EPL: Fulham shock Leicester to escape relegation
Fulham climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone on Monday after finally solving their penalty woes in a shock 2-1 win at Leicester, while West Ham rode their luck to move into fifth place with a dramatic 2-1 victory against Aston Villa.
Scott Parker’s side won for just the second time in the league this season thanks to Ademola Lookman’s 30th minute opener and Ivan Cavaleiro’s penalty eight minutes later. Fulham had missed three of their four previous penalties this term, but Cavaleiro held his nerve to convert from the spot for the crucial second goal. Harvey Barnes scored for Leicester in the 86th minute, but Fulham held on and move one point above the bottom three.
“Cav slipped last week and I can only imagine what was being said, the jokes at his expense,” Parker said of Cavaleiro’s recent penalty miss against Everton. “I said to him: ‘Are you ready to take one if we get it?’ He looked at me dead in the eye and said: ‘I’m ready.’ “
At the London Stadium, West Ham earned a third successive victory after Villa striker Ollie Watkins missed a late penalty and then saw a stoppage-time equaliser disallowed by VAR.
West Ham got off to the perfect start in the second minute when Angelo Ogbonna ran to the far post and rose above Matt Targett to head a corner past Emiliano Martinez. Villa drew level in the 25th minute when Jack Grealish ran at the West Ham defence before letting rip with a 20-yard drive that took a slight deflection on its way past Lukasz Fabianski.
