Fulham's wait for a first Premier League win of the season continues after a 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland. Wilson Isidor came off the bench to score the decisive goal, handing the Black Cats their first three points and leaving Marco Silva's side rooted in 16th place with zero points from two matches.
This result was confirmed by the London Evening Standard on Tuesday. The loss compounds a difficult start for Fulham, who have now conceded four goals while scoring just two, leaving them with a minus two goal difference. They currently sit six points behind early leaders Manchester City.
Fulham created the better chances in the first half but failed to convert them. Josh King was the main culprit, spurning two clear opportunities. His first came after Alex Iwobi played him through, but a heavy touch took him wide and his finish from a tight angle sailed over. Just before the interval, King had another opening but was expertly nudged off the ball by Nordi Mukiele.
At the other end, Sunderland struggled to test Bernd Leno. Brian Brobbey headed a cross from Nilson Angulo off target, and Cesar Palacios rifled a shot over the bar. The home side's best defensive moment saw Mukiele rescue them on a Fulham counter, forcing Rodrigo Garcia wide and blocking his eventual shot.
The introduction of substitutes Habib Diarra and Wilson Isidor changed the game. Isidor, who recently signed a new contract keeping him at the Stadium of Light until 2030, should have scored in the 71st minute. A ball from Granit Xhaka found Enzo Le Fee, who directed a low first-time cross to the 26-year-old striker. With the goal gaping, Isidor's strike came back off the post.
He didn't have to wait long for redemption. Just minutes later, Isidor found the net with what proved to be the winner. It was Sunderland's first league victory over Fulham since December 2017, ending a run of six matches without a win against the Londoners.
Beyond King's first-half efforts, Fulham had a late opportunity to snatch a point. Romaine Mundle found space after another Xhaka ball over the top, but he shot straight at Leno when he might have done better. These missed chances summed up a frustrating evening for Silva's team, who started their campaign with a 3-2 loss to Chelsea after conceding a goal after just 31 seconds.
Sunderland, meanwhile, bounced back from their own opening-day disappointment, a last-gasp defeat at Ipswich Town. The three points provide a vital early boost as they look to climb the table.
The defeat leaves Fulham in a concerning early position. With zero points from two games, the pressure is already building ahead of their next fixture. They have a quick chance to respond when they host Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on September 5th. Palace currently sit 19th, making it a significant early-season encounter for both clubs. Fans can track the team's progress and view the full schedule on our fixtures page and check the latest league positions on our standings section.
