Fulham outfoxes Leicester to secure first win
Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi grabbed the goals to secure a 2-1 win for Fulham over Leicester City at Craven Cottage, its first of the new season.
Former Arsenal player Smith Rowe, a summer signing from the Gunners, opened his Fulham account when he broke the deadlock in the 18th minute.
Wout Faes headed home an equaliser before half-time, but the hosts’ dominance ultimately paid off when another former Gunner, Iwobi, raced through to finish underneath Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
Adama Traore and Iwobi had already been thwarted by the time the former set up Smith Rowe to fire firmly beyond Hermansen.
Faes scored the leveller against the run of play by rising highest to head past Bernd Leno at a corner.
But Fulham had its rewards when Antonee Robinson’s pass found Iwobi in behind the Leicester defence and he coolly squeezed the ball beyond Hermansen for the winner.
Smith Rowe scored his first Premier League in 32 games, 857 days since netting against Chelsea in April 2022.
Indeed, against no other team has he scored more goals – two – in the competition than against the Foxes.
Andreas Pereira created seven chances for his team-mates against Leicester, no Fulham player has ever created more in a Premier League game on record, since 2003-2004.
Faes has scored in two of his past three Premier League appearances, having failed to score in his first 30 in the competition beforehand.