Premier League: Leeds United's chances of survival dented
Fulham 2 - 1 Leeds United
Leeds United's chances of staying in the Premier League were dented after a poor performance at Craven Cottage.
Goals from Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira handed Fulham a 2-1 victory over Leeds United at Craven Cottage, cementing the west London side's position in the top half of the table.
This team. 😍#FULLEE pic.twitter.com/KQkv60yOhM
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) April 22, 2023
Chances were few and far between in a quiet first half, with Leeds' Marc Roca forcing goalkeeper Bernd Leno into a good save from a free kick. Fulham's best opportunities fell to Pereira from long range.
Fulham took the lead in the 58th minute with a powerful finish from Wilson after Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier parried a Willian cross into Wilson's path.
Fulham continued to apply the pressure and almost doubled their lead when a Pereira free kick rattled the crossbar.
And the hosts' second came similarly. Meslier could only divert a cross from left-back Antonee Robinson into Pereira's path and the midfielder lashed the ball into the unguarded net.
𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: #LUFC fall to a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage pic.twitter.com/8OHU0tvIvO
— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 22, 2023
The Leeds manager tried to make a difference with his subs.
Leeds made a raft of substitutions to try and salvage something from the game and it was one of those changes that helped create their consolation goal.
That moment eventually came in the 79th when substitute Patrick Bamford turned the ball forward after a ricochet in the area before Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha put it into his own net.
A large amount of added time gave Leeds hope of finding an equaliser and even keeper Meslier went forward for a corner as they tried to rescue a point but Fulham held on. Ultimately, they were very comfortable and everyone associated with the club will be happy how they have recovered in recent weeks. Leeds fans will be very concerned.
Fulham's win moves them to ninth on 45 points, while Leeds stay in 16th with 29, two points above the relegation zone.
Let's explore some of the best reaction and comments from South London.
Martin is a Leeds fan who was in the away end. He added: "That was a shocking performance. There was no fight whatsoever. Last season what we lacked in quality we at least made up for in working hard and fighting spirit. We did the basics like winning 50/50 duels. We looked like we wanted it more than the other team. I don’t see that effort in this current team."
Oliver is a Leeds fan from Huddersfield. He was also really annoyed with the performance and is also concerned about the direction that the team is going in. Oliver told us: "That was not enough, I think we started the game focused and the game was equal. After we conceded the first goal, we never really looked like we could get back into the team. I am concerned that we will be getting relegated at the end of the season."
Rachel is another Leeds United was also really unhappy with the result and performance from her side. She said: "That wasn't good enough from us. From the moment we conceded the first goal, we never looked like getting at least a draw. My opinion stayed the same, even when João Palhinha scored the own goal."
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Leo is a Fulham fan who was delighted with the team's win and performance. He said: "A fantastic display from the team to get us a very useful three points. There is still a chance that we can finish the season in a European place."
This was a similar view to what was held by Kevin, a Fulham Season Ticket holder. Kevin added: "After a few poor results since the FA Cup defeat, we looked a lot more composed against Leeds United. I'm a happy fan this weekend."
Jamie was another Fulham fan. He was also happy with how his side has recovered from that poor run of form. "That was another effective team performance and we more than made up for the absence of Mitrovic."
