Fulham

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Fulham's Josh King says his controversially disallowed goal against Chelsea in August was his 'welcome to the Premier League' moment and has given further motivation to get his first top-flight goal.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited said it was a mistake for the video assistant referee to intervene and rule out King's opener at Stamford Bridge in a game the Cottagers went on to lose 2-0.

"One that sticks out is when I had the disallowed goal against Chelsea," the 18-year-old told BBC Radio Derby's Dominic Dietrich.

"That was one where in my mind I thought 'welcome to the Prem'.

"It's a difficult one. With those type of things, you just have to keep going and keep playing in the same way. I think the feeling of scoring now has become addictive to me and now I just want to try and keep doing it."

Despite still looking for his first senior Fulham goal, King has started all seven Premier League games so far this season, and has been rewarded for his impressive performances with a first call-up to England Under-21s.

"It's something you dream of," he said. "You work so long and so hard for opportunities like this so when they do come you want to take them.

"I've really enjoyed the first part of the season and all I can do is keep working hard, trying to improve, and contribute where I can.

"It's been a really good start and I've really enjoyed it. Now it's full focus on England."

Asked about players that inspire him, King added: "[Eberechi] Eze is one where I watch and think technically on the ball, he's so clean. He's so good with it.

"Players like [Jamal] Musiala as well - he's someone who I look up to. He can turn and drive forward and score goals and assist. Those two stick out to me. I want to get people off their feet and excite them."

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Fulham U21 lost 3-1 to Wycombe Wanderers to remain winless in the EFL Trophy. Donnell McNeilly, Caolan Boyd-Munce and Bradley Fink gave the home side a 3-0 lead before Farhaan Ali Wahid grabbed a consolation for the London club.

Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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Premier League history is not just punctuated by results and league positions, it is the moments that tell the story.

Moments like unknowns announcing their arrival with match-winning goals - Wayne Rooney, Danny Rose and Frederico Macheda. Some moments were the culmination of meticulous planning, others were through necessity.

Rodrigo Muniz and Raul Jimenez are both injured, leaving many to claim we do not have a fit recognised striker - except we do in 19-year-old Jonah Kusi-Asare, who signed on loan from Bayern Munich on deadline day.

The young Swedish striker is dubbed 'Baby Isak' due to his stature and style of play. He scored a wonderful goal in pre-season for Bayern against Tottenham, showing that he is at least unawed by Premier League opposition.

There is just one problem: Marco Silva does not seem to rate him.

In every press conference and interview, Silva mentions Kusi-Asare's age and how he is not ready "to help us right now". But Friday's defeat against Bournemouth showed that does not matter - we cannot cope without a striker on the pitch, regardless of experience.

The Whites flirted with Harry Wilson and Josh King as false nines against the Cherries but, until Ryan Sessegnon scored in the 70th minute, we offered little.

Then, of course, we succumbed to three late Bournemouth goals.

With Kusi-Asare filling in and allowing Silva to continue to play his tried, tested and favoured 4-2-3-1, we could have asked a lot more questions of our hosts and perhaps our young striker could have made a name for himself.

Instead, we fell to a second consecutive 3-1 defeat and head into the international break on a low.

With Arsenal and Newcastle rounding off our October fixtures, we are in desperate need of a moment or two.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

Fulham manager Marco Silva is a long-term target for Nottingham Forest should they sack Ange Postecoglou, though an approach for the Portuguese is unlikely to happen before the end of the season. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures and Friday's action.

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• Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

• Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland

• Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool

We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Ben: We simply don't know when to quit! Excellent subs from Andoni Iraola, which changed the course of the game, and two moments of magic from Semenyo and Kluivert were just sublime. If I had to be picky, and I mean if, I would like Evanilson to start taking some of the chances he's getting. He needs to find his shooting boots.

Simon: Credit to both teams for such an entertaining game in atrocious conditions. All three Bournemouth goals were great to watch but we needed the whole team, both starting players and subs, to overpower Fulham in the last 15 minutes. Great to see the Cherries in second place in the Premier League before the rest of the weekend matches. Onwards and upwards!

Shaun: Unbelievable last 20 minutes or so, the strongest the bench has ever been and it showed tonight with the changes. Soaked through but well worth it!

Peter: An amazing late comeback. How do we keep Semenyo and Iraola? Kluivert is getting a reputation for spectacular goals. Bournemouth are on cloud nine! It's so exciting as an AFC Bournemouth fan.

Fulham fans

Norman: I am getting a bit worried for Fulham. We can't keep a clean sheet and we can't score goals. A recipe for disaster! Whoever is in charge of recruitment at Fulham needs replacing, the transfer window in the summer was abysmal. As supporters we live in hope and at the moment hope is all we have.

James: What a rubbish result. Exact replica of the Villa match. We can't keep doing this where we lose from a winning position like how we were top in that stat last season. The defence has to improve in stopping that.

Barry: A blustery wet Friday night in Bournemouth, eventually took the lead and then fell apart. Very Fulhamish. We will come again. Well played Bournemouth.

Kevin: They can't hold onto a lead. More work required on this.

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

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Fulham had to play without a recognised striker. Rodrigo Muniz was already sidelined with a hip injury, while Raul Jimenez hurt his hip last weekend against Aston Villa.

Marco Silva said beforehand that it was going to be an issue as they always play with one striker or the other.

In the end they alternated a bit, with Harry Wilson and Josh King having a go at false nine.

Fulham will have thought it was not going to matter when full-back Sessegnon played a one-two with recent substitute Chukwueze.

But then Semenyo happened to them.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Bournemouth's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back on Saturday for a selection of your replies

Bournemouth make four changes from their last game with David Brooks, Marcus Tavernier, Alex Scott and James Hill coming in.

Ryan Christie, Amine Adli, Justin Kluivert and Alejandro Jimenez drop to the bench from the team who drew 2-2 with Leeds.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Hill, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert, Adams, Scott, Semenyo, Tavernier, Brooks, Evanilson.

Subs: Dennis, Cook, Christie, Doak, Kluivert, Jimenez, Adli, Junior Kroupi, Milosavljevic.

Fulham do not have a fit striker, with Raul Jimenez not being passed fit to play and Rodrigo Muniz already ruled out.

Issa Diop replaces Jimenez from the team who lost 3-1 at Aston Villa.

Fulham XI: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Diop, Bassey, Lukic, Berge, Wilson, King, Sessegnon, Iwobi.

Subs: Lecomte, Cairney, Traore, Cuenca, Kusi-Asare, Chukwueze, Kevin, Smith Rowe, Robinson.

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Bournemouth look to extend their unbeaten run to six league games as they take on a Fulham side yet to win away this season. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Friday's match.

Eli Junior Kroupi's injury-time equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Bournemouth at Leeds last weekend, meaning the Cherries have taken 11 points from their opening six fixtures, their best start to a top-flight campaign.

The performances of Antoine Semenyo, who netted the opening goal at Elland Road, have been key to their excellent early form. While the club cashed in on defenders Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez this summer, they are reaping the benefits of tying down the Ghana international to a new five-year contract.

Semenyo already has four goals this term, maintaining momentum from a strong finish to the 2024-25 campaign. He has been directly involved in 11 Premier League goals since the start of April, scoring eight and assisting three. The only player with a better combined tally in that time is West Ham's Jarrod Bowen.

Since joining the Cherries, the 25-year-old has consistently impressed with his direct style of play, work-rate and ability to use both feet, though he has not always been a ruthless finisher, registering a shot conversion rate of 9.2% in the Premier League between his debut in February 2023 and March 2025.

But that figure has risen to 21.1% over the past six months as he has become more selective with his efforts on goal. He has taken slightly fewer shots per 90 minutes but those attempts have, on average, carried a higher expected goals value.

Surrendering leads a costly habit for 'soft' Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva again turned his ire on the match officials after last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa, saying he found it "impossible" to understand why his side were denied two first-half penalties.

He drew comparisons with several disputed decisions that went against his team in August's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, asking why Ryan Sessegnon was penalised for handball at Stamford Bridge but Matty Cash escaped punishment for a similar act on Sunday.

Silva will, however, also have been frustrated to see the Whites again failed to capitalise on a strong start, with Raul Jimenez having put the visitors in front after just three minutes. That has been a recurring issue for the Londoners, who have lost four of their past seven league matches when scoring first.

In fact, Fulham have lost 31 points from winning positions since the start of last season, the second-highest figure in the top flight across that period.

Silva candidly admitted his side were "too soft" when it came to protecting their lead at Villa Park. More backbone will be required at Vitality Stadium, where Fulham have lost their past three games.

I was at Fulham's defeat at Aston Villa on Sunday - they had faded by the end but actually started the game really well and I was really impressed with Josh King.

He is only 18 but he already looks like one heck of a player. He has got wonderful awareness and he was outstanding before the break.

King was taken off in the second half when the game was getting away from Fulham, however, and Villa had carved them open a fair few times by the end.

Bournemouth only rescued a point against Leeds late on last time out - I was wrong to back the Cherries then but I am definitely going to back them at home against Fulham.

The Cherries edged this fixture 1-0 at the end of last season, and I am going with the same result and scoreline this time too.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tottenham and Manchester United are ahead of Fulham in the race to sign Middlesbrough's 23-year-old English midfielder Hayden Hackney. (Teamtalk), external

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Dan Roan
Sports editor

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A decision on whether to scrap the Premier League's controversial Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and adopt an "alternative system" is "coming up", says chief executive Richard Masters.

The current regulations, introduced in 2015-16 to prevent clubs from overspending, allow losses of £105m over a three-year reporting cycle.

However, they have been criticised by several top-flight teams for limiting their ability to invest.

BBC Sport has been told a decision on any changes is likely to be made at a meeting in November.

In February, clubs chose to continue with PSR for the current season.

However a squad cost ratio (SCR) system of financial control was adopted by the Premier League on a shadowing, non-binding basis.

SCR is similar to Uefa's existing financial rules and allows clubs to spend up to a percentage of their total revenues on squad-related costs.

Nine of the league's 20 clubs already have to comply with Uefa's SCR as a result of qualifying for Europe. Both Chelsea and Aston Villa were fined by Uefa in July for breaching the rules.

Asked about SCR at the Leaders sports conference in London, Masters said: "We are talking to our clubs about an alternative system. That's not to say we don't think the PSR system works."

He added: "It's about closer alignment with European regulation, which is squad cost ratio, which is a revenue test. In Uefa, it's now set at 70%. Our system will be 85% because we always want our clubs to have the ability to invest.

"The Premier League has been built on the back of investment in which international capital flows [are] coming in. We don't want that to be to be stifled off."

Read more here

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rodrigo Muniz and Kenny Tete will be sidelined for a while with hamstring and knee injuries respectively.

• On their expected timelines: "More than just this game, I believe. Even after the internationals, it's going to be difficult for them to be ready for the next ones."

• He confirmed Tete's knee injury is on the same knee as previously but "different from last season". Silva added: "We are going to keep progressing him in the same type of recovery, and surgery is not necessary."

• He said their loss is "a big blow" because they are "two important players."

• At the moment, Silva is not sure if Raul Jimenez will be available having been forced off against Aston Villa.

• On that defeat: "After the way we started the game, maybe the score should have been 0-2,-0-3 to us at half-time. We should have had two penalties and we had more good chances too. We conceded a goal we should avoid really."

• He said he has had "no contact" from the PGMOL this week but the decisions made last week by them were "very, very tough to take".

• On the possibility of using forward Jonah Kusi-Asare to deputise for Muniz and Jimenez: "He's a boy who has just turned 18. The Premier League is demanding. We will see tomorrow."

• Looking ahead to the trip to Bournemouth: "We worked on what to do better during the week. We are not happy and we want to react from the last game."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Fulham are plotting a move for Middlesbrough's English midfielder Hayden Hackney, 23. (Football League World), external

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Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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When facing a perceived injustice, some sides use it as fuel, and others cannot shake the feeling of unfairness.

This season, we are in the latter camp. On Sunday, we could feel hard done by on two occasions while in the ascendency.

First, Josh King was once again booked for simulation, though even in slow motion it is not completely clear. Then there was Matty Cash's handball, which is a cut-and-dry penalty no matter how many times you replay it (to this writer, anyway).

These decisions, after the VAR controversy at Stamford Bridge - once again involving youngster King - should have inspired us to go on and take points from the game. Instead, we wilted on both occasions.

It is a curious trait of Marco Silva's side. We are more than adept at coming back from a goal down. We did it last week against Brentford, and we achieved it no fewer than five times last season.

In an era when VAR has a bigger hand in the direction of a game than ever before, we must learn to harness that anger and frustration. It has already cost us six points.

It must be galling for King in particular, but he should use it as something that sharpens him.

He must also ignore his two yellow cards for diving. A player so fast in the modern game is likely to find himself in scenarios when he goes to ground, and while his card against Brentford did not look great, he should have won a penalty against Emi Martinez (though you could argue he should have waited for contact).

King must continue to play his game. Andrew Johnson suffered similar treatment 20 years ago and knew if he stayed true to his style, he would win more penalties than yellows.

We cannot eradicate injustices in football - be they by human or technology. But we can change how they impact us.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Aston Villa and Fulham, which saw Unai Emery's side claim their first league win of the season.

Here are some of your replies:

Villa fans

Mossy: Hallelujah! Finally we are up and running. I'm so happy that Buendia is finally getting his chance at Villa. A lot of people say he isn't good enough, well he is on this performance! He completely changed the game and he always tries very hard. Onwards and upwards hopefully now. A good win against an in-form team.

Dave: What a difference a goal makes! For the first 35 to 40 minutes we were overly cautious and nervous, like we have been so far this season. At 1-1, we suddenly became the more pro-active and attacking team we've come to expect under Emery. It's so great to see most of our players moving forward more, rather than the crab-like sideways movements we've been guilty of too often. We need to play that more aggressive style in our last two games before the international break, then we can truly say our season has started.

Paul: Hard work and trying something different for a change brings rewards. Led from the front by McGinn, it was a much better show all-round. It was a mistake by Fulham to try to sit back so early and they paid the price. Rogers and Watkins much improved. Hopefully the season starts here.

Ian: Well that was a little better. The three points are so vital for building confidence going forward. We're still not where we need to be, but it's a start. We need to back it up at Feyenoord then Burnley at home. I have been saying Villa fans, keep the faith!

Fulham fans

Daniel: Marco Silva made a huge error in sending on Traore. He looked like a headless chicken, was out of position and had a shocker. Andersen wasn't far behind and Kevin had a poor performance. A bad day at the office all-round.

Mal: Need a goal? Play Fulham. Need a win? Play Fulham. The definition of Fulhamish. As a Fulham supporter for 65 years, I could've predicted the result before a ball was kicked.

Iain: How can you make fair comment on a match that had such appalling refereeing and VAR decisions? A blatant penalty and a clear handball were not given. But wait, it's Fulham so the laws don't count when we play!

Pundits Ellen White and Joe Hart join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

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• Aston Villa 3-1 Fulham

• Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Fulham's recent record at Villa Park is awful so defeat should not be entirely unexpected.

Boss Marco Silva could claim to feel hard done by after Josh King was booked for simulation instead of being awarded a penalty when Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez rushed out in the first half.

There was contact and Fulham felt they had a case, while they were also unhappy when a VAR review turned down any infringement after Matty Cash's hand blocked a goal-bound shot.

But ultimately, the visitors were the architects of their own downfall after failing to bury a fragile Villa side, who again looked bereft of confidence for the majority of the first half.

A failure to deal with Lucas Digne's long ball, which led to Ollie Watkins' leveller, was wretched but the reaction to it was even worse, allowing Villa to strike twice in quick succession after the break.

Their controversial defeat at Chelsea aside, it has been a positive start to the season from Silva's men but their second-half surrender will be a low point.

Fulham manager Marco Silva spoke to Sky Sports after the disappointing away defeat to Aston Villa: "This is a disappointing result for us. The things we can control, we have to do them for ourselves. The game was going in the direction we predicted and wanted, and we had some very good chances before they equalised. Then after we conceded the [first] goal, we shouldn't and we can't conceded a [second] goal like this. We have to be much stronger in these types of moments.

"We didn't give many spaces inside the box, we were prepared for that situation and we have to blame ourselves. Congratulations to Aston Villa for the three points, but we have to blame ourselves more."

On Raul Jimenez's injury: "It was in the moment of the goal, we had some fighting in the box. He tried but he wasn't able to keep going in the game. When you don't have Raul or Rodrigo [Muniz], it is more difficult but Adama [Traore] tried. It is not a excuse, it disrupted our game, but with Raul there we are much stronger."

On the refereeing decisions that went against them: "I've watched the moments back and, for me, they are incredible. They will try to explain it but we cannot understand. It is very difficult for me to say that the Emi Martinez [incident] is not a penalty. If a player is taken out inside the box, it is a penalty everywhere in the world. Don't try to educate Josh King because we can do it inside our football club.

"I want to question them [the officials]. I would like them to explain how it was in a normal body position and if it was then okay, but I want to ask about Ryan Sessegnon against Chelsea, which was explained about how it was a penalty.

"It has been very difficult for us so I've started the conversations about what we can control. The other calls in the past six games are too much for Fulham and we cannot control that."

Defender Ryan Sessegnon also spoke to Sky Sports after the match: "We started the game very well and then conceded quite a bizarre first goal. But going into half-time at 1-1 is still a decent result, however we kind of just collapsed.

"We conceded one goal straight after half-time, which can happen, but to concede the next one straightaway was disappointing. The game was pretty much done after that. There are no real explanations, it's just poor defending from us.

"It's quite unusual from us but we have to look back at the game and see where we went wrong. It was probably just lack of concentration, it was very bizarre."

Did you know?

• Josh King is the first player to be cautioned for simulation in back-to-back Premier League appearances since Dan James for Manchester United in August 2019.