Josh King dazzled for Fulham as they came back from a goal down to defeat Burnley and keep their dreams of European football alive. The Cottagers now sit just a point behind Brentford ahead of the Bees' clash with Leeds United on Saturday night.
Josh King scored his first Premier League goal and assisted for another as Fulham bounced back from a goal down to beat Burnley 3-1 at Craven Cottage.
After Brighton defeated Liverpool in Saturday’s early kick-off, the race for seventh hot up even further and with Fulham at home against a Burnley side that are Championship-bound, the match had an added element of importance.
Burnley took the lead through Zian Flemming after an hour but Fulham showed their quality and resolve to score three goals in quick succession from King, Harry Wilson and a Raul Jimenez penalty.
Josh Laurent was sent off when shoving Jimenez over in the penalty area as the end of the game went from bad to worse for Burnley.
It was the away side who had the better of the chances in the first 45 minutes, with Flemming’s close-range effort somehow kept out by Bernd Leno.
Burnley took the lead on the hour mark with Leno unable to do anything about Flemming’s effort this time, with the Dutchman putting away Lyle Foster’s cross with aplomb to give Fulham work to do.
The home fans did not have to wait long to respond, though, as Sander Berge’s whipped-in ball eventually found King and the teenager managed to scoop the ball into the back of the net following an error from Martin Dubravka seven minutes after going behind.
Just five minutes later and King found Fulham’s star of the season Wilson in space, who cut inside the box and expertly guided the ball through a host of Burnley bodies and past a hopeless Dubravka.
Burnley will wonder how they did not level the scores within two minutes, with Jaidon Anthony getting onto the end of a long throw-in and Laurent somehow unable to put the ball into the back of the net from five yards out.
Quilindschy Hartman’s long-range effort also gave Bernd Leno plenty to do, with the German able to get a hand on it after a heavy deflection from Timothy Castagne.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Raul Jimenez found himself through on goal, with his shot going straight at the goalkeeper.
But referee Chris Kavanagh ruled that Laurent had shoved Jimenez from behind intentionally to prevent him from scoring and sent him off as he did not attempt to play the ball.
Jimenez made no mistake from the penalty spot and Fulham had got the job done.
They now sit just a point behind Brentford, who face Leeds at Elland Road in the Saturday night match.