Fulham 1-1 Newcastle: Fulham fought back late to earn a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at Craven Cottage on Saturday, with Calvin Bassey captaining the hosts and Alex Iwobi and William Osula also starting in a match that featured three Nigerians from the first whistle.
The point keeps Fulham unbeaten in three league games after a winless start to the season, while Newcastle were left trying to stop a slide of three defeats in their last five. For the Nigerian trio, though, the afternoon was about far more than the result: all three were on the pitch from the start in a Premier League game at Craven Cottage, and all three had a point to prove.
The confirmed line-ups had already made this one of the games of the weekend for Nigerian fans, and the 1-1 scoreline meant none of the three ended the day on the losing side. Fulham 1-1 Newcastle was a fair reflection of a game in which both sides had their moments, but it was the hosts who finished the stronger.
Fulham 1-1 Newcastle: Fulham Fight Back Late at Craven Cottage
Fulham had to dig deep to take a point from this one. Newcastle came to Craven Cottage determined to end their poor run, and for long spells the visitors looked as though they might hold on for all three points. The Cottagers, however, refused to settle for defeat, kept pushing in the closing stages, and found the late leveller their second-half pressure deserved.
Newcastle took the lead in the 80th minute when Jacob Murphy intercepted Sander Berge’s misplaced pass, skipped past Iwobi and cut inside Bassey before curling a superb left-footed effort into the top corner. Fulham’s answer came just two minutes and 58 seconds later, when Cesar Palacios’ deflected pass found substitute Rodrigo Muniz, who stabbed the ball home off Dan Burn to make it 1-1.
The draw was a reward for Fulham’s persistence as much as for their quality. Having gone behind, Marco Silva’s side kept the ball, kept asking questions of the Newcastle defence, and were finally rewarded when the late equaliser arrived. It was the kind of result that keeps a good run going, and it left the home crowd with something to cheer at full time.
Newcastle, for their part, will feel this was two points dropped. They had put themselves in a position to win the game, but they could not see it out, and a late Fulham rally denied them a much-needed victory. Dan Burn had thought he gave Newcastle the lead in the 33rd minute, only for his close-range finish to be ruled out after Yoane Wissa was penalised for pulling Timothy Castagne’s shirt, and late on Lewis Hall saw a chance to win it for Newcastle held by Bernd Leno before Lukas Hornicek produced a diving save to deny Ryan Sessegnon after Iwobi’s stoppage-time free kick. For the full match details, check the Flashscore match report.
Bassey Leads Fulham as Iwobi and Osula Start
Bassey wearing the armband was no surprise to anyone who has followed Fulham this season. The 26-year-old anchored a back four of Timothy Castagne, David Affengruber, Bassey and Antonee Robinson, with Sander Berge and Shea Charles in midfield, and Iwobi, Oscar Bobb and Josh King supporting striker Gonzalo Garcia.
Iwobi’s start was his latest landmark in a remarkable run of availability for Fulham. The 30-year-old has become one of the first names on the team sheet at Craven Cottage, and his energy and creativity in midfield were central to the way Fulham kept coming back at Newcastle in the second half.
At the other end, Osula got the nod as Newcastle’s No. 9, with Yoane Wissa playing just behind him and Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy on the flanks. Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle made four changes from the side beaten by Everton on Monday, bringing in Malick Thiaw, Sean Steur, Wissa and Murphy. Newcastle were without the injured Joelinton, while Jacob Ramsey served a one-match suspension after his sending-off at Everton.
It was a big afternoon for Osula for reasons beyond the three points. The 23-year-old striker is one Denmark appearance away from being tied to the country of his birth, and every start he makes for Newcastle sharpens the question of where his international future lies. He shook off an ankle scare from the EFL Cup tie at Everton to keep his place up front.
What the Draw Means for the Three Nigerians
For the Nigerian trio, the timing could hardly be better. Bassey and Iwobi were both named in Chelle’s 24-man Super Eagles squad for the AFCON qualifiers against Tanzania, and a strong showing at Craven Cottage was the perfect way to head into the international break. Osula, meanwhile, gets another chance to show why Nigeria are so keen to keep him in green.
Both sides arrived in the bottom half of the table, which made this more than a routine Saturday fixture, and the shared points keep both teams looking for the win that would lift them up the standings. For Fulham, the unbeaten run continues; for Newcastle, the search for a first win in a while goes on.
In the end, Fulham 1-1 Newcastle was a result that suited the three Nigerians in the starting line-ups better than it suited either club’s ambitions, but it was a reminder of how central Bassey, Iwobi and Osula have become to their teams. For more on the weekend’s action, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC0 — Timmy96) — collage by SportsBuddy
