Harry Wilson scored one and set up two more as Fulham piled more pressure on their former manager Scott Parker by inflicting a seventh straight defeat on beleaguered Burnley.
Although Lesley Ugochukwu cancelled out Emile Smith Rowe’s early goal, Calvin Bassey had the visitors back in front before half-time and Wilson’s eighth goal of the season put Fulham clear.
Oliver Sonne, on as a substitute, scored a late consolation for the hosts but they were beaten 3-2. It was Fulham’s first win at Turf Moor in 30 attempts dating back to April 1951 and extended Burnley’s longest losing run in the league since they experienced eight straight defeats during the 1994-95 season, when they were relegated to the third tier.
There is once again a sinking feeling at Turf Moor, where Burnley have not won since beating Leeds 2-0 in October. Fulham fans, who remember twice being relegated under Parker in his first managerial job, sang “you’re getting sacked in the morning” to the former England midfielder as they celebrated only a second away win of the season in the league; one that moves them seven points clear of the bottom three.
Fulham’s opening goal is not one that the Burnley left-back Quilindschy Hartman will want to see again. Wilson’s low, bouncing corner should have been a routine clearance but Hartman inexplicably failed to make contact at the near post and a grateful Smith Rowe prodded in one of the easier goals he might ever score.
Ugochukwu, already denied once by Bernd Leno, dragged the hosts level in the 21st minute when he was played in by Josh Cullen before poking home a shot that went in off the post. It was Burnley’s first goal in open play since the 3-2 loss to West Ham last month.
But Fulham soon regained the lead courtesy of more poor play at the back from a Burnley side whose record-breaking defence in the Championship last season is an increasingly distant memory.
The hosts failed to fully clear a corner and Antonee Robinson, making his first league start of the season after a knee injury, easily found Wilson in space on the touchline. Unchallenged, he dinked in a cross for Bassey to nod home his first of the season from point-blank range. Burnley had to rally again but Leno denied Armando Broja and then, as half-time loomed, pushed Ugochukwu’s corner around the post.
Smith Rowe almost gifted Burnley an equaliser early in the second half with a short back pass, but Jacob Bruun Larsen could not capitalise as Leno smothered the shot.
Fulham were suddenly in a mess. After Joachim Andersen scuffed a clearance, Bassey flattened Broja as he stepped in to prevent a shot, with the incident cleared by a VAR check.
But, having survived, Fulham snatched a third two minutes short of the hour mark, a swift counterattack ending when Samuel Chukwueze found Wilson in space just inside the box and he picked his spot with a low shot, making it three goals and three assists in his last four games. “In my opinion he’s in the best moment of his career,” Marco Silva, the Fulham manager, said afterwards. “I believe this season is going to be his best in terms of numbers.”
With five minutes left, Bassey could not prevent Hartman’s cross from finding Sonne who side-footed in his first Burnley goal, but it was too late for the home side as boos greeted the final whistle.
“That makes me sad, obviously,” Parker said of the home fans’ reaction to the defeat. “It was only four months ago that I was standing on the balcony in the town centre and all of us were celebrating and the fans were right with us, and within four months that quickly changes.
“I understand their frustration. This is the world we’re in currently. I get it. How the world of football is, the instant reaction is to boo. I don’t think you can question the commitment of this team. This team are foot to the floor and hugely committed and nothing’s changed. The level of hard work, the commitment we put in to be successful last season is exactly the same now. It breaks my heart at the end of the game because we came here today wanting to please our fans and wanting them to support us.”
