Matheus Cunha scored two goals and assisted one as Wolverhampton Wanderers stunned Fulham with a 4-1 victory at Craven Cottage, making it back-to-back Premier League wins.
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Alex Iwobi's fantastic long-range curler put Fulham ahead in the 19th minute but Cunha – a bright spark in a so far demoralising season for Gary O'Neil's men – poked home a 31st - minute equaliser.
Cunha turned provider as Joao Gomes put Wolves ahead early in the second half, with the Brazilian duo later trading roles when Cunha added his second with an astonishing finish from the edge of the box.
Fulham were forced to finish the game with 10 men due to Joachim Andersen sustaining an injury after they had used all their substitutes, and Goncalo Guedes came off the bench to add a fourth for Wolves.
The victory lifts them outside the relegation zone on nine points, while Fulham drop two places to ninth, four adrift of the top four.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |
Everton
EVE
|
12 | -7 | 11 |
| 16 |
Leicester
LEI
|
12 | -8 | 10 |
| 17 |
Wolves
WOL
|
12 | -8 | 9 |
| 18 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
12 | -7 | 8 |
| 19 |
Ipswich
IPS
|
11 | -10 | 8 |
| 20 |
Southampton
SOU
|
11 | -14 | 4 |
How the match unfolded
It was Fulham who controlled the opening stages, but they failed to take a 16th-minute lead as Raul Jimenez stabbed Antonee Robinson's cross against the woodwork with the goal gaping.
However, Wolves failed to heed that warning as Iwobi curled a wonderful strike home from 20 yards just three minutes later.
Having struggled in attack early on, Wolves drew level via a moment of magic from Mario Lemina and Cunha after 31 minutes, as the former pitched a perfect chip into the Fulham box and Cunha superbly pulled it down to poke in the equaliser.
Cunha then teed up Gomes for a driven, left-footed finish that put Wolves ahead in the 53rd minute, before Andersen's withdrawal left Fulham at a numerical disadvantage.
Wolves made them pay in ruthless fashion late on, Cunha picking out the top-right corner to make it a brace before Jorgen Strand Larsen teed up substitute Guedes for a fourth in stoppage time.
Cunha Wolves' best route to safety
O'Neil is under no illusions regarding the size of the task facing his Wolves side, with a 2-0 victory over Southampton – coming after back-to-back draws with Brighton and Crystal Palace – only doing so much to quieten speculation about his future.
However, he will hope Saturday's statement victory can provide a much-needed confidence boost as his team enter a run of favourable festive fixtures.
Wolves have conceded more goals than any other Premier League side so far (28), yet some fine last-ditch defending from the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Lemina – deployed as an emergency centre-back due to injuries to Craig Dawson and Santiago Bueno – kept Fulham at bay with the scores level.
With 20 goals scored at the other end, meanwhile, Wolves have found the net more times than any other side in the bottom nine.
Cunha has contributed to half of those strikes with seven goals and three assists, and the Brazilian produced yet another Man-of-the-Match display in this comeback win in West London.
If Wolves are to pull clear of the danger zone in the coming months, Cunha is the man most likely to lead their charge.
Iwobi keeps Silva smiling despite defeat
Marco Silva demands plenty from his Fulham stars with the Portuguese coach a stickler for standards and consistency in performances. Players who meet those levels are rewarded with a constant role in the team and Iwobi has been a shining example this term.
The Nigeria international is one of six Fulham players to start all 12 Premier League games in 2024/25, with Silva now confident in his ability to produce a rounded performance on a constant basis.
His early goal was one of the best he has scored as a Fulham player, picking out the top-left corner after working half a yard on the edge of the area.
Iwobi also netted the winner against Leicester City in August, sealed a draw at Everton last month, and despite today's strike not yielding any points for Fulham, he will continue to be crucial to Silva's plans going forward.
Fulham have a tough run coming up, however, with Tottenham, Brighton, Arsenal and Liverpool their next four Premier League opponents.
Club reports
What the managers said
Marco Silva: "Not just one thing went wrong today. Of course, if you just look at the result it's a difficult one to take, but in my opinion the score doesn't reflect what happened throughout the game."
Gary O'Neil: “I want the players to enjoy today. It was an incredible performance and I think we fully deserved the victory. The next kick up the backside can come quickly. It’s important the lads understand where this [win] came from. The organisation, togetherness gave us a real platform."
Next five PL fixtures
Key facts
Of Premier League players to score at least 20 goals in the competition, Wolves’ Cunha has the highest percentage away from home (15/21 - 71 per cent).
Fulham have lost three of their last six Premier League games (W2 D1), as many as in their previous 12 games in the competition (W5 D4).
Cunha is the second Wolves player to score in four successive Premier League away games after Steven Fletcher in January 2012, while only Erling Haaland (17) has more away goals in the competition since the start of last season than the Brazilian (14).
Fulham’s Iwobi has scored six goals in his last nine Premier League appearances against Wolves; against no other side in the competition has he scored more than two goals against.
