Fulham moved closer to the European places with a 2-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, who missed the chance to move further clear of the relegation zone.
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Ryan Sessegnon fired Fulham ahead with a composed finish after just 58 seconds having been put clean through on goal.
But the home side weren’t behind for long, equalising in the 18th minute with a crashing strike from Joao Gomes after Fulham had failed to clear their lines.
Fulham edged in front again just 63 seconds into the second half after Rodrigo Muniz applied a cool, lofted finish to hand the away side all three points.
Wolves remain 17th in the table, five points clear of Ipswich Town having played a game more, while Fulham move up to ninth, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 |
West Ham
WHU
|
26 | -17 | 30 |
| 17 |
Wolves
WOL
|
27 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 |
Ipswich
IPS
|
26 | -30 | 17 |
| 19 |
Leicester
LEI
|
26 | -34 | 17 |
| 20 |
Southampton
SOU
|
27 | -46 | 9 |
How the match unfolded
Fulham took the lead in the first minute of the match, as Andreas Pereira threaded a pass through for Sessegnon and he finished coolly past Jose Sa.
Wolves responded positively to going behind so early and equalised in the 18th minute as Gomes smashed an effort into the roof of the net after Fulham failed to deal with a dangerous cross from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Both sides went close during the remainder of the half, with Santiago Bueno making a superb block to deny Muniz’s goalbound effort while Bernd Leno acrobatically tipped over Matheus Cunha’s stinging shot.
The Cottagers made a similarly fast start in the second half, going ahead again as Adama Traore fizzed a ball through for Muniz who delightfully chipped the ball over the onrushing Sa.
Wolves struggled to create opportunities as the half wore on, with the away side going close twice in the final 10 minutes through substitute Raul Jimenez, but he squandered both chances.
Wolves fail to back up away win
Wolves were hopeful of backing up their impressive away win at AFC Bournemouth and further bolstering their survival prospects but were dealt a huge blow after going behind with less than a minute on the clock, as the visitors made light work of their defensive line.
There was a positive response to going behind, with Bellegarde threatening at points and Gomes already going close just two minutes before his goal with a shot that whistled over the bar from a tight angle.
Wolves started the second 45 with similar sloppiness, as a breakdown in possession within the first minute of the half contributed to Fulham taking the lead once more.
The inclusion off the bench of Jorgen Strand Larsen offered more of a focal point for the home side but they still failed to muster much of a threat in the attacking areas during a desperate second half.
Their attention now moves to the FA Cup, as Vitor Pereria’s men travel to Bournemouth once again on Saturday, hoping to advance to the quarter-final of the competition for the second year in a row. In the Premier League, meanwhile, they host Everton on 8 March.
Fulham return to winning ways
A rare misstep at home to Crystal Palace saw Marco Silva shuffle his pack for Tuesday's match, with five changes and perhaps one eye on the crucial FA Cup fifth-round tie at Manchester United on Sunday.
Despite the change in personnel, Silva’s men made a stunning start with three of the players drafted into the side combining. Muniz held the ball up before finding Pereira, who in turn set up Sessegnon to score his first Premier League goal since rejoining the club in the summer.
It was a fantastic moment for the travelling Fulham fans, though they quickly surrendered that lead and remained under the cosh at various moments of the first half.
Traore, playing against his old side, went close with a strike in the first half and was integral to the second goal. His fine, curling pass set Muniz through with the Brazilian finishing beautifully to give Fulham the lead once more.
Silva’s men professionally saw out the rest of the half to make it four successive away wins in all competitions.
The Cottagers now travel to Old Trafford for a repeat of the 2023 FA Cup quarter-final, then have a Premier League game at Brighton & Hove Albion on 8 March.
Club reports
What the managers said
Vitor Pereira: "The goals that we conceded at the beginning of the game and the beginning of the second half. We cannot concede goals like we did. Easy goals, very easy goals. After it's difficult to turn over the situation, but good reaction after the first goal but two times in the same match is too much for us."
Marco Silva: "Very good, of course the early goals made an impact. They made us play in a mid block off the ball because when you are winning they have to come a bit more. We did control the second half in a different way to what we normally do."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Fulham have won three consecutive away matches for just the second time in the Premier League, after also doing so in April/May 2008 under Roy Hodgson. The Cottagers have won six matches away from home this season – only winning more in one of their previous 29 top-flight campaigns (7 in 2022/23).
Wolves have lost their first-ever home Premier League match against Fulham (W6 D2), with this their first league defeat on home soil to the Cottagers since April 1985 – ending a 15-game unbeaten streak.
Sessegnon’s opener for Fulham after 58 seconds was the earliest goal that Wolves have conceded in the Premier League since Jack Grealish netted against them for Manchester City at Molineux in September 2022 (55 seconds).
This match featured just one English starter across the two line-ups (Sessegnon), making it only the second Premier League game this season to have only one English starter - with Wolves also involved in the other match (Liverpool vs Wolves earlier this month).
