- Mitrovic wins it in stoppage time
- Fulham climb to 18th, one point from safety
- Huddersfield stuck in 20th, five points adrift
Huddersfield Town don’t appear particularly long for the Premier League, as David Wagner’s side sits bottom of the table heading into 2019 following a stoppage-time defeat to fellow relegation battlers Fulham.
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Fulham entered Saturday’s 19th-versus-20th showdown at Craven Cottage without a win in their last six PL games — same as Huddersfield — and were mere minutes from making it seven games without a trio of points. Then, Aleksandar Mitrovic became the hero.
In a game that saw few chances of real quality from open play, Huddersfield went close when Philip Billing unleashed a long-range effort with his left foot. The ball skipped off the ground halfway to goal and crossed up goalkeeper Sergio Rico who couldn’t keep hold of the ball and spilled it to no one in particular.
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Fulham were awarded a penalty in the 81st minute, but even those don’t always go according to plan when you’re stuck in the relegation zone and desperate for a bit of luck.
Aboubakar Kamara played the ball off the outstretched arm of Chris Lowe, but that was only the beginning of the drama. Kamara and Mitrovic argued over who would step up to the spot and take the penalty kick, and Kamara eventually won the debate. He then proceeded to hit a soft, knee-high penalty at Jonas Lossl for a comfortable save.
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Huddersfield appeared content with the scoreless draw and slowly retreated deeper and deeper. The one time they pushed numbers forward — for a set piece in the 91st minute — would be their undoing. Ryan Sessegnon spearheaded a quick counter-attack the culminated with his through ball to send Mitrovic into the box one on one with Lossl. The big Serb made no mistake with the chance he was given.
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7 - Huddersfield Town are the first team to lose seven Premier League games in a single calendar month since Leicester City in April 2001 (also seven). Despair. pic.twitter.com/nrUUAM7N9d
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 29, 2018