Match ends, West Bromwich Albion 1, Fulham 0.
West BromWest Bromwich Albion1FulhamFulham0
West Bromwich Albion inflicted runaway Championship leaders Fulham's first league away defeat since October in a well-earned win at the Hawthorns.
Callum Robinson's neat second-half finish was enough to consign the Championship leaders to only a second defeat in their last 14 league matches.
Fulham failed to register a single shot in the first half in a below-par performance from the usually free-scoring side.
Their lead at the top was cut to 11 points after Bournemouth's draw with Reading, while West Brom sit 12th, six points outside the play-off places.
The home side dominated from the off, with Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak making a string of saves to deny Karlan Grant and Robinson as the Baggies created several chances.
Conor Townsend's deflected cross cannoned back off the post as the sides went in at half-time deadlocked.
Rodak saved an early headed chance from Grant before Fulham finally began to threaten, with Antonee Robinson beginning to attack down the left-hand side.
Fabio Carvalho ghosted past a West Brom defender before taking aim and narrowly missing the target.
Despite Fulham's improvement it was the home side who took the lead when Grant latched on to a loose pass from Antonee Robinson, playing in Callum Robinson who finished neatly beyond Rodak.
Harry Wilson's left-footed strike was inches away from an equaliser before Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was kept on the periphery by the Baggies' backline, put a chance wide as the hosts secured a deserved win.
West Brom boss Steve Bruce:
"We've taken seven points out of nine and now the pressure is on all of us at Bristol City on Saturday. Can we repeat that performance? Who knows?
"There are probably too many teams chasing but we have to win at Bristol on Saturday before the international break.
"There have been a few harsh truths spoken. It was not acceptable and I think they realised that too with the performance against Swansea.
"You can get beaten but it's the manner of it that counts and since then it's been better. Maybe that was the low point. I hope it is anyway."
Fulham boss Marco Silva:
"It was not good enough. In the first half we were not here - it was just our shirts on the pitch.
"I don't want to be unfair on West Brom because they were the best team and they deserved to win.
"We didn't express ourselves, and they did what we expected. Marek (Rodak) kept us in the game.
"In the second half it was a little bit different. We had a big chance with Mitro (Aleksandar Mitrovic) where we should have equalised."
Line-ups
West Brom
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Johnstone
- 6Ajayi
- 5Bartley
- 16Clarke
- 2Furlong
- 29Gardner-Hickman
- 8Livermore
- 27MowattSubstituted forMolumbyat 87'minutesBooked at 88mins
- 3Townsend
- 7RobinsonSubstituted forCarrollat 77'minutes
- 18GrantSubstituted forDianganaat 84'minutes
Substitutes
- 4O'Shea
- 11Diangana
- 14Molumby
- 15Carroll
- 20Reach
- 21Kipré
- 36Palmer
Fulham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Rodák
- 20N WilliamsBooked at 70minsSubstituted forMuniz Carvalhoat 81'minutes
- 16Tosin
- 13Ream
- 33Robinson
- 6ReedSubstituted forCairneyat 72'minutes
- 12Chalobah
- 8Wilson
- 28Carvalho
- 14De Cordova-ReidSubstituted forCavaleiroat 72'minutes
- 9Mitrovic
Substitutes
- 2Tete
- 3Hector
- 10Cairney
- 17Cavaleiro
- 19Muniz Carvalho
- 21Gazzaniga
- 24Seri
- Referee:
- Kevin Friend
- Attendance:
- 20,079
Match Stats
Home TeamWest BromAway TeamFulham
- Possession
- Home35%
- Away65%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, West Bromwich Albion 1, Fulham 0.
Post update
Nathaniel Chalobah (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Andy Carroll (West Bromwich Albion).
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Foul by Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham).
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Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Ivan Cavaleiro.
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Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Ivan Cavaleiro.
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Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Tosin Adarabioyo.
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Tim Ream (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Andy Carroll (West Bromwich Albion).
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Offside, Fulham. Tosin Adarabioyo tries a through ball, but Ivan Cavaleiro is caught offside.
Booking
Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion) is shown the yellow card.
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Fabio Carvalho (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion).
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Jayson Molumby replaces Alex Mowatt.
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Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Conor Townsend tries a through ball, but Alex Mowatt is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Nathaniel Chalobah (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ivan Cavaleiro with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Semi Ajayi.
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Grady Diangana replaces Karlan Grant.
Comments
Join the conversation
Happy happy joy joy. And it's not bloody Christmas. So what is the secret. Or did we chuck away the wrong script and played on gut feelings.it must have been. On a bad
day out would have been Fulham 4
Albion 0. But not this time sonny Jim the score in Albions favour
Remember when they couldn’t pay the milkman😀
Bruce is not a bad manager, he is just not a premiership manager
Shame they didn't win a couple of matches sooner, they could have been back in play off contention.
Who knows a long winning run ahead possibly?.
Coyb.
I think this game is going to prove quite a moment in time for some of our players, as they now need to be showing they're worth a place in the PL squad, but a number of them really showed they're simply not up to scratch.
Well played WBA - desire was on display.