Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi grabbed the goals to secure a 2-1 win for Fulham over Leicester City at Craven Cottage.

Iwobi’s goal 20 minutes from time on Saturday saw Marco Silva’s team clinch their first victory of the 2024-25 Premier League season.

Another former Arsenal player – Smith Rowe, a summer signing from the Gunners – opened his Fulham account when he broke the deadlock in the 18th minute.

Wout Faes headed home an equaliser before half-time, but the hosts’ dominance ultimately paid off when Iwobi raced through to finish underneath Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

Adama Traore and Iwobi had already been thwarted by the time the former set up Smith Rowe to fire firmly beyond Hermansen.

Faes scored the leveller against the run of play by rising highest to head past Bernd Leno at a corner.

But Fulham had their rewards when Antonee Robinson’s pass found Iwobi in behind the Leicester defence and he coolly squeezed the ball beyond Hermansen for the winner.

Data Debrief: Long wait over for Smith Rowe

Smith Rowe scored his first Premier League in 32 games, 857 days since netting against Chelsea in April 2022. 

Indeed, against no other team has he scored more goals (two) in the competition than against the Foxes.

Andreas Pereira created seven chances for his teammates against Leicester, no Fulham player has ever created more in a Premier League game on record (since 2003-04).

Faes has scored in two of his last three Premier League appearances, having failed to score in his first 30 in the competition beforehand.

Pep Guardiola joked Manchester City have signed "the best winger on the planet" after defender Josko Gvardiol scored twice in Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Fulham.

Centre-back Gvardiol once again operated at full-back on the left of City's four-man defence, finding the net in either half at Craven Cottage as Guardiola's side moved back to the Premier League summit.

His first came from a dancing run inside from Kevin De Bruyne's dinked pass before curling a well-taken right-footed finish into the bottom-left corner.

That passage of play may have been expected from City's attacking riches of Phil Foden, Erling Haaland or Bernardo Silva, though Gvardiol is becoming accustomed to starring at the other end of the pitch.

The Croatia international has netted five goals in his last seven games for City after not scoring in his first 32 matches across all competitions – but Guardiola is not surprised.

"The first goal, we signed the best winger on the planet," Guardiola jested with BBC Radio Manchester. "He's an incredible guy, can play in different positions.

"After Wolves I gave [the players] three days off, he was the only one who went to the training centre for his recovery.

"He lives for his profession. We have made an incredible signing for many, many years to come."

Foden also scored his 25th goal of the season for City, becoming just the second English player to score 25+ in a season for the club in the Premier League era (across all competitions), after Raheem Sterling in 2018-19 (25) and 2019-20 (31).

Julian Alvarez then wrapped up proceedings with a last-gasp penalty, taking the spot-kick from Gvardiol, who passed up the chance to score a hat-trick out of respect for his team-mate.

That domination ensured City will end the day in first place for just the eighth time in 2024 – overall, this will be the 72nd day they have ended in top spot this season, behind Liverpool (87) and Arsenal (74).

Guardiola's side are two points clear of Arsenal, who play Manchester United on Sunday, and still have a game in hand to come when visiting Tottenham on Tuesday.

The City manager told his post-match press conference: "Our dream is as we said a few weeks ago when [Arsenal] lost against Aston Villa was to arrive in the last games with it in our hands.

"We wanted to play West Ham at home with the destiny belonging to us."

Destiny remains in City's hands as they search for a sixth Premier League title in the last seven seasons.

Substitute Jeffrey Schlupp scored a thunderous late equaliser to give Crystal Palace a point as they battled back to draw 1-1 with Fulham in a London derby at Craven Cottage.

Schlupp equalised with just three minutes remaining, firing a long-range strike into the roof of the net to extend Palace’s unbeaten run to four Premier League games.

Rodrigo Muniz had given Fulham the lead early in the second half, the striker converting Timothy Castagne’s cross to break the deadlock after visitors Palace had controlled the first half.

Fulham and Palace sit 13th and 14th respectively in Premier League table, with just three points separating them.

Palace started on the front foot and Michael Olise passed up the first chance of the game after Adam Wharton’s defence-splitting pass found the forward inside the penalty area.

Frustratingly for Oliver Glasner’s visitors, they were unable to test Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal early on despite making a strong start to the game.

In-form striker Jean-Philippe Mateta swung at Daniel Munoz’s near-post cross but saw his effort fly over the crossbar.

Chris Richards then leapt highest from Olise’s in-swinging free kick delivery, but the defender could not direct his header on target from close range.

Fulham remained pinned back in their own half, but the hosts were not giving up any clear-cut chances, with Wharton and Olise both trying their luck from 20 yards out.

The Cottagers managed to apply brief pressure to the Palace backline late in the first half and Dean Henderson had to be alert to keep out Muniz’s shot.

Fulham improved after the break and Muniz opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. After winning possession, the hosts quickly broke forward and Muniz headed in Castagne’s delightful delivery.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid lacked the required composure to double Fulham’s lead after a swift counter-attack found the forward free at the back post.

As Palace sought a way back into the game at the other end, substitute Odsonne Edouard nearly made an immediate impact, but Leno got down low to keep out his strike.

However, the visitors were not to be denied and it was fellow sub Schlupp who smashed in the equaliser courtesy of a fierce strike that left Leno rooted to the spot, with Wharton getting the assist.
 

Muniz back on track

While the late goal came as a blow, Marco Silva’s side continued their recent good form against Palace with this draw, extending their unbeaten run against their London rivals to five league games.

It was a frustrating first half for Fulham as they struggled to get out of their own half until the final moments and Henderson was largely a spectator before Muniz’s shot tested him.

Muniz had struggled to get into the game but it was he who grabbed the game’s first goal in the second half, heading in Castagne’s cross.

It got Muniz back on the scoresheet for the first time since netting against Sheffield United last month.

However, Silva’s side could not hold onto the three points despite a disciplined defensive performance.

It was also a good day for Alex Iwobi, who made his 250th Premier League appearance, becoming only the fourth Nigerian to do so.

Palace momentum continues

The Eagles saw their three-game winning streak come to an end in West London but grabbed a morale-boosting late point to maintain their momentum.

Schlupp’s strike was the quality moment they required to break down Fulham’s well-drilled defence.

Glasner’s team were the better of the two sides in the first half, with Wharton impressing in the middle of the park and Olise the most likely to be at the heart of any Palace threat.

Mateta had less of an impact, though, and the Eagles only managed one shot on target in the first half. 

Not making the most of a positive opening period proved costly when they fell behind and they looked to be heading for defeat before Schlupp spectacularly salvaged a point.

Fulham boss Marco Silva will continue to demand more from Andreas Pereira as the Brazilian looks to maintain his form heading into the closing weeks of the Premier League season.

Pereira scored both goals in Fulham’s 2-0 victory at West Ham last weekend, which was a first win in four matches.

The former Manchester United attacking midfielder had not found the net since August, but is top of Fulham’s assists with eight so far.

The consistency of Pereira, who was born in Belgium, has seen him recalled into the Brazil national team, featuring in both March friendlies against England at Wembley and then Spain.

Silva feels the 28-year-old, who had a successful loan spell at Flamengo before signing for Fulham in the summer of 2022, still has plenty more to offer.

“Andreas, last season made a huge impact. Before he joined us, he played more as a second midfielder and not so offensive,” the Fulham boss said.

“This season, he is going to have one of the best assist records for us – and we will demand more.

“Last week, he showed the desire to arrive in the right areas.”

Fulham host Liverpool on Sunday looking to further dent the Reds’ ambitions.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were knocked out of the Europa League by Atalanta and also slumped to what could prove a costly home defeat against Crystal Palace to lose ground in the Premier League title race.

Fulham have pushed Liverpool in each of their three meetings this season, being narrowly edged out 4-3 after a dramatic finish at Anfield in their league match at the start of December followed by what was a tight Carabao Cup semi-final over two legs.

“Probably some of them (have been) too open for a manager to enjoy, but yes, at Anfield and at the Cottage as well, they have been really – in some moments – emotional games, in other moments entertaining,” Silva said at a press conference.

“Tight games always, in some of them dramatic ends of the match. But even last season, it was really tough for them to come to play at Craven Cottage (in the) Carabao Cup this season, too.”

Silva added: “We want to make life really difficult for Liverpool, to give them a match.

“Let’s hope we can get a different result than the last games that we played against them.

Fulham could yet challenge for a top-10 finish.

“I think we are in the best moment of the season,” Silva said. “We haven’t had big injuries in the last month and a half, or two months.

“It, of course, creates a competition inside our squad that helps myself and the players to reach a different level and good headaches for me to decide, which is always the better situation to plan a game and prepare for the next game.”

Eddie Howe credited a change in attitude from his Newcastle players after they claimed a 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Bruno Guimaraes arrived late at the edge of the box to smash home in the 81st minute, not long after referee Sam Allison had ruled their first strike out for a foul.

Howe’s side failed to get going in the first half but he lauded their shift in mentality during a break in play where goalkeeper Martin Dubravka received treatment.

“I’m relieved. It was a very difficult opening 25 minutes, we were second best, we suffered,” he said.

“A change of attitude from us made the difference, we were stretched and there are reasons why we weren’t at our best in the opening period but it was an incredible response and I think it was one of our best wins of the season.

“We needed to look at things differently, we were a little bit reactive, a little bit late on things and that’s not like us. We were lucky to come into half-time at 0-0 and that was another opportunity.”

Guimaraes’ strike put him on four for the campaign and the Brazil international battled during a scrappy affair in west London.

Howe talked up the midfielder’s efforts to help his side claim victory after their 1-1 draw with Everton last time out.

“I wax lyrical of him all the time and that’s because I genuinely feel it,” Howe added.

“He’s got an incredible personality and you could feel that today. He had the quality on the ball to help us win the game and I thought that was a really good performance from him.”

Marco Silva believes Newcastle told Dubravka to go down for “tactical” reasons after the Slovakian keeper required treatment on two occasions.

Silva said: “It was tactical. The first one is clear, there was feedback for the goalkeeper to go down. As you know, if the goalkeeper goes down the referee has to stop the game, there’s no way for the game to keep going, it’s a tactical decision from them. It is what it is.

“It’s a decision of Eddie (Howe).

“Newcastle tried to break our momentum with the goalkeeper (going down) twice on the grass, they were struggling in that moment and in moments of the first half.”

Howe acknowledged the injury allowed Newcastle to “refocus and regroup”, insisting the keeper had felt something in his leg.

He said: “Martin was feeling something in his leg. We said he has to go down if he’s feeling something so that gave us a chance to get the group in and that was much needed in that moment of the game.”

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min described their 3-0 defeat at Fulham as “unacceptable” and urged his team-mates to use it as a wake-up call.

Spurs entered this fixture on a high after an emphatic victory at Aston Villa last weekend.

It meant fifth-placed Tottenham could leapfrog Villa and reclaim fourth spot with all three points at Craven Cottage, but they were blown away as Rodrigo Muniz continued his excellent form with a goal either side of half-time.

Sasa Lukic also found the net after 49 minutes with his first goal for Fulham, who have now won four of their last six matches.

“Yeah, it is very disappointing and very frustrating,” Son told Sky Sports.

“Everybody has to look in the mirror and say, ‘it was my fault’ because it was not good enough. It was not near the level where we put the effort all season.

“This time it was very, very disappointing. The attitude, the performance, it was not good enough. I think everyone needs this as a big wake-up call.

“It is unacceptable. You always have lessons and including me it was unacceptable that performance and the result.

“We make two steps backwards and now need to make a strong step forwards because after the international break we have massive game and it will be very crucial.”

Tottenham started poorly and could have conceded twice inside the opening 11 minutes, but Cristian Romero made crucial blocks to deny Muniz and Andrea Pereira.

The visitors eventually regrouped and went close through captain Son and James Maddison, who both failed to hit the target from inside the area and Fulham punished Spurs in the 42nd minute.

Antonee Robinson produced an excellent cross from the left, which Muniz controlled before he side-footed into the bottom corner.

It was 2-0 immediately after half-time when Lukic deflected in Alex Iwobi’s cross with his knee and Muniz wrapped up the scoring after 61 minutes.

Calvin Bassey’s effort was parried onto the post by Guglielmo Vicario and Muniz bundled in for his seventh goal from his last seven matches to consign Tottenham to a painful defeat.

Boss Ange Postecoglou expressed his disappointment and doubled down on his previously stated notion that Champions League qualification is not crucial for the development of his team.

“The second half after we conceded the second one, we just didn’t reach the levels of intensity and tempo we’ve had all year,” Postecoglou reflected.

“Then it was very hard for us to get any kind of control or traction in the game. It seemed like we were chasing the whole time, so it was a disappointing night for us.”

On missing out on the chance to return to fourth, Postecoglou replied: “I don’t see fourth as the prize.

“This club has finished fourth before. It’s finished second before.

“Fourth is not my end goal. I don’t want to finish fourth if we haven’t grown as a team and developed as a team.

“Success is built on, I think, more tangible stuff. If we finish fifth and if I think we’ve got a team to challenge next year (after the summer transfer window), then I won’t be disappointed.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva toasted another fine result, with this win making it four from their last six matches, which includes victories over Brighton and Manchester United.

“If not the best (performance), one of the best,” Silva insisted.

“The first half was the best of the season because the players did it brilliant. It was almost perfect.

“A crucial moment to score and it was really important to score two quick goals to kill the game.

“A well deserved three points.”

Rodrigo Muniz scored twice as Tottenham missed out on the chance of moving into the Premier League top four after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Victory would have meant Ange Postecoglou’s side moved a point ahead of Aston Villa but the north Londoners instead finish the weekend in fifth.

Muniz’s double took his top-flight tally to seven goals in his last seven appearances on a day where the Cottagers shone in west London.

Sasa Lukic scored his first goal of the season as Marco Silva’s side bounced back from last week’s 2-1 defeat by Wolves at Molineux.

Fulham looked to strike an early blow through the in-form Muniz, who was freed into a pocket of space. After his initial shot was blocked by Cristian Romero, Andreas Pereira’s rebound narrowly missed Guglielmo Vicario’s right-hand post.

The hosts’ momentum continued and after Romero was called into action again to block Pereira’s close-range attempt, Muniz proved to be a handful when he outmuscled Radu Dragusin with his back turned to goal, setting the tone for a physical encounter.

Willian was enjoying himself. The experienced 35-year-old, who had a knack of scoring goals against Tottenham in his Chelsea days, looked to punish them again but his first-time effort was stopped by Vicario who got down quickly to keep the scores level despite a one-sided opening period in favour of the hosts.

Spurs rode the storm and began to create chances of their own.

Destiny Udogie exploited space to run in down the left and his cutback found James Maddison on the edge of the area. The England international’s body position suggested he was going for the far post but he opted to go near, dragging his effort wide instead of the open net which Fulham keeper Bernd Leno left unoccupied.

Fulham’s efforts deserved a goal and they got just that. The electric Antonee Robinson broke away and he delivered a perfect ball to the dangerous Muniz before the Brazilian forward performed an intricate touch and powered home into the left-hand corner.

The Cottagers had played the perfect game up to this point and it continued after the break when they doubled their lead.

Fulham’s full-backs had been allowed space all game and this time it was Timothy Castagne’s turn to maraud forward. The right-back’s cross met the thigh of Lukic who had made a late surge into the box and the ball fizzed past the helpless Vicario for a second time.

Muniz’s spectacular run of form took another turn. The forward was well positioned in the box to scrap for the loose ball and claim his brace before he was serenaded with a standing ovation when he was substituted minutes later.

Joao Palhinha thought he added a fourth but referee Robert Jones deemed the strike offside after an interference from Raul Jimenez.

Marco Silva believes Rodrigo Muniz is getting “better and better” after the Fulham forward inspired the Cottagers to a 3-0 win over Brighton.

Muniz claimed his fifth Premier League goal in five games with a clinical header which came after his assist for Harry Wilson’s earlier long-range strike at Craven Cottage.

Adama Traore opened his account for the season during four added minutes in the second half.

Silva lauded the Brazilian forward’s impact in recent weeks which has kept loan signing Armando Broja out of the starting XI.

“They were great performances. Rodrigo is getting better and better,” Silva said.

“He’s getting stronger which is really difficult for the defenders to deal with. We know that if we provide for him inside the box then he’s really dangerous as well.

“We expected Brighton to play man on man across the pitch and to press us and we knew we had to play behind that pressure. To have a player like Rodrigo to link up our game and build our attack is really important.

“The way he’s improving in all aspects of the game is really good for us and for him he’s a happy boy as you’d expect and I think there’s even more to come from him.”

The victory marked Fulham’s first back-to-back wins since December after last week’s late 2-1 victory over Manchester United.

Silva believes his side’s triumph was fully deserved, crediting his players’ desire.

“I’m really happy because we deserved the three points at home with a clean sheet,” Silva added.

“To have back-to-back wins in the Premier League is really tough and we wanted to get back to winning ways after the Aston Villa match (2-1 defeat).

“We showed quality, commitment and desire to do the right things and that’s positive.

“The first half was almost perfect I must say. They didn’t create one chance and we were clinical of course with the goals that we scored.

“The second goal is almost the perfect team goal. The way we built from the goalkeeper to the last moment and myself as a manager that is something I’m proud of.”

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi believes his side played without the right energy during the defeat.

He said: “I think we played without the energy. In the Premier League you need to push 100 per cent and you can’t play with 50 or 60 per cent.

“I think we didn’t play well and that we didn’t deserve to win the game. Fulham played a good game but they were not incredible. For us it’s a tough moment.”

Rodrigo Muniz was on the scoresheet again as Fulham claimed an impressive 3-0 win over Brighton at Craven Cottage.

The Brazilian forward claimed his fifth Premier League goal in his last five matches after Harry Wilson’s long-range effort put the Cottagers’ ahead.

Adama Traore came off the bench to score in second half added time.

Fulham registered their first back-to-back league wins since December after their 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The hosts kept the momentum from last week’s victory and started the better of the two teams.

After Harrison Reed’s bursting run forced a yellow card from Carlos Baleba, the stand-in skipper tested Jason Steele from inside the area, getting on the end of a free-kick.

Fulham’s early pressure was rewarded in the 21st minute when they took the lead. The inform Muniz hustled Lewis Dunk in the air, knocking the ball down into the path of Wilson who curled his effort into the top left-hand corner.

Brighton searched for a way back into the game and missed two quickfire chances to equalise.

After Adam Lallana’s long-range strike whistled past Bernd Leno’s post, Julio Enciso showed intricate skill to beat his marker before the Seagulls midfielder’s shot failed to hit the target.

The Cottagers on the other hand did not have to be asked twice in front of goal as they scored again to double their lead.

Wilson, who had been untouchable up to this point, repaid Muniz’s earlier favour, curling the ball onto the head of his team-mate who nodded home to continue his stunning scoring form.

Fulham continued to impress in the second half through the electric partnership of Wilson and Muniz.

Wilson initially dragged his one-on-one wide of Steele’s left-hand post but was given another opportunity to score.

Muniz showed strength to hold off the defender, drove into the box and found Wilson who was dispossessed by Dunk’s last-ditch effort to keep the score at 2-0.

Evan Ferguson had a golden chance to score from inside the six-yard box but the forward poked his effort wide in a move which summed up the visitors’ lacklustre display.

Fulham allowed Roberto De Zerbi’s men possession as they began to shut up shop. Pervis Estupinan was unleashed down the left, whipping a dangerous ball to the rising Baleba whose header ballooned over the bar before he was substituted minutes later.

Traore was played through and buried his effort to give Fulham a third during four added minutes.

Unai Emery lauded Ollie Watkins’ “fantastic” performance after the Aston Villa forward scored twice during their 2-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Watkins’ brace took his Premier League tally to 12 and Rodrigo Muniz scored his fourth in three games as the spirited Cottagers failed to find a late equaliser.

Villa boss Emery lauded the striker’s commitment as he continues his bid to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad with England.

“He was fantastic,” Emery told a press conference.

“The best action was in the first half where he created a chance for (Youri) Tielemans.

“When he’s scoring, it’s very important for him and for us. I’m very happy with him and I believe his commitment has improved a lot. Defensively in set-pieces he is also very important, I’m very proud of him.”

Fulham came back strong in the second half through the in-form Muniz but Emiliano Martinez and Villa put on a resilient display to protect the three points.

Adama Traore came off the bench late on but Martinez bailed the visitors out with an impressive one-on-one save in second half added-time.

Emery praised the way his side kept composure when reacting to Fulham’s goal.

When asked if he was happy with Villa’s defensive efforts, Unai added: “Yes of course.

“It’s part of the game when you try and stop their qualities and their tactical ideas.

“We were calm at 2-0 but we made some mistakes for their goal. We reacted very well because our mentality was to not complain, keep the game plan and be strong in our structure.

“Emiliano (Martinez) saved it at the end and I think we deserved to win the match.”

Marco Silva admitted his side’s “soft” performance cost them on the day.

The Cottagers boss was disappointed with the defensive mistakes which allowed Watkins to punish Issa Diop in the lead up to his second goal.

“We cannot concede the goals that we did this afternoon,” Silva said.

“We were punished by the second goal, we were really sloppy in the way we defended that and it was a big punch to ourselves.

“It’s disappointing for us. We need to be much more aggressive and not so soft, because wen were soft.”

Ollie Watkins’ double helped Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over a spirited Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The striker took his Premier League tally to 12 for the season and was the difference maker for Unai Emery’s men in west London.

Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz scored his fourth in three games but Villa dug in during the second half to claim all three points.

Villa fired an early warning shot when Watkins’ goal was chalked off for offside. John McGinn slipped the attacker through but the linesman deemed him to have moved too soon as Fulham avoided an early scare.

Muniz started over illness-stricken Armando Broja up front and the Brazilian looked to continue his rich vein of form, getting on the end of Andreas Pereira’s through ball before firing his effort over the bar.

After Fulham had a goal of their own ruled offside from a set-piece, Villa punished a series of errors and took the lead.

The usually reliable Antonee Robinson had a moment to forget when his throw-in put Willian under immense pressure at the back before Watkins powered the winger off the ball, marauding into the box and drilling his effort past Bernd Leno into the left-hand corner.

Fulham’s sloppiness continued and Leon Bailey looked to inflict more misery on Robinson. The pacey Jamaica international turned the left-back inside out with intricate skill before his curved strike cannoned off the bar, much to the relief of Marco Silva’s men.

The visitors turned the screw and doubled their lead through the clinical Watkins.

Villa’s number 11 caught Issa Diop napping, finding a gap to get on the end of Youri Tielemans’ pass before he picked his head up, paused and blasted his effort into his favourite left-hand post to claim a brace.

But after 63 minutes Fulham scored on the break to blow the game wide open.

Robinson redeemed a poor a first half with a golden delivery from the left into the six-yard box, finding Muniz who poked the ball past Emiliano Martinez to give the Cottagers hope.

Silva turned to the bench in the form of Alex Iwobi and Adama Traore.

Iwobi, fresh from his Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Nigeria, forced Martinez into action with a driven shot across goal before Traore ghosted Alex Moreno and tested the Villa defence with a dangerous cross.

Traore went one-on-on during five added minutes but was denied by Martinez.

Marco Silva was disappointed Fulham failed to turn their dominance into goals in Tuesday night’s 0-0 Premier League draw against Everton and called for his players to be more clinical.

Raul Jimenez, who was substituted at the break, missed a golden opportunity in the first half before Rodrigo Muniz failed to impact the game.

Fulham failed to move 10 points clear of the relegation-threatened Toffees in the table, adding to the woes of last week’s Carabao Cup and FA Cup exits.

“With the result, I am disappointed,” Silva said. “Both teams had chances to score and it was clear we were the most dominant on the pitch.

“We created many chances to score, we had good moments but we missed putting the ball in the net.

“It is not a good thing (Fulham missing chances). The decision making has to be better in the final third of the attack. We need to be more assertive, more calm in some decisions because we arrived in so many dangerous areas.

“We need to be more ruthless and clinical in moments.”

Jimenez netted four goals in December but looked a shadow of himself against Everton.

The west Londoners have been linked to Chelsea’s Armando Broja in the last few days of the transfer window but Silva played down any chances for a deal before Thursday’s deadline.

“To be honest with you, I am not expecting many things towards the end of the market,” Silva added. “If it was possible to do something we should of done it at the beginning of the window because we had a semi-final to play and the FA Cup.

“The board are trying to do their best but if you ask me if we are going to do many things at the end of the market, then no.

“I will not talk about players that are not our players and rumours.”

Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had a standout performance which included a magnificent fingertip save to deny Tosin Adarabioyo’s close-range header in the second half.

Everton manager Sean Dyche talked up the England number one.

He said: “I thought he had a good performance. He is England’s number one and we have a high expectation of him.

“His decision making was good tonight and as a team we worked very hard in front of him, we had a collective mentality. He played his part tonight without a shadow of a doubt.”

Fulham’s scoring woes continued as their missed opportunities saw them held to a goalless Premier League draw with Everton at Craven Cottage.

After last week’s exit from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, the west Londoners failed to bounce back with a win over an Everton side, who now sit in the bottom three following Luton’s 4-0 victory over Brighton.

Raul Jimenez, who scored four goals in December, could not replicate last month’s success before Rodrigo Muniz was largely anonymous when called upon in the second half.

Fulham started with purpose. After Andreas Pereira’s earlier strike sailed over the crossbar, Antonee Robinson forced Jordan Pickford into action when he cut onto his weaker right foot and won a corner for the hosts with a driven effort from range.

After last week’s poor showing in front of goal during both cup defeats, the Cottagers’ lack of cutting edge seemed to continue when Jimenez’s shot managed to go out for a throw-in instead of hitting the target.

And they almost rued their missed opportunities when Everton failed to convert the chance of the match in the 24th minute.

Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno parried Ashley Young’s curling free-kick into the path of James Tarkowski, who looked set to tap the Toffees ahead.

Towering defender Issa Diop had other ideas, positioning himself perfectly and nodding Tarkowski’s rebounded effort onto the crossbar before a herd of white shirts swarmed the six-yard area and kept the scores level.

Pereira continued to bombard the Everton goal with pot shots but it was Jimenez who would be the most frustrated after another glaring miss.

Pickford’s save from a Timothy Castagne shot gave the Mexico international a golden opportunity to score into an open net but he opened his body up too much and missed the target from close range.

Jimenez’s first-half display saw him substituted at the break and it was Everton’s striker who looked the most dangerous when Dominic Calvert-Lewin rose highest from a corner and clipped the crossbar, nearly edging the visitors ahead.

On the hour mark, Castagne won a flick-on from a set-piece and was also denied by the woodwork as both sides’ frustrations began to grow.

The momentum continued in the hosts’ favour but a remarkable save from England number one Pickford kept it even.

Willian – who had been a shadow of his usual self – jinked past his man and delivered a well-weighted cross to Tosin Adarabioyo, whose header looked destined for the top corner but was denied by Pickford’s acrobatic fingertip stop.

Jurgen Klopp was delighted his Liverpool side matched Fulham’s desire to reach the Carabao Cup final after the Reds secured their place at Wembley with a spirited 1-1 second-leg draw at Craven Cottage.

Luis Diaz put the Reds in the driving seat in the first half and despite Issa Diop’s 76th minute equaliser giving Fulham late hope, Liverpool sealed a 3-2 aggregate win after their 2-1 victory at Anfield earlier this month.

Klopp lauded his side’s spirit in the late stages as they now ready themselves for a repeat of the 2022 final against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea.

“We were just ready for this game and that’s the most important thing. I saw Marco Silva’s press conference and we know what this game meant to them and so I told the boys we have to also show it,” Klopp said.

“We had to show it to the outside world that we wanted it as much as them and I saw that.

“We had to get over the line and we did. It feels great, we are really happy, the boys wanted it and they got it and so we have 10 games to play before the final in four weeks or so. We are looking forward to Wembley.”

Liverpool defeated Chelsea in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals two years ago and Klopp believes the Blues will be motivated to get their revenge.

He added: “It will be a big one but we all know it’s against Chelsea. They will want to put history right after playing us twice two years ago.”

Diaz was quick to react and beat Timothy Castagne in the air before a deflected strike got past Bernd Leno at his near post.

The Liverpool boss talked up the winger’s impact after his standout performance on the night.

Klopp said: “He was very good. He’s a fantastic player and I have absolutely no criticism of him but I wish he set up the second and scored the third.

“The speed and the power he can generate, the technique and the combination of that is outstanding so I’m really happy.”

Fulham dug deep to try and force the game into extra-time but their earlier missed opportunities frustrated Silva come full time.

Silva believes Liverpool’s experience in big games was the difference maker between the two sides.

He said: “Tonight I felt like they were much calmer than us and to them it was just another game. With most of our players it is new to them to play in a semi-final of this competition and it is what it is.

“I think the club is going to grow in these type of moments and the players as well.”

Liverpool booked their place in the Carabao Cup final as they capitalised on their first-leg advantage and held a spirited Fulham to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.

Luis Diaz’s opener was cancelled out by Issa Diop but the Red’s dug deep in the second leg to claim a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Liverpool will face Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea at Wembley on February 25, two years after defeating the Blues in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals.

A fired up Fulham came out of the blocks fighting as they looked to overturn a 2-1 deficit.

After Joao Palhinha’s first-time volley from Andreas Pereira’s corner sailed over, the hosts continued to push through the overlapping Antonee Robinson whose dangerous delivery failed to connect with a white shirt.

But a moment of complacency saw Liverpool strike the first blow in the 11th minute.

Jarell Quansah sent a long ball forward which appeared routine for Timothy Castagne to claim but the full-back was caught napping by Diaz.

The winger reacted quickly to beat him in the air before he drove into the box and scored past Bernd Leno at his near post.

Diaz had the ball in the back of the net again after Darwin Nunez exploited large gaps between centre-backs Tosin Adarabioyo and Diop but the goal was ruled offside after the striker naively moved too soon.

The Cottagers sought inspiration through Raul Jimenez and the Mexico international’s long-range shot forced Caoimhin Kelleher into action when he tipped the ball wide for a corner.

The hosts, now galvanised, enjoyed a five-minute flurry but despite Willian’s attempt from distance and Tom Cairney finding promising pockets, Marco Silva’s men failed to get the goal they desperately needed.

Fulham’s momentum continued after the break but so did their poor day in front of goal. Second-choice keeper Kelleher failed to collect a high ball, losing out to Bobby Decordova-Reid before Pereira found the post from a tight angle instead of the open net.

Liverpool appeared to have rode the storm and began to turn the screw themselves. After Nunez’s effort whistled past Leno’s left post in the 63rd minute, powerful midfielder Ryan Gravenberch did well to get the ball out of his feet before producing a driven strike which missed the target, much to the delight of Leno who would have been well-beaten.

Fulham blew the tie wide open when they scored in the 77th minute.

Harry Wilson drove down the left and curved a cross into the area where he found Diop, who had galloped forward from the back and expertly claimed the leveller with a neat finish past the keeper.

The west Londoners pushed for a dramatic ending and to take the tie into extra-time but a stubborn Liverpool held on through four added minutes.