Fulham come from behind to push Burnley closer to relegation
By Andy Sims, Press Association
Harry Wilson grabbed his 10th goal of the season as Fulham shoved their former boss Scott Parker closer to the drop with a 3-1 win over Burnley.
Wilson fired Fulham into the lead after Josh King had finally scored his first Premier League goal to cancel out Zian Flemming’s opener for Burnley.
Substitute Raul Jimenez wrapped up the victory from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Josh Laurent was sent off.
It was a kick in the stomach for Parker, who managed Fulham to promotion in 2020 and relegation a year later and now looks odds on to repeat the trick with the Clarets.
They are nine points adrift of safety – a gap which could widen after Sunday’s matches – with only seven games to play.
But it was a big moment for 19-year-old Fulham striker King, who was desperate to break his duck after having a goal wrongly ruled out by VAR against Chelsea way back in August.
The goals all came in the second half after an entirely forgettable first 45 minutes, during which Burnley felt they should have had a penalty when Flemming’s shot was blocked by the arm Calvin Bassey.
After a VAR check, Bassey escaped punishment because his arm was supporting him as he slid in.
Rodrigo Muniz sent a volley over and Wilson fizzed one drive just too high and another too close to Martin Dubravka.
The best chance fell to Flemming, who got between Bassey and Antonee Robinson to meet Quilindschy Hartman’s cross, only to plant a diving header straight at Fulham keeper Bernd Leno.
But a first half desperately low on quality was best summed up when Jaidon Anthony’s attempt at a long throw into the Fulham box flew straight out for a goal-kick.
After the break Dubravka made a fine reaction save after Oscar Bobb had prodded King’s header goalwards.
Moments later Dubravka denied King as he burst through on goal, with Muniz curling the rebound wide.
But it was Burnley who made the breakthrough on the hour mark when Anthony played the ball out to Lyle Foster.
The South African’s first-time cross caught out the Fulham backline and Flemming swept the ball home from 10 yards for his ninth goal of the season.
However, the lead lasted just seven minutes before King found the net, in slightly bizarre circumstances.
Both he and Dubravka missed Sander Berge’s cross towards the far post, but as he spun around King found himself with simple tap-in.
Six minutes later Wilson – comfortably the game’s best player – cut inside and drilled a low shot with his left foot inside the near post.
In stoppage time Laurent brought down Jimenez and was shown a red card before the Mexican slotted away the penalty to condemn the Clarets to another defeat.