Fulham 1 Wolves 1 – Report and pictures

Wolves struggled in the first half with Aleksandar Mitrovic causing them numerous problems and almost scoring on a couple of occasions.

Substitute Ryan Sessegnon gave Fulham the lead just 15 minutes from time after a poor Rui Patricio punch, but 10 minutes later Saiss earned Wolves a point when he tapped home from Ivan Cavaleiro's cross.

Analysis

Romain Saiss doesn't score too many goals.

But in early Boxing Day kick-offs played in the depths of London, he absolutely loves to, writes Tim Spiers at Craven Cottage.

Two years in a row Wolves have set their alarm clocks for a maddeningly early hour on December 26 ahead of a testing away day. Last year it was Millwall, this year it was Fulham. On both occasions a Saiss goal has earned them a point.

Also on both occasions Wolves were grateful for that point.

They could very easily have lost this one against a motivated Fulham team who did enough to win, for sure.

They were, as in February, completely run ragged by Aleksandar Mitrovic in the first half, creating minimal chances at the other end.

A couple of tweaks and substitutions saw them markedly improve after the break, enjoying 77 per cent possession between minutes 46 and 75 with Joao Moutinho in inspired form.

The 75th minute was when Ryan Sessegnon gave Fulham a deserved lead and thereafter it was kitchen sink time. After waiting 85 minutes they finally found a killer pass through substitute Ivan Cavaleiro for Saiss to level.

The closing minutes resembled two knackered boxers slugging at each in the 12th round – Wolves could easily have won it or lost it.

In the circumstances, then, they'll take a point. But big improvements are needed at Wembley on Saturday if they're not to go on another winless run.

Match report

Nuno dropped Ruben Neves for the first time in his Wolves career, with Morgan Gibbs-White restored to the XI in the only change from the side that lost 2-0 to Liverpool on Friday night.

With Leander Dendoncker and Kortney Hause both ill, young left-sided defender Max Kilman was included in a Wolves squad for the first time.

Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri selected defender Callum Chambers in midfield as part of a 5-2-3 formation in a bit to shore up a leaky defence that kept its first clean sheet of the campaign at the weekend.

Nuno highlighted pre-match the danger of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who had caused Wolves no end of problems in their 2-0 defeat here in February.

However those warnings weren't heeded during a first half in which the Serb ran them ragged.

Wolves mustered only three shots at goal in an off-colour display. The ball didn't stick up top, Gibbs-White struggled to find space, the midfield weren't great on the ball and the three centre-halves all looked flustered and panicked against Mitrovic, who led the line superbly.

The only positive at the break for Nuno's team is that it somehow remained goalless.

That was despite a decent opening few minutes in which Raul Jimenez almost scored a wondergoal when he brilliantly chested the ball with his back to goal and acrobatically volleyed over from 10 yards.

Wolves also had a penalty shout turned down when Denis Odoi appeared to handle in the box, while Jimenez later controlled a vicious volley from the right of the box which was blocked by keeper Sergio Rico.

That was it for chances, with most of the action taking place at the other end.

Wolves initially handled Mitrovic well, with Coady denying a barging run with a perfect sliding tackle, but thereafter he began to become influential, heading wide from a good position and seeing a couple of goalbound efforts blocked.

He then fired over from 15 yards before starting and ending a brisk counter attack, with Rui Patricio saving his header.

Andre Schurrle played a one-two with the former Newcastle striker and fired at Patricio and then Mitrovic created the chance of the half, picked up Coady's duff cleared header and slaloming past both Willy Boly and Coady before Patricio saved the day, coming off his line to block from point blank range.

The three centre halves were all shanking clearances or being caught out of position, with Schurrle and Aboubakar Kamara making a nuisance of themselves either side of the brilliant Mitrovic.

Wolves could also rightly feel aggrieved by the performance of referee Andre Marriner, though. He had missed that earlier penalty shout but also failed to book Chambers when he went straight through Saiss with a nasty tackle. Chambers did the same to the Moroccon just before half time, leading to a skirmish, and was finally booked.

Overall though it was very much Fulham's half and Nuno reacted at half time, withdrawing the anonymous Traore and sending on Ivan Cavaleiro.

The change made an instant difference with Cavaleiro combining well with Jonny Castro Otto down the left.

Wolves were finally playing on the front foot and using their width to good effect. Jimenez headed just wide from Otto's cross and the Mexican then curled one at keeper Rico as Wolves dominated the first 15 minutes of the half.

They were attempting piercing, probing passes and Gibbs-White was more effective in an advanced position, while at the other end Saiss was sitting deeper to try and combat the Mitrovic threat.

With Wolves not able to seriously stretch the Fulham back-line, though, Gibbs-White was withdrawn and Helder Costa sent on in his place as Nuno reverted to his traditional 3-4-3 with Jimenez in the centre, while Fulham replaced Schurrle with Ryan Sessegnon.

In terms of possession it was all Wolves, but they were struggling to pick that killer pass through the middle of the white Fulham wall.

Sessegnon made an instant impact at the other end, haring past Bennett and crossing low for Kamara to tap home – but Boly got in a crucial touch to divert it clear.

That seemed to give Fulham some belief – and a couple of minutes later they took the lead through that man Sessegnon.

Wolves' struggles with defending set pieces were evident again as Patricio, under pressure, shanked a punch straight to Sessegnon whose right-footed volley crossed the line before Coady could clear it.

Nuno's team had enjoyed 77 per cent of the ball in the second half up to this point, but with no end product they were always vulnerable to a sucker punch and that's how it proved.

With time quickly running out the head coach sent on Vinagre for Otto as Wolves probed for that killer pass...and it was Ivan Cavaleiro who provided it with only five minutes left.

He sent a vicious ball across the face of goal – Jimenez missed it, Costa couldn't reach it but after the ball bounced off a defender Saiss couldn't miss from a yard out.

Wolves searched for a winner but from a simple long kick forward from Rico they nearly lost it in injury time – Mitrovic beat a flailing Bennett to the ball and send it trickling towards the goal, but Coady charged back to make an heroic goal-line clearance just in the nick of time.

Saiss sent a 30-yarder only inches past the post in a frantic end to an entertaining game, but Wolves had to settle for a point.

Key moments

40 – Patricio is quickly off his line to block Mitrovic who is through on goal.

75 – GOAL – Sessegnon volleys over the line after Patricio punches a header straight at him.

85 – GOAL – Saiss taps in from Cavaleiro's cross.

Teams

Fulham (5-2-3): Rico; Christie, Odoi, Mawson, Ream, Bryan; Seri (McDonald, 82), Chambers; Kamara (Cairney, 73), Mitrovic (c), Schurrle (Sessegnon, 67). Subs: Bettinelli, Le Marchand, Vietto, Ayite.

Goals: Sessegnon (75)

Wolves (3-4-1-2): Patricio; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Saiss, Otto (Vinagre, 82); Gibbs-White (Costa, 63); Jimenez, Traore (Cavaleiro, 45). Subs: Ruddy, Kilman, Neves, Bonatini.

Goals: Saiss (85)

Attendance: 24,382

Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)

League position

9th (26 points from 19 matches)

Next up

Wolves travel to Wembley for the first time since 1988 when they face Spurs on Saturday, kick off 3pm