Fulham’s hopes of European football took a painful knock on Monday night as Marco Silva’s side slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth – a result made all the more galling by the early nature of the goal and the host of chances that followed but went unconverted.
Antoine Semenyo’s strike with just 53 seconds on the clock – a curling finish after getting past Antonee Robinson – proved the only goal of the game. But it told just a fraction of the story in a match where the Whites dominated possession, created more clear chances, and had seven shots on target compared to Bournemouth’s three.
Rodrigo Muniz was a constant menace, twice going close in either half, while Alex Iwobi and Ryan Sessegnon also saw efforts well saved by a busy Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Cherries goal. Fulham grew stronger as the match went on, with substitutes Adama Traoré and Tom Cairney injecting fresh energy, but the breakthrough just wouldn’t come.
Should have been sent off
There was controversy, too, as a second-half substitution mix-up saw Sessegnon mistakenly withdrawn instead of Lukic – a moment that visibly angered Silva on the touchline. Meanwhile, Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi was fortunate to avoid red for a studs-up challenge on Joachim Andersen, escaping with only a yellow.
Despite all the territory and pressure, Fulham return to West London empty-handed and with the Premier League table tightening around them. They now sit ninth on goal difference, level on points with both Bournemouth and Brighton, with just six games left to close the gap on the European places.
Next up: the derby
But there’s no time to dwell – the biggest match of the run-in is up next. Chelsea come to Craven Cottage this weekend for a crucial West London derby that could make or break Fulham’s European ambitions. The Blues, themselves inconsistent this season, sit just ahead in the table and are also hunting a late charge for Europe.
Victory over their neighbours would not only reignite Fulham’s campaign but offer the perfect response to the frustration in Bournemouth. The stakes couldn’t be higher – local pride and European dreams are on the line.
