Fulham beaten at home by resurgent Blades
Fulham missed the opportunity to go five points clear at the top of the Championship as they suffered a defeat at Craven Cottage.
A fine, early strike by Iliman Ndiaye won the points for Sheffield United, with the Whites flattering to deceive throughout. Marco Silva’s side have now gone five games without a win.
United, who have now won four matches in a row, took the lead after only three minutes.
The hosts inexplicably allowed Ndiaye to embark on a driving run from inside his own half before the midfielder eventually fired a superb left-footed shot low into the corner of the net.
Fulham took a long time to settle and eventually Aleksandar Mitrovic fastened on to a long ball by Kenny Tete before going close with a whipped effort from an angle.
Lacking fluency, Fulham uncharacteristically laboured for the majority of the first half, finding well-organised United a struggle to break down.
Neeskens Kebano hurriedly shot wide a couple of minutes before the interval when he should have easily hit the target.
Fulham head coach Silva sent on Tom Cairney for Jean Michael Seri at half-time in an attempt to freshen things up. But his team, who had drawn their previous four games, struggled to create chances.
Mitrovic managed to get a good sight of goal but his shot was easily saved by keeper Wes Foderingham. Forward
And Mitrovic lashed the ball against the bar from 12 yards out with a minute remaining – Fulham’s best chance of an equaliser.
Fulham: Rodak, Robinson (Muniz 68), Ream, Adarabioyo, Tete, Reed, Seri (Cairney 46). Kebano, Carvalho (Decordova-Reid 60), Wilson, Mitrovic
