Sunderland Vs Fulham: Raúl Jiménez brace and Alex Iwobi finish deliver 3-1 win

In a match that decided critical league positions, sunderland vs fulham ended 1-3 as Raúl Jiménez scored twice and Alex Iwobi capped the victory. The result moved Fulham above Sunderland and into the top half of the table, while the game also prompted public statements from clubs over online racist abuse aimed at players.

Sunderland Vs Fulham: how the goals unfolded

Raul Jimenez peeled off his marker to head in Alex Iwobi's 54th-minute corner to break the deadlock. Seven minutes later the match turned on a pitchside review: referee Craig Pawson went to the pitchside monitor and adjudged Brian Brobbey to have pulled on Calvin Bassey's shirt in the area, awarding a penalty that Jimenez converted, sending Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs the wrong way. That made it two for the visitors before Sunderland replied in the 76th minute when Dan Ballard drove into the area and was bundled to the floor by Ryan Sessegnon, winning a penalty that Enzo le Fee/Enzo Le Fée placed in the top corner. Fulham then completed the league double over Sunderland for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign when Harry Wilson broke clear and slipped in Alex Iwobi, who dinked a calm finish over Roefs for his first strike since December, the third goal coming on the counter-attack with five minutes left.

Jiménez’s contribution, form and on-field discipline

Raul Jimenez scored twice to end Fulham's three-match Premier League losing run at Sunderland. His double took his tally to 11 goals in 36 appearances for club and country this season. The 34-year-old had last scored against Manchester United in a 3-2 defeat on 1 February, and one report noted he will turn 35 in May and that it is approaching six years since a skull fracture placed his career in serious jeopardy. Jimenez's goal from the spot was recorded as his 13th successful penalty out of 13 in the Premier League. He had been booked in the first half for catching Dan Ballard with a flailing arm and almost received a second yellow for a similar challenge on Omar Alderete a few minutes later.

Sunderland’s tactical setup and Régis Le Bris’s assessment

Régis Le Bris said: "It's a tough day. " He added: "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 side have won only two of their past 11 league games and face what was described as their first real wobble since securing promotion, amid a scoring drought from open play. The manager had chosen to field a very attacking starting XI to address that problem, but the balance did not seem right; part of the issue highlighted was Le Bris's two January signings, Jocelin and Nilson Angulo, who were operating as touchline-hugging wingers, leaving gaps in central midfield. Angulo was described as an Ecuador international signed from Anderlecht, while the Ivorian Jocelin was said to have arrived from Maccabi Netanya after failing to make a single first-team appearance there and spending most of his two years on loan in Israel's second tier. The home side were left to rue clearcut chances missed by Romaine Mundle and Nilson Angulo.

Club and governing responses to online racist abuse

Wolves and Sunderland issued statements condemning online racist abuse directed at their players. Wolves condemned racist posts aimed at their Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare following a penalty miss after a recent match against Crystal Palace, republishing specific posts that included references to Arokodare as a monkey and saying: "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 later posted: "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 what the club described as "vile online racist abuse" directed at Romaine Mundle, adding: "These individuals do not represent Sunderland AFC, our values, or our community - and they are not welcome on Wearside. " Campaign group Kick It Out summed up "an appalling weekend" of abuse and said: "Action must follow. Players cannot be expected to tolerate this behaviour, and nor should anyone else. "

Table impact and match context

Fulham's victory was their first league win since beating Brighton 2-1 on 24 January, and their first away win in the top flight this year; the result moved them above Sunderland into 10th in the table. The win ended Fulham's three-match losing run in the Premier League and completed a league double over Sunderland for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign.