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Sheffield United captain Chris Basham suffered a sickening first-half injury before Fulham ran out 3-1 winners on a bizarre afternoon at Craven Cottage.
Basham sustained a nasty injury to his lower left leg when attempting a cross which caused a 12-minute delay midway through the first half as he was stretchered off and taken to hospital.
Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom believes the incident did not affect his side as they fell to a seventh defeat from eight Premier League matches.
“He’s where he needs to be, in hospital with the doctors and medical team,” Heckingbottom said of Basham. “No one wants to see that ever. When you’re involved in it and it’s one of your players, it’s far, far worse. It’s terrible, horrific.
“We’ve lost a good player, we’ll have to make changes we don’t want to change. We can’t blame that. Of course it’s going to affect us and for the season but would it change the result in the game, who knows? I don’t think it affected us, we made the adjustments at half-time and I was happy with how we came out.”
Bobby Decordova-Reid gave Fulham a deserved lead early in the second half although the visitors equalised in controversial circumstances after centre-back Issa Diop pulled up injured when on the ball, but Sheffield United kept playing which led to Antonee Robinson turning into his own net.
However, Fulham fortuitously restored their lead as Tom Cairney’s mishit shot struck the crossbar, then the back of goalkeeper Wes Foderingham and into the net before Willian wrapped up the points in injury time to leave Sheffield United bottom of the Premier League with one point.
How Fulham beat Sheffield United
Gustavo Hamer of Sheffield United and Bobby Decordova-Reid of Fulham battle for the ball
Sheffield United did not record a single shot in the first half as Fulham created all of the chances in front of goal. Decordova-Reid saw his close-range effort deflected over by Auston Trusty before Willian forced a fine save from Foderingham.
Basham then suffered a sickening injury in the 23rd minute as he attempted to deliver a cross from the right which caused a lengthy delay and led to a standing ovation from the whole of Craven Cottage as he was stretchered off.
Deep into added time, Willian’s cross led to a golden opportunity for Andreas Pereira, who scooped over from on the six-yard line.
Decordova-Reid celebrates scoring Fulham’s opener
Decordova-Reid then slotted into the bottom corner from Perieira’s perfect pass to give Fulham a deserved lead.
Sheffield United finally had their first shots of the match before equalising. Diop pulled up with an injury deep inside his own half when in possession and the visitors quickly slipped in substitute Yasser Larouci on the left and his cross was shinned into the net by Robinson.
Willian celebrates scoring Fulham’s third goal
Fulham were furious the visitors had played on yet they retook the lead thanks to a huge slice of good fortune. Substitute Tom Cairney slipped as he shot from 25 yards, sending the ball looping towards goal, hitting the crossbar, then the back of Foderingham before going in.
Harry Wilson saw a bending effort come back off the left post late on before Willian’s shot in injury time could not be kept out by Foderingham.
Heckingbottom: We are naive
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Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom says his thoughts are with captain Chris Basham
Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom: “We fought. We were organised and frustrated Fulham. We were comfortable.
“We started the second half well but then gave Fulham too many opportunities on the break from our corners and throw-ins. It probably shows a naivety. There’s no way they should be breaking from those moments, but they did.
“It shows we’ve still got a naivety at this level. That’s probably the difference, the speed of thought in transition.
“You get what you deserve and we’re where we deserve to be. At the minute the things that can go against us are going against us. But we have to roll with it. We’re the only ones who can get ourselves out of it.”
Silva: The players kept believing in the plan
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Despite comfortably beating Sheffield United 3-1, Fulham head coach Marco Silva believes his side could, and perhaps should have won by even more
Fulham manager Marco Silva: “Job done and well done. A well-deserved three points, an important win and moments very well played. They have been tough to beat, at Tottenham is an example where they were leading after 90 minutes.
“Basham had a sad moment in that situation. Me and the football club wish him all the best and a fast recovery from the bad injury.
“The first half was a very good level. We created a very good number of chances but unfortunately, we didn’t score. The players kept believing in the plan and after we scored in the second half we deserved the three points.”
On Sheffield United’s equaliser: “It’s a strange moment, that’s football, we have to learn. When Issa (Diop) went down, in that moment we have to be much more ruthless to not let them into certain areas.
“It was an unlucky moment but we should have done much better. We didn’t give them anything to create until that moment. From nowhere, they equalised.
“Issa heard a crack in his foot. They are assessing him. We have to wait but it doesn’t look good.”
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- Sheffield United have now lost seven of their first eight Premier League games this season (D1). Indeed, the Blades were the last side in the top-flight to lose as many as seven of their first eight league games, doing so in 2020-21 (D1 L7).
- Marco Silva is only the second Portuguese manager in the Premier League to register 50 wins (18x Fulham, 19x Everton, 7x Watford, 6x Hull) after Jose Mourinho (217).
- Seven of Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s 11 Premier League goals for Fulham have been the game’s opening goal, including each of his last three.
- Antonee Robinson’s own goal for Fulham was the second Sheffield United have benefitted from in the Premier League this season – the joint-most (level with Tottenham and Liverpool). Indeed, Gustavo Hamer is the only one Sheffield United player to score more than one goal in the competition in 2023-24 (2).
What’s next?
Fulham’s next game is a league trip to Tottenham after the international break on Monday October 23, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm. Kick-off 8pm.
Sheffield United will face Man Utd at Bramall Lane on Saturday October 21, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7.30pm. Kick-off 8pm.
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