(Watch Highlights) Willian brace, Iwobi finish seal Fulham win over Wolverhampton Wanderers

November 28th, 2023 by Olasunkanmi Ibikunle

Willian’s 94th-minute penalty, his second of the game, earned Fulham a dramatic 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Monday.

Alex Iwobi gave Fulham the lead after seven minutes with a delicate finish, turning Antonee Robinson’s cut-back through Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa’s legs from close range.

The visitors drew level on 22 minutes after brilliant play by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who beat Robinson twice down the right before finding Matheus Cunha unmarked to nod home.

Fulham regained the lead on 59 minutes through Willian’s first penalty after a Nelson Semedo challenge on Tom Cairney was adjudged to be a foul.

Hwang Hee-chan levelled the scores again from the spot on 75 minutes for his seventh league goal of the season.

But Joao Gomes’ clumsy challenge on substitute Harry Wilson was given as a penalty by VAR late on, with Willian sending Sa the wrong way and Craven Cottage into raptures.

The win, the hosts’ first in five league games, moved Fulham up to 14th in the standings on 15 points. Wolves remained 12th on the same number of points.

Wolves have been on the wrong side of VAR a number of times already this season and Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said Monday’s game may have “finally turned me against VAR”.

He told Sky Sports he had spoken to referee Michael Salisbury after the game and the official had admitted he should have been sent to the VAR monitor over Fulham’s first penalty.

O’Neil also told reporters he was of the opinion that Tim Ream should have received a second yellow after giving away a penalty and Fulham’s Carlos Vinicius should have been sent off for a headbutt on Max Kilman.

“You can argue that two of them could go against us, but all four go against us. It’s a tough one for the lads, supporters and myself to take. We’ve been here a lot this season. We didn’t deserve that,” O’Neil added.

Fulham boss Marco Silva told Sky Sports he believed the third and deciding spot kick was “a clear penalty,” though he added “the first for us and the one for them were a little more soft.”

Photo Credit: premierleague/ X

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Ex-Chelsea, Arsenal star Willian blasts former club, says “I don’t want to go back… ever”

May 7th, 2023 by Olasunkanmi Ibikunle

Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal star Willian has lashed out at the fans of a former club.

That’s by declaring: “I don’t want to go back… ever.”

Willian, 34, is setting the Premier League alight with a third team after joining Fulham last summer.

His first spell in England came at Chelsea, where he won two titles in seven years.

Willian then spent one season at Arsenal but failed to settle, leading to a swift exit in 2021.

The 70-times Brazil international then rejoined boyhood club Corinthians, hoping to make a big impact on familiar ground.

But Willian struggled to succeed in his homeland, scoring just once in 45 outings.

The winger found himself targeted by angry fans as a result.

And it prompted him to eventually rip up his contract before returning to London with the Cottagers.

Willian now claims a pocket of Corinthians fans left him and his family feeling unsafe.

As a result, he has no intention of experiencing a third spell there.

Indeed, Willian hopes to keep playing football for another five years.

But he never wants to play in Brazil again due to the general toxic views of some supporters.

Willian told Mundo Deportivo: “Every time Corinthians lost and I hadn’t had a good performance, my family received threats on social networks.

“First my wife and my daughters, later my father, my sister…

“I don’t want to go back to Brazil, ever. I ended up going back to the club where I started because I wanted to and so did Corinthians.

“But I already had the thought of staying in Europe until the end of my career.

“Now my intention is to finish it here, whether in Europe, the United States or anywhere else. If it can be in England it would be perfect.

“A football is not a machine, he has his good and bad days. What happens is that sometimes the fans don’t accept the bad guys.

“What I see in Brazil is sometimes inhuman pressure, which leads to violence, threatening the family, the children…”

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REVEALED: Why Willian wants to remain in London despite his potential summer exit from Chelsea

February 21st, 2020 by Olasunkanmi Ibikunle

Chelsea’s Brazilian star Willian is coming to the end of his contract but is eager to stay in London…but not necessarily at Stamford Bridge!

Goal are reporting Willian is keen to secure a move to another London club if he cannot agree a contract extension with the Blues hierarchy.

Family is the driving factor behind the former Anzi Makhachkala star’s desire to remain in the capital and the news will put Chelsea’s Premier League rivals on red alert.

Willian wrote in The Players’ Tribune: “London is where I want to stay. This is where I have my family, my church. I want my daughters to grow up here.”

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Chelsea star offered to Real Madrid

November 24th, 2019 by Olasunkanmi Ibikunle

There are reports Chelsea star Willian has been offered to Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer.

The 31-year-old is in the last year of his current deal at Stamford Bridge and becomes a free agent in July – with Barcelona also monitoring the situation.

But reports in Spain claim the player’s representatives are contacting clubs to stir up interest.

Spanish website Defensa Central report Real Madrid have been sounded out to see if they are keen on bringing the Brazilian to the Santiago Bernabeu.

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