Fulham and Southampton played out a goalless draw in a hard-fought Premier League encounter at Craven Cottage.
The visitors twice had the ball in the back of the Fulham net but VAR correctly ruled both efforts out, with Shane Long offside before scoring and Che Adams also offside prior to teeing up Theo Walcott’s close-range finish.
Defeat would have been harsh on the hosts, who dominated for long periods despite the absence of manager Scott Parker, who was self-isolating.
Now unbeaten in four league matches, they were unfortunate not to continue their recent improvement with a win.
Both Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Ivan Cavaleiro missed good opportunities to score and a late siege on the visitors’ goal also saw Aleksandar Mitrovic go close with a left-foot shot.
The subdued Saints came closest to scoring a legitimate goal when James Ward-Prowse hit the crossbar with a first-half free-kick.
The result sees Fulham remain 18th in the table while Southampton drop to eighth.
Fulham rue missed chances
While Parker had talked of being unable to work to the “maximum” in recent days, his team made light of his enforced absence.
A high-octane start allowed them to control possession and work the ball into several promising positions.
Defenders Ola Aina and Antonee Robinson contributed with searching deliveries from either flank while Zambo Anguissa and Ruben Loftus-Cheek galvanised the Cottagers from midfield.
Had Cameroon international Zambo Anguissa been able to readjust his body to strike Ademola Lookman’s cutback from eight yards, the hosts would have taken a merited lead.
Instead, the former Marseille midfielder saw the ball trickle to safety off his standing leg.
While Southampton briefly rallied before the interval the second period followed the same pattern with the hosts pressing forward in search of their third win of the season.
Robinson’s pinpoint delivery from the left deserved better than Cavaleiro’s wayward header and there were chances for Lookman and Harrison Reed before substitute Mitrovic almost stole all three points.
More to follow.
Player of the match
Ward-ProwseJames Ward-Prowse
Fulham
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Squad number1Player nameAreola
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Squad number29Player nameZambo Anguissa
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Squad number33Player nameRobinson
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Squad number19Player nameLookman
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Squad number16Player nameAdarabioyo
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Squad number5Player nameAndersen
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Squad number34Player nameAina
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Squad number14Player nameDe Cordova-Reid
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Squad number21Player nameReed
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Squad number17Player nameCavaleiro
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Squad number15Player nameLoftus-Cheek
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Squad number9Player nameMitrovic
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Squad number7Player nameKebano
Line-ups
Fulham
- 1Areola
- 34Aina
- 5Andersen
- 16Adarabioyo
- 14De Cordova-ReidBooked at 38minsSubstituted forMitrovicat 83′minutes
- 15Loftus-Cheek
- 21Reed
- 29Zambo AnguissaBooked at 75mins
- 33Robinson
- 17Cavaleiro
- 19LookmanSubstituted forKebanoat 90′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Hector
- 4Odoi
- 7Kebano
- 9Mitrovic
- 10Cairney
- 12Rodák
- 13Ream
- 23Bryan
- 47Kamara
Southampton
- 1McCarthy
- 2Walker-Peters
- 35Bednarek
- 5Stephens
- 3Bertrand
- 17ArmstrongSubstituted forDjenepoat 90+3′minutes
- 8Ward-Prowse
- 27Diallo
- 32Walcott
- 10Adams
- 7LongSubstituted forN’Lunduluat 90+2′minutes
Substitutes
- 12Djenepo
- 14Obafemi
- 18Valery
- 20Smallbone
- 22Salisu
- 23Tella
- 29Vokins
- 40N’Lundulu
- 44Forster
Live Text
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Match ends, Fulham 0, Southampton 0.
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Second Half ends, Fulham 0, Southampton 0.
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Attempt blocked. Ola Aina (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by André-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
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Substitution, Southampton. Moussa Djenepo replaces Stuart Armstrong.
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Attempt missed. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Antonee Robinson.
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Substitution, Southampton. Daniel N’Lundulu replaces Shane Long.
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Foul by Ryan Bertrand (Southampton).
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Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Substitution, Fulham. Neeskens Kebano replaces Ademola Lookman.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Kyle Walker-Peters.
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VAR Decision: No Goal Fulham 0-0 Southampton.
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GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: Theo Walcott (Southampton) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.
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Offside, Southampton. Shane Long tries a through ball, but Che Adams is caught offside.
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Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ademola Lookman (Fulham).
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Attempt missed. Jack Stephens (Southampton) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by James Ward-Prowse with a cross following a corner.
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Substitution, Fulham. Aleksandar Mitrovic replaces Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
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Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Antonee Robinson.
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Hand ball by Stuart Armstrong (Southampton).
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Theo Walcott (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.