Leeds United suffered a familiar outcome on their latest trip to London as a Gabriel Gudmundsson own goal consigned them to a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat.
Daniel Farke set his Leeds United team up to defend on their trip to Craven Cottage, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling to stretch the Fulham defence as the lone striker for the Whites.
Although Leeds were good value for a point, the late own goal from Gudmundsson took the shine off a solid performance, and an injury to Dan James means Leeds’ meagre options in attack could be further diminished for their trip to Wolves.
Leeds set one unwelcome record in the defeat against Fulham, as they went four games without a goal from open play at the start of a Premier League season for the first time in the club’s history.
Gudmundsson’s own goal also made an unwanted 30-year first, as Leeds failed to hold on for a valuable point on the road.
Gabriel Gudmundsson challenges for a ball against Fulham.
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Gabriel Gudmundsson achieves 30-year Premier League first
According to Opta’s Jonny Cooper, in a post on the social media site X (formerly Twitter), Gudmundsson did something no other Premier League player has done since the mid-1990s when he nodded the ball into his own net to break the hearts of the travelling Leeds fans.
Gudmundsson’s own goal was the first to consign a side to a 1-0 defeat in the 90th minute in 30 years, highlighting the scale of Leeds’ misfortune.
MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES
The only other 90th-minute own goal in a 1-0 win came on the 31st March 1995, when the unfortunate Chris Swailes of Ipswich Town put through his own net as the Tractor Boys fell to a 1-0 home defeat against Aston Villa.
In a worrying omen, Ipswich finished bottom of the top-flight table that season, achieving just 27 points from their 42 games.
Leeds fans will be desperately hoping that luck changes and they can avoid the same fate after their damaging loss at Craven Cottage.
Karl Darlow fails to stop Gabriel Gudmundsson's header.
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Stats highlight Leeds United’s attacking shortcomings
Although Farke will rightly be pleased with his side’s display for 94 minutes against Fulham, Gudmundsson’s misfortune highlights the risk of attempting to hang on for a draw.
Relying on keeping a clean sheet means you have to be perfect in defence. Leeds need their strikers to find their form to give the defence more margin for error.
According to the stats from FotMob, Leeds had a total of 10 shots in their defeat, three of which hit the target. However, this equated to an xG of just 0.79, and only one big chance, which Leeds missed.
If Farke cannot coax more end product out of his attacking options, Leeds leave themselves open to the slings and arrows of misfortune, as their latest trip to London proved.