Rodrigo Muniz scored twice as Fulham claimed their first Premier League win of 2024 to move above Bournemouth in the table.
The Cottagers dominated the early stages and opened the scoring when Bobby De Cordova-Reid capitalised on a Lewis Cook slip and side-footed into the bottom corner.
Neto produced a brilliant one-handed save to deny the lively Willian soon afterwards, but the Cherries goalkeeper was powerless to stop Muniz doubling Fulham’s lead from De Cordova-Reid’s downward header.
Marcos Senesi’s sublime turn and finish halved the deficit early in the second half, only for Fulham to restore their two-goal advantage when Muniz met Willian’s far-post delivery two minutes later.
Dominic Solanke wasted the best of several good Bournemouth opportunities before half-time, side-footing over the bar when unmarked before Fulham’s second of the game.
Marco Silva’s side climbs above Bournemouth into 12th, dropping the Cherries to 13th.
Willian and Muniz key for Cottagers
Fulham had earned only one win from seven league fixtures since registering back-to-back 5-0 victories in early December, but they made the perfect start against the Cherries.
The hosts were given an early helping hand by Cook, but their passing in the build-up to De Cordova-Reid’s finish was crisp, and Willian’s superb one-two with Tom Cairney almost resulted in a second goal for Silva’s side inside 10 minutes.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder was heavily involved in Fulham’s second, his inswinging cross headed back across goal by Cordova-Reid for Muniz to prod home his second goal in as many league appearances.
Bournemouth had been starting to establish a foothold prior to Muniz’s effort, but more fine work from Willian almost led to a third Fulham goal before half-time when Antonee Robinson shot straight at Neto from the Brazilian’s pass.
Willian then stung Neto’s palms with a low drive after cutting inside from the right, before another magnificent delivery—two minutes after Senesi had given Bournemouth hope—teed up Muniz for the Cottagers’ third of the afternoon.
There were standing ovations for Willian and Muniz when they were substituted late in the second half, as Fulham fans celebrated their first Premier League triumph since beating Arsenal 2-1 on December 31.
Bournemouth pay for slow start
Bournemouth’s home victory over Fulham on December 26 stretched their unbeaten top-flight run to seven matches, but that 3-0 triumph remains their most recent league win.
They scored early in recent draws against West Ham and Nottingham Forest but started slowly at Craven Cottage and were indebted to Neto for preventing Willian from doubling Fulham’s lead.
Solanke, who had scored in each of his past five appearances against the Cottagers, should have fired the visitors level from a Marcus Tavernier corner, but it proved a costly miss as Muniz struck five minutes later.
Luis Sinisterra – who kept Fulham right-back Timothy Castagne on his toes in the first half, tested Bernd Leno with a fierce strike from the edge of the area with the score at 1-0, while Alex Scott drilled narrowly wide not long after Muniz’s first.
Bournemouth kept pushing in the second half, even after Muniz had restored Fulham’s two-goal lead, and ended the match with 25 shots and 14 corners to their name.
But the Cherries paid dearly for their poor start, as they suffered their first away league defeat by the West London club since April 1992.