LEEDS were plunged further into the relegation mire with fuming fans chanting for “Marcelo Bielsa”.
Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira were on target for Fulham but they were both helped by Illan Meslier’s butter fingers.
Bobby Decordova-Reid in action with Leeds United’s Illan Meslier before Andreas Pereira scores Fulham’s second goal
Harry Wilson opened the scoring for Fulham
It was an afternoon to forget for the French goalkeeper whose flapped clearances actually ASSISTED both the goals.
There was hope for Leeds when Patrick Bamford pulled one back on 78-minutes – but the hosts held on.
It left the away end about what they once had, as chants for Bielsa rang around Craven Cottage.
You can’t exactly blame them with them facing a return to the Championship following three straight Prem defeats, which includes the home humiliations to Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
Meanwhile it was all hunky dory for Fulham with boss Marco Silva returning to the dugout with renewed passion to continue Fulham’s dream push towards Europe.
The Portuguese boss was hit with a two-game touchline ban after his red card for protesting Willian’s dismissal in the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United last month.
And now he is back to challenge his side, on 45 points, to break the club’s Premier League record of 53 points set in 2008-09.
The first-half wasn’t exactly what dreams were made of.
Fulham’s best chance came from a Tosin Adarabioyo header which forced Illan Meslier to leap like a cat and claw the ball away from the top corner – but turns out the defender was offside anyway.
Leeds hit back with Roca stinging the hands of Bernd Leno with a 20-yard free kick.
Fulham emerged from the restart finally looking like a side with a better plan of how to score a goal.
Willian shimmied beyond four away shirts before scraping the post with a low drive.
It was no surprise when the Brazilian lynchpin of Marco Silva’s side then played a vital role in the 58th minute opener.
He pounced on a Antonee Robinson pass before lashing a shot at Meslier who could only flap it straight to Wilson.
The Welsh wizard let the ball bounce and rifled a shot off the underside of the bar and in.
Pereirea fired a warning shot of a second by slapping the crossbar with an inch-perfect free-kick, but he really made Leeds pay on 72 minutes.
Meslier nudged Antonee Robinson’s cross into the path of Pereira who blasted home into an empty net.
But there was hope when Crysencio Summerville’s backheel was deflected into the path of Patrick Bamford who poked it in after a desperate scramble in the box.
Fulham responded with another menacing set-piece from Willian but Meslier managed to mop up the damage this time.
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How the action unfolded at Craven Cottage:
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