Fulham vs Leeds United. The FA Cup Fifth Round.
Craven CottageAttendance19,359.
Match report as Fulham reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 13 years; stunning goals from Joao Palhinha and Manor Solomon see Cottagers past Leeds at Craven Cottage in fifth round; new Leeds boss Javi Gracia suffers first defeat in charge
Tuesday 28 February 2023 22:58, UK
Stunning goals from Joao Palhinha and Manor Solomon gave Fulham a 2-0 home win over Leeds to send them into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 13 years.
Palhinha's first-half 30-yard screamer put Fulham ahead in the 21st minute and was followed by another superb strike in the second half (56) as Solomon curled in from the edge of the box to score for the fourth consecutive game.
The pair of wonder goals inflicted a first defeat for new Leeds boss Javi Gracia who will now turn his attentions to keeping the Whites in the Premier League with the club sitting just one point above the relegation zone.
But the Spaniard will be encouraged with elements of the performance, with Leeds having several chances at Craven Cottage, including a controversial disallowed first-half goal.
Fulham's season, meanwhile, goes from strength to strength with Marco Silva's side now unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions and are dreaming of lifting the FA Cup for the first time.
In the first-ever FA Cup meeting between these two sides, it was Leeds who thought they had taken a 15th-minute lead when Georginio Rutter tapped in at the back post. But referee Chris Kavanagh ruled it out for a soft-looking push by Weston McKennie on Harry Wilson as he flicked on from the corner, with VAR not intervening.
Six minutes later Fulham went ahead thanks to Palhinha's glorious strike. The midfielder nicked the ball ahead of Marc Roca and unleashed a first-time curling effort from distance past a helpless Illan Meslier.
It was Fulham's only shot on target of the first half as Leeds came close to equalising just before the break with Rutter's stoppage-time header hitting the inside of the post.
The visitors started the second half brightly with Marek Rodak saving low from Wilfried Gnonto, while Rutter also tested the Fulham goalkeeper.
But the home side halted their momentum when the in-form Solomon bent one past Meslier in the 56th minute.
The on-loan Shakhtar Donetsk winger finished off a neat one-two with the returning Aleksandar Mitrovic to reward Silva for starting him after scoring in his last three substitute appearances.
Mitrovic then had a header ruled out for offside as Leeds wasted a flurry of late chances to miss out on reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 20 years.
Fulham head coach Marco Silva admitted he missed Palhinha's stunning opener after complaining to the fourth official when the goal went in.
"I haven't seen it," he said in his post-match press conference. "I was speaking with the fourth official about a possible foul and I haven't seen it in this moment."
Palhinha, who has been a key performer for the Cottagers this season, is suspended for Fulham's next two Premier League games after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season.
Asked how much he will be missed, Silva responded: "Of course he will be a miss for us. He is an important player for us in many moments of the game but another one will come in and will do well in his job."
He added on Fulham's FA Cup run: "Our ambition is really high in this competition. We are humble enough to understand we are not favourites at all - the favourites are different teams than us.
"But we want to chase the competition and any time you play in this competition it is always to go through and play with full ambition."
Leeds boss Javi Gracia criticised the decision to disallow Rutter's first-half goal as he called the decision "very soft".
He said in his post-match press conference: "I'm really disappointed because we were a little bit unlucky. We created many chances; it's true we're not clinical, we didn't finish with composure.
"But we scored a goal that was disallowed, in my opinion that was very, very soft.
"We were close to changing the dynamic of the game but if you don't score after you don't have any chances."
Fulham are next in action on Monday Night Football as they face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium; kick-off 8pm.
Leeds play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League; kick-off 3pm.
