Fulham managed to secure a narrow 1-0 win against Leeds United in the Premier League, with Marco Silva acknowledging their good fortune.
The match seemed destined for a draw until Gabriel Gudmundsson accidentally headed a Sasa Lukic corner into his own net during stoppage time. This victory marked Fulham’s first win of the season and their third consecutive triumph over Leeds, a feat they had not previously achieved.
Despite not attempting any shots in the first half, Fulham improved as the game progressed. They ended with five shots, generating an expected goals (xG) value of 0.7. Silva praised his team’s resilience against Leeds’ early pressure, noting the difficulty in breaking down their well-organised defence. “Definitely a tight game, very difficult in some moments to break them down,” Silva told BBC Match of the Day.
Leeds United’s struggles in London continued as they suffered their ninth consecutive away defeat in the capital. Daniel Farke’s side has only scored once in the Premier League this season, marking their lowest tally after four matches in club history. Sean Longstaff came close to scoring with a shot that grazed the bar, but Leeds failed to find the net.
Farke expressed mixed emotions about the match outcome. “Yeah, of course, as we all know, sometimes football can be cruel and can be heartbreaking,” he told BBC Match of the Day. Despite feeling unlucky, Farke found positives in his team’s performance and praised their defensive solidity against Fulham’s attacks.
Silva admitted that Fulham felt fortunate to claim victory through an own goal but emphasised the importance of maintaining a clean sheet. “An own goal in the last minute of the game, so we have to feel a bit fortunate,” he said. He highlighted how crucial it was for Fulham to develop a habit of keeping clean sheets to enhance their chances of winning matches.
In contrast, Farke reflected on Gudmundsson’s unfortunate own goal, describing it as an unusual incident he had rarely seen before. “I’m working a long time in football, but such a strange situation, I’ve not seen,” he remarked. Farke empathised with Gudmundsson’s disappointment and stressed that criticism was unnecessary.
The match saw Fulham improve significantly after halftime by being more dynamic and creating dangerous opportunities near Leeds’ goal area. Silva noted that while fatigue might have set in during the final 30 minutes, his team managed to generate some threatening moments around Leeds’ box.
As both teams look ahead to future fixtures, Fulham will aim to build on this victory while Leeds seeks solutions for their ongoing challenges away from home and lack of goalscoring prowess.