Sunderland Vs Fulham — Raul Jimenez double earns Marco Silva's side valuable victory in race for European spots (sunderland vs fulham)
In a 3-1 Premier League win at the Stadium of Light, Raul Jimenez scored twice and Alex Iwobi completed a swift counter as Fulham ended a three-game losing run. The result, Sunderland 1-3 Fulham, lifts Fulham into the top half while leaving Sunderland to regroup after a second straight home defeat.
Sunderland Vs Fulham: Jimenez header, VAR penalty and Iwobi counter
Raul Jimenez opened the scoring with a header, nodding Alex Iwobi's corner beyond Robin Roefs while completely unmarked. Seven minutes after that opener Jimenez rolled in a calm penalty that had been won by Calvin Bassey and awarded after a VAR review. Sunderland pulled one back when a clumsy Ryan Sessegnon challenge led to a spot-kick that Enzo Le Fée converted emphatically, but the reprieve lasted only until a breakaway engineered by Harry Wilson finished with a deft chip from Alex Iwobi from a tight angle to make it 3-1.
How the result shifted the table and the mood
Fulham ended a run of three straight defeats and rose to tenth in the Premier League, leapfrogging Sunderland into the top half of the table and displacing Newcastle. The win made Fulham only the second side to emerge as winners at the Stadium of Light since Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League. Sunderland sit a comfortable twelfth and are described in the post-match coverage as surely already assured of their place in the top flight for next season.
Managers' reactions: Silva praises response, Le Bris admits a tough day
Marco Silva hailed the result as "A big win. We knew it was going to be another crucial game for us. It's very important because we came from some not good results. We wanted to bounce back. " He added: "We had to keep the aggression. In the second half we were clinical, we prepare for these moments. The game was more settled after that. We handled the pressure very well, the stadium is buzzing after they score and then we score the third goal in an incredible moment. Top finishing from Alex [Iwobi]. A big fight. We want to be in a different position. A big three points. "
Régis Le Bris conceded it was difficult for his side: "It's a tough day. We couldn't find the right way to express our quality. We got too sloppy to impose our ideas. It was a tight game but we weren't good enough. We have to find solutions rather than searching for excuses. We have to show our character. " Le Bris's team have won only two of their past 11 league games amid a scoring drought from open play, and the manager's decision to field a very attacking starting XI was judged to have left the team short of balance.
Selection issues, missed chances and transfer context
Romaine Mundle and Nilson Angulo were singled out as having missed clearcut chances for the home side. Le Bris's two January signings, Jocelin and Angulo, operated as touchline-hugging wingers, which the coverage says allowed Fulham to identify gaps in central midfield. Angulo is an Ecuador international signed from Anderlecht. Jocelin arrived from Maccabi Netanya, where he had failed to make a single first-team appearance and spent most of his two years on loan in Israel's second tier.
Player ratings and individual honours
Player of the Match: Raul Jimenez.
Sunderland ratings: Roefs, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume, Sadiki, Jocelin, Diarra, Le Fée, Angulo, Brobbey. Subs used: Geertruida, Mundle, Isidor, Mayenda, Xhaka.
Fulham ratings: Leno, Sessegnon, Bassey, Andersen, Tete, Berge, Iwobi, Kevin, Smith Rowe, Wilson, Jimenez. Subs used: Bobb, Muniz, Cuenca (n/a), Cairney (n/a), Castagne (n/a).
Wider concerns: online abuse condemned by clubs and bodies
Separately, clubs and groups reiterated condemnation of online racist abuse aimed at players. Wolves issued a statement condemning racist abuse aimed at their Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare on social media following a penalty miss, republishing posts that included references to Arokodare as a monkey. The club said: "Wolves are disgusted by numerous instances of racist abuse, from multiple perpetrators. There is no place for racism – in football, online, or anywhere in society. We condemn this abhorrent and unlawful behaviour in the strongest possible terms. Tolu has our full and unwavering support. No player should be subjected to such hatred simply for doing their job. We stand firmly alongside him, and alongside all footballers who are forced to endure this abuse from anonymous accounts acting with apparent impunity. " The club added that it has "reported the posts to the relevant platforms. "
Arokodare posted on X: "It's still unbelievable to me that we're playing in a time where people have so much freedom to communicate such racism without any consequences. " Sunderland said they were working with authorities to identify those responsible for "vile online racist abuse" directed at Romaine Mundle and stated: "These individuals do not represent Sunderland AFC, our values, or our community - and they are not welcome on Wearside. " Anti-racism group Kick It Out summed up "an appalling weekend" of abuse and posted on X: "Action must follow. Players cannot be expected to tolerate this behaviour, and nor should anyone else. "
Match: Sunderland 1-3 Fulham. Goals: Jimenez (header), Jimenez (penalty), Iwobi (chip); Sunderland penalty: Enzo Le Fée.
