Vittoria meritata dei Cottagers grazie a un bel gioco avvolgente e offensivo, tranne nei minuti di panico finali quando a causa dell’approccio troppo difensivo hanno rischiato seriamente di subire il pareggio. Nonostante la mancanza di un attaccante, visto che Maya sembra essere sparito dopo la doppietta folgorante con l’Everton, i tre frombolieri dietro di lui riescono ad essere sempre pericolosi anche se i tiri in porta arrivano col contagocce e meno male che Ademola Lookman ha fatto un gran goal alla Robben su fantastico lancio di Andersen, uno che ricorda il grande Hangeland, e l’arbitro non ha visto un rigore piuttosto netto su intervento di Areola nel recupero. Sarebbe stata una beffa incredibile. La difesa è diventata molto solida, a parte Areola, forse già il più grande keeper della storia del Fulham assieme a Van der Sar, anche Andersen e sulla fascia Ola Aina sono impeccabili, a centrocampo Reed comanda bene le operazioni e quasi quasi si candida per la maglia dei tre leoni , e in avanti Lookman e Loftus Cheek sono sempre pericolosi. In una sola settimana sono stati accumulati 7 punti e il distacco dal Newcastle è diminuito da 10 a 3 punti, sia pure con una partita in più, la salvezza avrebbe del miracoloso ma questo punto i cottagers ci credono.
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic continues to self-isolate in the wake of a positive coronavirus test.
Head coach Scott Parker is also without injured midfielder Tom Cairney.
Sheffield United's John Egan has been ruled out for eight weeks due to the dislocated toe he suffered against West Ham on Monday.
John Fleck again misses out because of illness, while Sander Berge, Jack O'Connell and Jack Robinson remain on the sidelines.
Fantasy Football tips for gameweek 25 Fulham looking into lockdown breach at party for midfielder Terence Kongolo LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Fulham are looking lively in attack and they have had a decent few days, moving to within six points of safety after beating Everton on Sunday and then getting a draw at Burnley on Wednesday.
Sheffield United were well beaten by West Ham last weekend, which was a big setback in their mini-revival, but I just have a funny feeling the Blades will get the points here.
They have only won one of their 12 away league games so far this season - at Old Trafford last month - but this is almost the last throw of the dice for Chris Wilder's side, and I think they will treat it as a game they absolutely have to win to have a chance of staying up.
Prediction: 1-2
Lawro's full predictions v Architects frontman Sam Carter
West Ham celebrate scoring against Sheffield United They beat Chelsea in October 1992 and Crystal Palace a year ago MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Fulham's solitary defeat in the past eight league meetings was by 2-0 at Bramall Lane in the top flight 14 years ago. Sheffield United are winless in their five most recent league visits to Fulham, and their only victory in the last 12 away games in this fixture came in September 1985. Fulham
Fulham have won only three of their 24 Premier League fixtures this season. Only two teams have won fewer than four of their opening 25 matches and gone on to avoid relegation: West Brom in 2004-05 and the Cottagers themselves in 2007-08. They are looking to avoid setting an outright club record of nine consecutive top-flight home games without a win. Fulham have drawn nine of their past 13 league matches, with their three defeats during that period all coming at Craven Cottage. Their only goal in seven competitive home fixtures was scored by Ademola Lookman against Manchester United on 20 January. Scott Parker's side are unbeaten in all seven league games this season against the other teams that begin this matchround in the bottom six of the table. There have been 24 goals scored at Craven Cottage this season, level with Burnley's Turf Moor for the fewest in the division. Sheffield United
Sheffield United have equalled the record for most defeats after 24 matches of a top-flight season. They could become the first team to lose 20 of their opening 25 top-flight fixtures. The most recent club to suffer 20 defeats in their first 25 games of a league campaign was Southport in the fourth tier in 1975-76. The Blades have conceded 40 Premier League goals so far, one more than they did in the whole of last season. Chris Wilder's side have gone 17 away league matches without a clean sheet since a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa in June.
Bellissima vittoria del Fulham, credo la prima della storia in Premier, a Goodison. I toffees sembravano lanciati e i cottagers sembravano spacciati, invece come spesso avviene in Inghilterra si è verificato tutto il contrario di quello che ci si aspettava. Ad invertire la tendenza è stato Scott Parker che ha presentato una formazione molto offensiva, un 4-4-1-1 che si trasformava in 4-4-2 o anche 4-3-3 ma che comunque annoverava 4 giocatori di attacco: Loftus Cheek a destra, Lookman a sinistra, De Cordova Reid e Maja al centro. Ottimo debutto da titolare di Josh Maja, che aveva cominciato nellAcademy dei Cottagers ma poi era stato costretto a cercare fortuna prima al Sunderland poi a Bordeaux.
La squadra per la prima volta quest’anno mi è piaciuta molto, corta, coesa, costante nel macinare gioco soprattutto sulla fascia sinistra con l’ex granata Ola Aina e Lookman autori di eleganti e avvolgenti triangolazioni che innescavano la fionda nigeriana. Col Newcastle a sette punti la salvezza è difficilissima, ma il Fulham ha una partita in meno. Molto dipende da come andrà il recupero di mercoledì col Burnley.
Ecco l’angusto ma mitico corridoio che conduce dagli spogliatoi al campo.
Everton will be without top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who suffered a minor hamstring strain on Wednesday during the FA Cup win over Tottenham.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford remains sidelined but James Rodriguez and Andre Gomes are both fit.
Fulham are weighing up whether to increase Josh Maja's involvement after his brief debut last week.
Tom Cairney and Terence Kongolo remain the only absentees, according to head coach Scott Parker.
Vote for your goal of the FA Cup fifth round Pro footballer or pro gamer? 24 hours in the life of both LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Everton were not short of firepower in Wednesday's 5-4 FA Cup win over Tottenham but it will be interesting to see how they shape up in attack without Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
They should still be too strong for Fulham, though. Scott Parker's side got another useful point against West Ham last weekend, but their long wait for a league win stands at 12 games and counting.
Prediction: 2-0
Lawro's full predictions v singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg, AKA Passenger
Everton scored after just 42 seconds in November's reverse fixture, a game they won 3-2 MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Everton have won 22 consecutive top-flight matches against Fulham at Goodison Park - the longest home winning run in top-flight history. A Fulham draw or defeat would ensure they equal the Football League record of 28 successive winless matches away to a particular opponent. The Cottagers have drawn four and lost 23 of their previous league trips to Everton in all divisions. Fulham's only victories at Goodison Park both came in the FA Cup - one of them being on Valentine's Day in 1948. Everton
Everton's tally of 37 points is their third highest after 21 matches of a Premier League campaign. They are winless in three home league matches, drawing once and losing twice. Manager Carlo Ancelotti could fail to win in four home league games for the first time since December 2007. Only four of the Toffees' 11 league victories have come at Goodison Park. They have won just one of their past six home league games against promoted sides, drawing once and losing four. Ancelotti is unbeaten against Fulham as a Premier League manager, winning four and drawing once. Seven of James Rodriguez's eight league goal involvements have been in home games. Fulham
Fulham are on a club record-equalling run of 12 Premier League matches without a win, with eight draws and four defeats. Scott Parker's side are unbeaten in four away fixtures, drawing all of them. They have won just one of their past 34 matches against the six ever-present Premier League sides, losing 30 times. Excluding own goals, Fulham have had a league-low seven different scorers. Scott Parker's first points as Fulham boss came in a 2-0 home win over Everton in April 2019. Ademola Lookman has been involved in six league goals this term, with three goals and three assists. Lookman scored one goal in 36 Premier League appearances for Everton between 2017-19.
Dopo la batosta di coppa con il Burnley Fulham ha recuperato i giocatori che avevano ben figurato nelle ultime partite di campionato ma lo 0-0 a Brighton non è un buon risultato, era l’occasione per cercare di ridurre le distanze proprio dai seagulls su cui bisogna fare la corsa, invece adesso sarà dura.
Fulham were forced to settle for a second stalemate against Brighton this season at the Amex Stadium.
The hosts were on top for large parts with the visitors almost creating the ultimate smash-and-grab scenario with the last kick of the game.
Scott Parker reverted back to the 11 that had impressed greatly in the previous league outings. Just three of the starting squad kept their place after the disappointing defeat to Burnley in the FA Cup.
Sconfitta frustrante ma buona prestazione dei cottagers. Finalmente si gioca di squadra e Areola è tanta roba ma senza attaccanti sarà difficile vincere.
