Fulham 0-0 So’ton

Theo Walcott was rejected by a marginal offside call following a VAR review, as Southampton drew 0-0 at Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Fulham had gone nine years without a goalless draw at home in the league that spanned 196 games, but the tepid Boxing Day affair resulted in a second straight deadlock along the River Thames.

Southampton seized the better chances when Alphonse Areola hit a James Ward-Prowse free kick to the crossbar before Che Adams couldn’t convert the rebound in the first half.

Shane Long’s grooved spike was later ruled out for offside on the field before Walcott thought he had earned a fourth league win on the road for the visitors, but his Adams center effort was ruled out in the VAR review. .

The result leaves Fulham still in the relegation zone at 18th place, while Aston Villa’s win over Crystal Palace means Southampton drop to eighth place before the weekend’s remaining matches.

Saints equal club record in gray tie

Fulham was left without its manager Scott Parker after a family member tested positive for coronavirus on Christmas Eve, meaning Matt Wells and Stuart Gray, the former Saints boss, took over the team.

The chances were slim during the initial 45 minutes without teeth with just three attempts between the two teams, the fewest in any first half of the Premier League this season.

The hosts came close to breaking the tie when a Ruben Loftus-Cheek cross from the right led Ademola Lookman into the unmarked Andre-Frank Anguissa, but the midfielder, still without a goal for the club, fired an aerial shot as he was well placed for testing Alex McCarthy.

Moments later, Southampton was about to make their opponents pay for their extravagance when Ward-Prowse’s signature free throw from 25 yards was acrobatically thrown to the bar by Areola with Adams unable to convert the rebound with the spin of the ball deceiving him. .

That was the thrill of the first half that ended, but Fulham had a glorious chance to get ahead 10 minutes into the restart when Ivan Cavaleiro, unmarked, got up to meet Antonee Robinson’s center six yards away, but the forward was he directed dazzlingly.

Aleksandar Mitrovic continued to show a dejected figure on the bench, but Fulham continued to be more mobile in his absence as the lively Lookman’s free kick was cleared to Harrison Reed, whose speculative shot was deflected into McCarthy’s gloves.

Moments later, Adams set Shane Long up for an upward shot that was dunked by Areola and the game threatened to heat up when VAR Jon Moss was called in to control a possible penalty after a Ryan Bertrand cross hit Ola Aina’s arm. just because of the decision to go in favor of Fulham.

With 15 minutes to go, the Saints thought they had found the net for the first time when Bertrand saw Long’s run but his shot was ruled offside on the field. Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl again ruined his team’s misfortune when VAR rejected Walcott with five minutes remaining.

This time, the decision was much more marginal as Adams received a pass from Long down the right before his cross was excellently finished by the Everton loaned winger, but Simon Hooper ruled out Stockley Park’s offside goal as the points were shared.

What the managers said

2:10

Fulham Deputy Manager Stuart gray: “We are disappointed and your reaction shows that they are happy with the point. The last ball disappointed us, but they are four games unbeaten in the Premier League, which is very difficult to do. We played against a very good side today and we work on closing them all week.

“I thank the players who were brave with the ball, but the final piece of the puzzle was not there. My glass is always half full, so I feel like we are going in a positive direction. The most important thing is the attitude and the application of the players has been outstanding.

“The coach spoke to the players at halftime and was also on the phone to make the changes when we made it. It’s a disappointing locker room as we feel like he’s lost two points.”

2:07

Southampton Chief Ralph Hasenhuttl: “I think we had done enough to win. We had four players unavailable today and I think we did a good job today, scoring two goals and one with a very close offside, but it’s hard to win here. When you concede a goal, Common crawl en It’s almost impossible to get back into the game, so first it was important to keep a clean sheet, it was what I expected today.

“We had a bit of bad luck scoring with Che without being able to score after Prowsey’s free-kick. It was the biggest chance of the game and we could have also had a penalty. We were a bit unlucky.

“Of course we can add more quality but we don’t have the budget of other clubs. We have two players in all positions, with one experienced player and one younger player, and we don’t want to block the path of the younger players. They have to be patient and seize the moments to come. With the history of our academy, we have to look at young players to give them a chance, but today is the kind of game that goes with experience. “

Improving Cottagers – Opta Statistics

• Fulham has drawn each of its last four Premier League games, after tying just one of its first 21 in the competition under Scott Parker.
• Southampton have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League away matches (6 wins, 6 draws) and are unbeaten in their last seven on the road since a defeat at Crystal Palace on opening day.
• Fulham have kept three clean sheets at home in the Premier League this season, as many as they did at Craven Cottage in their entire last season in the top flight in 2018-19.

Man of the Match – Jan Bednarek

In the absence of Jannik Vestergaard, who has been ruled out for at least four weeks with a knee injury, it was vital that Bednarek produced a guaranteed performance as a regular center for Southampton alongside the return of Jack Stephens.

Fulham had the first shot on goal in this match in the eighth minute, but failed to get another shot on goal for the remainder of the match.

The Polish international made eight clearances, more than any other Saints player, to ensure Hasenhuttl’s men equaled a club record of seven consecutive Premier League games without a loss. Bednarek also completed more successful passes than any of his teammates.

Whats Next?

Fulham will return to Premier League action on Wednesday, December 30 as they travel to face Tottenham; start 6pm. Southampton returns the day before when it receives West Ham at St Mary’s; start 6pm.