sport news Newcastle are rewarded for their patience as Bruno Guimaraes' late strike earns ... trends now
There was an air of inevitably coming into the game; Fulham had won nine at home, Newcastle lost as many on the road. Of course this one would end in the visitors taking home all three points.
After the heartbreak of seeing one chalked off just moments earlier, Bruno Guimaraes cropped up with the golden strike to sink a truly vibrant Fulham in the 81st minute, the Brazilian earning his side a fourth away win of the season in a game in which they were dominated.
Amid a roiling sea of monochrome these two sides put on one of the most entertaining 1-0 clashes you will see for a long time.
A Willian-inspired Fulham ran those left standing for Newcastle ragged with chance after chance after chance, sweeping from one end to the other with precision, but went in at the break with nothing to show for their efforts.
The visitors then flew out of the traps after the interval, and with Anthony Gordon leading the attack, they slowly but surely clawed their way back into the tie, before Guimaraes decisive strike, leaving the hosts rueing their missed chances.
Bruno Guimaraes scored the only goal of the game to see Newcastle beat Fulham 1-0
Fabian Schar scored in the 75th minute of the game but his goal was disallowed by VAR
The Newcastle and Fulham players swarmed the referee as the decision was being made
Marco Silva’s programme notes bemoaned his side’s lack of aggression in their midweek defeat to Nottingham Forest - that was not a concern for the hosts on Saturday.
Antonee Robinson had the first chance of the match, cutting inside the box and firing a tame effort at the near post, duly stopped by Martin Dubravka, before a flurry of shots from Willian.
The Brazilian, whose legend has perhaps waned with each passing year since leaving Chelsea, was at the heart of everything good from Fulham, and was a man reborn at Craven Cottage.
Behind him in the queue was Joao Palhinha, the janitorial midfielder who unscrupulously swept and mopped up any stray ball. His effort trickled just wide before Andreas Pereira came within a slightly better-timed leap of his second of the season, all within the first 17 minutes.
