break the deadlock.

Fulham with work to do

While Fulham have improved as the season has developed - notably starting a five-game unbeaten run with a draw against Liverpool on 13 December - they now remain without a win since 30 November.

Alarmingly for manager Scott Parker, his side also initially exhibited many of their early-season shortcomings in defence that, against more ruthless opponents, would have been punished.

Lax play from Tosin Adarabioyo and two poor passes from Ola Aina provided Brighton with three presentable opportunities to open the scoring after the visitors had started brightly.

However, Trossard and Pascal Gross were unable to capitalise and the visitors regrouped and improved after the break.

Another area of concern for Parker, like Brighton, is their lack of goals. And though the late introduction of Mitrovic could have swung all the points in their direction, two of their three efforts on target came in the final three minutes.

Until that late salvo, their only other effort of note came via an Ivan Cavaleiro shot just before the hour mark which was saved by Sanchez.

'It was an onslaught at times' - what they said
Brighton manager Graham Potter to BBC Sport: "Over the course of the 90 minutes we were the better team. We had the better chances and more chances.

"But in any Premier League game you feel the other team will get a chance. It's a big chance at the end. We defended well. I'm really happy with the players for what they put into the game against a team fighting for points too.

"There are still 50-odd points to play for. A lot of football to play. We have to focus on ourselves. Sometimes it's not your day in terms of a bit of luck in front of goal."

Fulham boss Scott Parker to BBC Sport: "We missed elements of our game. In the first half we had control about us - played our way. We lacked in duels and battles, we were second best.

"We addressed that at half-time. We showed that in the second half, we had more resilience, but lost the other side. We couldn't get a foothold. We had to defend an awful amount. It was an onslaught at times.

"Am I fully happy with the overall performance? No, I'm not. I'm satisfied as can be with the point."

Draw specialists Brighton - match stats
    Since winning five consecutive league games against Fulham between 2014 - 2017 (all in the Championship), Brighton have since failed to win any of their four matches against the Cottagers (D3 L1 - all in the Premier League).
    Since the start of their first season in the Premier League in 2017-18, Brighton have played out 14 goalless draws, more than any other side in the competition.
    Fulham have drawn both Premier League games 0-0 against Brighton this season, the first time the Cottagers have played out two goalless draws against an opponent in a single league campaign since 2001-02, against Leicester.
    Brighton have won just one of their last 19 Premier League games at the Amex stadium (D10 L8) and remain winless on home soil since a 2-1 victory against Arsenal in June 2020 (P14 D7 L7).
    Fulham remain winless in their last nine Premier League games (D6 L3), since a 2-1 victory against Leicester in November.
    Only West Brom, Sheffield United and Burnley (10 each) have failed to score in more Premier League games this season than Fulham (nine).
    There were 26 shots in this game (16 for Brighton and 10 for Fulham). Only Aston Villa v Burnley in December (33) and Leeds vs Arsenal in November (34) have seen more shots in a Premier League game this season without a goal being scored.

What's next?

Brighton are next in action when they host Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, 31 January (19:15 GMT).

Fulham travel to the Hawthorns to face fellow top-flight strugglers West Brom in their next game on Saturday, 30 January (15:00 GMT).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55728234

WhiteJC

Post-Brighton Press Conference

Scott Parker gave his immediate thoughts to the media after our second stalemate in as many months against Brighton & Hove Albion, and first assessed the performance from his side.

"First half I thought we had a real control about us," said our Head Coach. "We got a foothold in the game.

"We probably lacked the duel moments, the 50/50s – I thought we were second best to a lot.

"Second half we tried to address that and I thought we did, but we lost our way with the ball.

"You've got to stay in games in this division and we did, we defended very well.

"Our keeper's had to pull off some big saves and there were some key blocks at key moments.

"We stayed in the game to earn that right at the end to go and win it and Dunk's defended very well there.

"Clean sheet, happy with the point but wanted three, we move on now to the next."

Alphonse Areola put in another Man-Of-The-Match worthy performance between the sticks, and Parker praised the efforts of the Frenchman yet again.

"He was big for us and he's going to be big," exclaimed the boss. "Defensively I thought we were good, especially in the second half where we had to weather a lot of pressure certainly from set plays where Brighton are very good.

"Of course, the keeper's had to pull off some big saves and has dominated his box really well."

It's been a long road of progression so far in our Premier League journey, and Scott's happy with how far his men have come, still knowing there's plenty more work to be done.

"A little bit disappointed in the way we played overall," he stated "But this team only four months ago were having to try and score three or four goals to win a football match.

"Tonight we were solid, there's been improvement for sure but still a lot of improvement to be had.

"It was always going to take something sensational from the start of the season (to stay up).

"This is a young team with not much Premier League experience and it was always going to be a very tough ask for us this year.

"A team that needed to keep on improving and I think we've done that ten-fold. Of course, now the next challenge for us is 'can we be a bit more clinical?', 'can we start turning these draws into wins?'.

"With 19 games left of this season, I have full belief in my team.

"Big improvement in one area but like anything there's not a magic wand and now we need to move onto the next one and try and get that other side to us which is going to be pivotal winning games."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/january/Post-Brighton-Press-Conference/


WhiteJC

Battling Fulham grind out yet another draw

Fulham had goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to thank after grinding out a sixth draw in eight games.

The French stopper, who is on loan from PSG, pulled off a string of good saves to deny the hosts, who fashioned enough chances to win the game, but saw their inability in front of goal to stretch their winless run at home to 14 games dating back to June last year.

Leandro Trossard was guilty of spurning three good opportunities in the opening 20 minutes alone including a one-on-one that was saved by the legs of Areola.

But after a slow start, where they continually turned the ball over to Brighton deep in their own half, Fulham fashioned a great chance of their own just before halftime when Ruben Loftus-Cheek won the ball in midfield and released Ivan Cavaleiro.

However, the Portuguese forward blasted his effort into the side-netting after breaking strongly into the box.

The second half saw Brighton dominate possession, but Fulham defended impressively with Joachim Andersen and Tosin Adarabioyo enjoying strong games.

Former Brentford striker Neil Maupay missed a golden opportunity when he raced through on goal 20 minutes from time after a quickly taken free-kick from Alexis MacAllister, but blazed the ball over the bar in what was Brighton's best chance of the match.

Fulham almost claimed the ultimate smash-and-grab with the final kick of the game in a rare forage out of their own half when the ball fell to Loftus-Cheek in the box, but his well struck effort was brilliantly cleared off the line by Lewis Dunk.


Fulham: Areola, Aina, Andersen, Adebayo, Tete (Bryan 78), Loftus-Cheek, Reed (Lemina 66), Zambo Anguissa, Cavaleiro (Mitrovic 78), De Cordova-Reid, Lookman.
Subs not used: Hector, Kebano, Rodek, Ream, Onomah, Kamara.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/battling-fulham-grind-out-yet-another-draw

WhiteJC

Brighton vs Fulham player ratings as Alphonse Areola masterclass salvages draw

The Cottagers earned a point against their relegation rivals.


(Image: ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Alphonse Areola

Save after save after save. Some fantastic shot-stopping from the Frenchman to keep Fulham in a game they easily could have lost. 9.

Kenny Tete

A player where you can see the effort in every pore. Relentless in his tackling before his substitution. 7.

Ola Aina

Connected well with a shot from range but had some untidy moments in possession. 6.

Joachim Andersen

Crucial block after Aina let Leandro Trossard in during the early stages of the game. Showed he could compete physically as well as by his ability in reading the game. 8.

Tosin Adarabioyo

Far from his best night in Fulham shirt with some sloppy passing and clearances. Came back strong when Fulham were under pressure in the final 10 minutes. 5.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid

Slotting in at left back might the first time the versatile staff has looked uncomfortable. Didn't play badly overall but lacked the fluency he would usually offer on that wing. 6.

Harrison Reed

Solid display but just a touch of his recent very high standards. Perhaps saw how well he was doing via the Cottagers' struggles when he wasn't on the pitch. 6.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa

Showed his ability to drive through the Brighton midfield and had a very good first half. His influence on the ball trailed off in the second period. 6.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Dispossed Adam Webster well to set Ivan Cavaleiro way to break for a good chance and topped the stats for most duels and tackles one in the first half. Industrious in his defensive efforts but again would hope to see more influence on the game when in possession. Saw his shot cleared off the line by Lewis Dunk in stoppage time. 6.

Ademola Lookman

Fulham struggled to take advantage of the winger's qualities often enough. Showed his threat and ability to deliver a ball in Aleksandar Mitrovic's direction. 6.

Ivan Cavaleiro

Once again had chances and some good runs but was unable to challenge Robert Sanchez. 6.

Substitutes

Mario Lemina : Low key performance after replacing Tete. 5

Joe Bryan : Looked more comfortable building play on the left but limited impact. 5.

Aleksandar Mitrovic : Helped connect Fulham's forward play during his cameo. Not much in the way of a chance but perhaps gave Scott Parker something to think about. 6.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/brighton-vs-fulham-player-ratings-19715281

WhiteJC

Fulham fail to make ground on relegation rivals Brighton in stalemate

Fulham earned their first point in three games against fellow relegation strugglers Brighton in a cagey goalless draw at the Amex Stadium.

Scott Parker's men had lost their last two matches before the sides met in almost identical fashion to their 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage on December 16 and again nothing could separate the two teams.

The game sees Brighton's winless run at home in the Premier League stretch to 14 games, with their last victory having come last season against Arsenal on June 20.

It was a cagey game which lacked a cutting edge in the final third, and despite a number of shots – 16 from the home side and 10 from Fulham – neither could find the breakthrough.

Fulham looked to get forward from the start and had their first shot in the sixth minute when Ola Aina drove from distance, but his rising strike was over the Brighton goal.

Despite Fulham's early dominance of the ball, Brighton had the best chance of the opening exchanges as top scorer Neal Maupay took advantage of a mistake by the visitors' defence to find Leandro Trossard, but his shot was saved by Alphonse Areola's outstretched legs.

One of Scott Parker's main challenges this season had been to strengthen the Fulham defence after they conceded 12 goals in their opening five league matches, but since then they have been harder to break down, with just five scored against them in their last six matches.

However, after a bright start from the visitors, Brighton started to gain a foothold in the game, with Fulham looking less organised at the back, and Areola was called upon to make a number of saves.

In the second half, Bobby Decordova-Reid fired over the bar after a cross from Kenny Tete was not cleared convincingly by the Brighton defence.

In the 70th minute, Joel Veltman took a quick free-kick and the ball was flicked by Alexis Mac Allister to Maupay, but the Brighton number nine fired over the bar without troubling the goalkeeper.

It was Brighton who ended the game strongest, coming close to snatching all three points late on when Areola made a save to deny Maupay before Solly March's follow-up shot was blocked by Decordova-Reid and deflected over the bar.

Fulham's struggles in front of goal continued on the south coast – they have now scored four league goals since the start of December – with Lewis Dunk making a late clearance off the line to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/fulham-fail-to-make-ground-on-brighton


WhiteJC

Areola keeps Brighton at bay

Alphonse Areola produced a string of fine saves to ensure Fulham left the south coast with a point after relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion had dominated most of this crunch clash at the bottom of the table, although an inspired goal-line clearance from Lewis Dunk prevented Ruben Loftus-Cheek from stealing the points right at the death.

Scott Parker had refused to characterised either this or Saturday's trip to West Bromwich Albion as a must-win match beforehand, arguing that there were still plenty of chances to pick up points in the second half of the season. The longer this cagey contest remained scoreless it seemed not only like a single goal would settle it, but that moment would prove pivotal in the context of both sides' campaigns. Brighton looked the likelier as the game crept towards a conclusion but French goalkeeper Areola punched away countless corners with authority and made excellent stops from Lewis Dunk, Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay to keep a clean sheet.

Fulham began brightly, moving the ball at a high tempo and looking to pass their way around Brighton's back three. Ola Aina wound up a repeat of his West Brom wondergoal from a lot further out, but this rising effort whistled over the crossbar. The Whites had more than two-thirds of the ball in the first quarter of an hour, but Graham Potter's side gradually found their feet as Fulham's passing became more frantic – presenting Albion with a couple of good openings in quick succession. Maupay surged away down the right after Tosin Adarabioyo had missed an interception and cut a smart ball back for Trossard, who – in acres of space – should have done better than shoot straight at Areola's legs. Less than ninety seconds later, Aina coughed up possession and Andersen blocked another Trossard effort before Maupay fired into Areola's arms after Brighton had won the ball back high up the pitch.

Fulham, seemingly unbalanced by Parker's decision to choose Bobby Decordova-Reid at left wing-back rather than Joe Bryan in the absence of Antonee Robinson, flickered into life before the break – operating mostly on the counter-attack. They put together a crossfield move after Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa had powered through the centre and Kenny Tete's floated cross was headed wide at the back post by Decordova-Reid. Then, Lofus-Cheek pinched possession from Lewis Dunk on the halfway line, freeing Ivan Cavaleiro but the Portuguese forward's finish lacked the conviction of his purposeful run and went wide.

The visitors had a couple of half-chances after the interval too. Tete's hopeful cross was only partially cleared and Decordova-Reid fired over from beyond the far post when he had more time to compose himself. Lookman found some space were there didn't appear to be any, darting between Brighton defenders to carve out a chance for Cavaleiro, whose improvised toepoke trickled through to Sanchez.

Brighton upped the tempo and for twenty minutes it seemed like Fulham couldn't live with them. Maupay squandered a golden opportunity when played through by a quick free-kick from Alexis Mac Allister but blazed over the bar after Fulham had switched off. The hosts then worked space on the right, the overlapping Joel Veltman's low cross was begging to be turned in by Maupay but Areola made a magnificent reaction stop from the former Brentford man. Just as it looked like Solly March was about to turn home the rebound, Aina appeared to divert that effort over the bar.

The Fulham goal was leading a charmed life – and on the balance of play Brighton probably deserved a winner. Parker eventually introduced Aleksandar Mitrovic with twelve minutes to play and the Serbian almost had an immediate impact, his glancing header from Lookman's left-wing cross gathered by Sanchez. The big chance arrived in the second minute of stoppage time when Bryan got to the by-line and fired in a low cross that found its way to Loftus-Cheek at the far post. Sanchez rushed off his line and the Chelsea loanee's low shot beat the goalkeeper, but was scrambled away by Dunk, who had the presence of mind to retreat towards his own goal.

How useful a point is in Fulham's predicament – five points from safety still with a game in hand – will doubtless be the subject of fierce debate. Parker's pragmatism won out over a more gung-ho approach that could have forced the issue earlier, particularly in respect of adventurous substitutions, and the Whites will head to the Hawthorns at the weekend in search of an elusive win.

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; Webster, Dunk, White; Veltman, March, Bissouma, Gross; Trossard, Mac Allister (Propper 83); Maupay. Subs (not used): Walton, Burn, Moder, Alzate, Lallana, Connolly, Tau, Zeqiri.

BOOKED: Bissouma, Mac Allister.

FULHAM (3-4-3): Areola; Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo; Tete (Bryan 79), Decordova-Reid, Reed (Lemina 66), Anguissa; Lookman, Loftus-Cheek, Cavaleiro (Mitrovic 78). Subs (not used): Rodak, Hector, Ream, Onomah, Kebano, Kamara.

BOOKED: Reed.

REFEREE: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).

VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE: Andre Marriner (West Midlands).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/areola-keeps-brighton-at-bay/

WhiteJC

Ruben Loftus-Cheek denied at death for Fulham in draw at Brighton


Ruben Loftus-Cheek's late shot was cleared off the line by Lewis Dunk. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/Reuters

This match was little more than a box-ticking exercise. It conformed to expectations in every possible sense and left everyone back where they started: in the thick of a relegation fight that one of these sides, perhaps both, will eventually escape at a snail's pace.

Nobody who predicted a tidy, compact but utterly toothless draw can feel too smug because that outcome seemed obvious from the outset. Brighton and Fulham barely laid a glove on each other a Craven Cottage last month and that was hardly an outlier given they had drawn 10 times between them since late November. They are both well-drilled, neat, orderly and, when they enter the box, utterly powderpuff. Put together over their two meetings it has made for a kind of crushing competence and, while Graham Potter's side had the better chances to put eight points' daylight between the two on this occasion, a winner for either side would have felt out of place.

It was Fulham, on the back foot for most of the second half, who could have found one in the final minute of stoppage time. That was when Ruben Loftus-Cheek, given space to shoot at an angle beyond the far post, beat Robert Sánchez only for Lewis Dunk to save Brighton with a heroic, stretching intervention on the goalline. While nobody will care to remember the 91 preceding minutes for longer than necessary, it was the kind of action that may be rued or revelled in when the season's fine margins are assessed in May.

"It would have been harsh on us," reflected Graham Potter, admitting his heart was in his mouth as Loftus-Cheek took aim. "I thought overall we deserved more than the point, but you get what you get."

Brighton's winless run at home now extends to 14 games but, in fairness, they made most of the running after a commanding opening few minutes from Fulham. They forced Alphonse Areola into smart stops in both halves but the keeper, impressive in his command of the box throughout, should have been beaten at least once.

Perhaps the most glaring miss came from Leandro Trossard when, in the 15th minute, he was teed up smartly by Neal Maupay. Given plenty of time and space inside the box, Trossard shot low but too close to Areola, who saved with a leg. It brought about a spell in which Brighton threatened to carve their visitors open more frequently but final balls went amiss and, when Dunk rose to meet a Pascal Gross free-kick, he headed straight at Areola.

"He was big for us, and he's going to be big," Scott Parker said of his goalkeeper. The loanee from Paris Saint-Germain proved that again in the last 10 minutes when blocking at point-blank range from Maupay, who had connected with Joel Veltman's cross after a sweeping move. Solly March's follow-up was deflected over by Ola Aina and Parker could, at least, pay tribute to his players' resilience.

"You've got to stay in games in this division, we stayed in it and we defended very, very well," he continued. They were only critically exposed on one other occasion, 20 minutes from the end, when Maupay ran onto a backflick from Alexis Mac Allister and blazed over when he should at least have demanded further action from Areola. If Brighton are sucked back into the mire it will be because, when chances like that arise, they are all too often not taken.

Parker felt Fulham, who came close on the counter through Ivan Caveleiro as half-time neared, "lost our way" after the restart. They favour a possession game, as do their hosts, but found it difficult to get any foothold and would have been lucky if Loftus-Cheek's drive had beaten Dunk. Their solace is the fact that they have a game in hand over Brighton and, with West Brom awaiting on Saturday, a path towards salvation remains.

Brighton had announced a record £67.2m loss on the morning of the game, a figure that may be small beer if the worst does befall them. "It was positive in terms of performance, attitude and character," Potter said of their performance. "We're disappointed not to get the three points." In truth, though, he could not have been too surprised.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jan/27/brighton-fulham-premier-league-match-report

WhiteJC

Brighton's winless home run continues with cagey stalemate against Fulham

Brighton 0-0 Fulham: Cottagers picked up a valuable point in a tight contest at the Amex

Fulham earned their first point in three games against fellow relegation strugglers Brighton in a cagey goalless draw at the Amex Stadium.

Scott Parker's men had lost their last two matches before the sides met in almost identical fashion to their 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage on December 16 and again nothing could separate the two teams.

The game sees Brighton's winless run at home in the Premier League stretch to 14 games, with their last victory having come last season against Arsenal on 20 June.

It was a cagey game which lacked a cutting edge in the final third, and despite a number of shots - 16 from the home side and 10 from Fulham - neither could find the breakthrough.

Fulham looked to get forward from the start and had their first shot in the sixth minute when Ola Aina drove from distance, but his rising strike was over the Brighton goal.

Despite Fulham's early dominance of the ball, Brighton had the best chance of the opening exchanges as top scorer Neal Maupay took advantage of a mistake by the visitors' defence to find Leandro Trossard, but his shot was saved by Alphonse Areola's outstretched legs.

One of Scott Parker's main challenges this season had been to strengthen the Fulham defence after they conceded 12 goals in their opening five league matches, but since then they have been harder to break down, with just five scored against them in their last six matches.

However, after a bright start from the visitors, Brighton started to gain a foothold in the game, with Fulham looking less organised at the back, and Areola was called upon to make a number of saves.

In the second half, Bobby Decordova-Reid fired over the bar after a cross from Kenny Tete was not cleared convincingly by the Brighton defence.

In the 70th minute, Joel Veltman took a quick free-kick and the ball was flicked by Alexis Mac Allister to Maupay, but the Brighton number nine fired over the bar without troubling the goalkeeper.

It was Brighton who ended the game strongest, coming close to snatching all three points late on when Areola made a save to deny Maupay before Solly March's follow-up shot was blocked by Decordova-Reid and deflected over the bar.

Fulham's struggles in front of goal continued on the south coast - they have now scored four league goals since the start of December - with Lewis Dunk making a late clearance off the line to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

PA



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/brighton/fulham-result-score-goals-report-b1793800.html


WhiteJC

Brighton 0-0 Fulham: Alphonse Areola stars in goal for visitors as draw specialists play out stalemate on south coast to leave Seagulls five points clear of relegation zone

    Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola denied Brighton on numerous occasions
    But it's now nine Premier League games without a victory for Scott Parker's side
    Brighton are yet to record a victory at home this season and 14 games overall
    The west Londoners remain in 18th - five points adrift of 17th-placed Brighton
    Another relegation battle to come for Fulham, who face West Brom on Saturday

In the minutes before this pivotal clash, a thick mist gathered in the South-Coast sky.

By the end, the air had largely cleared but the fog engulfing these two sides shows few signs of dissipating.

With this point, Brighton remain the right side of that dotted line – one place and five points clear of 18th-placed Fulham.


Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola put in numerous vital saves for the side to keep it goalless

For 90-plus minutes Graham Potter was left to wonder how that gap was not more comfortable. But then, with virtually the last kick off the game, Albion captain Lewis Dunk stretched along his own goal-line to keep out Ruben Loftus-Cheek's goalbound shot.

How vital could that prove in this race to beat the drop? 'It was always going to take something sensational (to stay up),' Parker said.

'It's a clean sheet and we get out of here with a point. Am I completely happy? No.'

Fulham hardly merited victory but relegation is decided by points gained, not those deserved.

Their winless run now stands at nine matches. As for Albion, another night of hitting everything but the barndoor means they have gone 14 home league games without victory. That club record keeps growing.


Brighton striker Neal Maupay (left) had a brilliant chance to make it 1-0 in the 70th minute


Leandro Trossard (centre) also missed a great chance to put Brighton 1-0 up, denied by Areola


'We've drawn too many,' Potter admitted. 'We deserved more than one point... we're disappointed not to get three.'

That failure to turn bright displays into wins has been a perennial problem all season.

Here Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay were particularly wasteful but Fulham had Alphonse Areola to thank for keeping them on terms – the goalkeeper made several vital saves, including from Dunk, who nearly made the difference at the other end with a first-half header.

For a period, Fulham were floundering but Brighton allowed them up for air. Parker's side could have even snatched the lead before the break, had Ivan Cavaleiro's shot not snuck wide after a promising counter.

Fulham improved after the break but both still sides provided only more evidence of why they hover so perilously close to that trap door.


Ruben Loftus-Cheek looks up in despair as his shot was cleared off the line in the final minute

Cavaleiro fluffed another half-chance; Trossard had a volley blocked shortly before a quick free-kick brought Brighton's clearest opening of the second half.

Alexis Mac Allister's flick put Maupay through on goal, only for his shot to fly over.

As the clock ticked towards 90, Maupay and Solly March were both denied by more desperate Fulham defending before the ball ran to Loftus-Cheek and Dunk flung himself in the way.

'That's just as good as a goal for me,' the defender said. Only time will tell how vital it proves for both these sides.


Pressure mounts for Fulham Head Coach Scott Parker, whose side haven't won in nine matches



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9194633/Brighton-Fulham-share-spoils-goalless-draw-Fulham-remain-five-points-adrift-safety.html

WhiteJC

Fulham have 'improved ten-fold', says Parker

Fulham boss Scott Parker says his side's battling point at Brighton shows how far they have come on since the start of the season.

The Whites were on the back foot for much of the game at the Amex Stadium but held out for a 0-0 draw and almost won the game in the dying seconds when Ruben Loftus-Cheek's shot was cleared off the line by Lewis Dunk.

It was Fulham's sixth draw in eight games and although they have struggled in front of goal this season, Parker believes they are showing they have the gumption to dig their way out of the bottom three.

Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was outstanding, as were centre-backs Joachim Andersen and Tosin Adarabioyo as Brighton pushed hard for a winner in the second half.

"You've got to stay in games to stay in this league," Parker said.

"We came here to win, we are happy with a clean sheet and a point and we move on.

"We defended well, weathered the storm from their set-plays and the keeper has dominated his box well and made some big saves.

"This team three or four months ago needed to score three or four goals to win a game.

"But we are a young team with not much Premier League experience but it has improved ten-fold."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-have-improved-ten-fold-says-parker

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Full Time: Fulham Ride Their Luck With Another 0-0 Draw

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

In this episode, Emilio and Russ share their views on another 0-0 draw for Fulham against Brighton. This was a disappointing result and performance so you will hear that during the show.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/1/27/22253214/cottage-talk-full-time-fulham-ride-their-luck-with-another-0-0-draw


WhiteJC

Verdict: Fulham continue to show spirit – but the lack of goals is a serious worry

The record will show neither Fulham nor Brighton scored a goal in their two meetings this season.

However, it was the visitors to the Amex Stadium holding on for grim death in the last 20 minutes – Ruben Loftus-Cheek's late chance aside.

That man Alphonse Areola was tasked by Scott Parker to keep his side in games and, boy, did he do that in this one.

Neal Maupay thought he had won it for the Seagulls until the Frenchman got a block from five yards, and before that Leandro Trossard thought he also had the better of Areola, only to rue his luck as he found a keeper in form.

But the gap from Albion in the first safety spot to Fulham remains five points, and the Whites will stay there unless they can find goals.

The paucity of their attack was laid bare from start to almost finish.

Right at the death, Loftus-Cheek got a rare sniff of goal only to find Lewis Dunk throwing himself at the ball to clear.

Before that, Brighton decided the best way to nullify Fulham's midfield was to bypass it as much as possible.

By the time birthday boy Harrison Reed made way for Mario Lemina, the Albion press had done its job in a way few sides have this season on the Whites in the centre of the park.

The first half betrayed Fulham anxiety.

For a side that boasts excellent possession rates, they were chasing an awful lot of ball.

You could probably count on one hand the number of passes that normally go astray.

This time, the ball flew backwards and forwards between blue and white shirts.

Albion did a number on Ola Aina in trying to pin the right-sided defender in that right-hand corner.

It says much for the progress of the defender this term he was considered a threat, although he had a more productive second period.

Quiz question: how many shots did Fulham have on target all night? One: the aforementioned one from Loftus-Cheek in the dying seconds.

If you're picky, you could say Aleksandar Mitrovic's glancing header was on target just before, but your auntie could have scooped that up with her shopping bag.

Quiz question two: When was the last time Mitrovic started and finished a Premier League game?

Answer: seven games ago, against West Ham on November 7.

That was the 1-1 draw when Ademola Lookman made a hash of a Panenka penalty after Mitrovic declined to step up having missed one earlier against Sheffield United.

When Brighton stepped up a gear there was frankly no outlet.

Lookman did his best to little avail, Ivan Cavaleiro got nowhere and was substituted, and Loftus-Cheek was well shackled until the dying seconds.

Parker has made plain his need for a new striker, and just as candidly reckons he doesn't fancy his chances with the money available.

Still, four points out of six will be a decent return if Fulham get all three at recently shell-shocked West Brom on Saturday – but that's easier said than done for a team with just 15 goals in 19 games.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/verdict-fulham-continue-to-show-spirit-but-the-lack-of-goals-is-a-serious-worry

WhiteJC

Parker praises 'big' Areola

Scott Parker hailed Alphonse Areola's outstanding display on the south coast as Fulham battled to a goalless draw with relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion this evening.

The Seagulls had the better of a nervy encounter but French goalkeeper Areola made a series of outstanding saves to keep a crucial clean sheet. The Fulham manager was full of praise for his custodian's display in his post-match press conference:

He was big for us and he's going to be big. Defensively I thought we were good, especially in the second half where we had to weather a lot of pressure certainly from set plays where Brighton are very good. Of course, the keeper's had to pull off some big saves and has dominated his box really well.

Parker admitted to being disappointed overall with Fulham's display at the AMEX Stadium, but was keen to stress just how far his side have come since a disastrous start to the season.

A little bit disappointed in the way we played overall. But this team only four months ago were having to try and score three or four goals to win a football match. Tonight we were solid, there's been improvement for sure but still a lot of improvement to be had.

It was always going to take something sensational from the start of the season [to stay]. This is a young team with not much Premier League experience and it was always going to be a very tough ask for us this year. A team that needed to keep on improving and I think we've done that ten-fold. Of course, now the next challenge for us is 'can we be a bit more clinical?', 'can we start turning these draws into wins?'.

With 19 games left of this season, I have full belief in my team. Big improvement in one area but like anything there's not a magic wand and now we need to move onto the next one and try and get that other side to us which is going to be pivotal winning games.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/parker-praises-big-areola/

WhiteJC

Fulham 'will keep fighting,' says Areola

Man of the match Alphonse Areola was disappointed that Fulham couldn't record a vital victory on the south coast against relegation rivals Brighton tonight – but pledged that the team will keep fighting.

The French goalkeeper made a series of superb saves to keep the home side at bay as Brighton pushed for a first home league win since last June. He did superbly to keep out a late effort from former Brentford forward Neal Maupay and also saved instinctively with his feet when Leandro Trossard bore down on goal in the first half.

Areola, now firmly established as Fulham's number one after arriving on loan from PSG in the summer, told FFCTV after the final whistle:

"It was a tough game. We didn't lose and the important thing is to take points. We had one today, we expected maybe three, but we'll keep fighting and we still believe. We tried to win the game. We played to win. We were unlucky with the last shot from Ruben [Loftus-Cheek]. We have to score to win games and we hope that is going to come."

He was modest about his own accomplishments, preferring to praise the efforts of his defence.

"I did my job. Every game I try to give my best and help the team to stay in the game and it is what I've done [tonight]. Lots of players helped me out. I wasn't the only one – it was a great team performance!"

Areola was effusive about the level of improvement in Fulham's defending since a shaky start to the season that put Scott Parker's side on the back foot almost immediately in the battle to stay up.

"It has improved a lot since the beginning of the season. I think we are talking more, at the training also, so all the team is focused on this part of the game and I think we are doing well. We have to score to win games and we will be safe."

He knows that picking up just a point at the AMEX means that the weekend trip to West Bromwich Albion becomes even more important.

"It will be a great game as well. Tomorrow, we'll recover and try to win. We need that, but the important thing is – as the gaffer says – we have to give our best in all of these games and that's what we'll do."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/fulham-will-keep-fighting-says-areola/