Fulham’s hopes of securing European football next season suffered a major setback after they were held to a 1-1 draw by already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Sunday.
The hosts struck first in the 25th minute through teenage midfielder Mateus Mané, who unleashed a powerful effort from outside the box that flew beyond Bernd Leno to hand Wolves the advantage in their final home game of the campaign.
Fulham pushed for a response and came close when Sander Berge headed over from close range before Emile Smith Rowe forced José Sá into a smart save.
The visitors eventually found their equaliser deep into first-half stoppage time after Mané brought down Timothy Castagne inside the penalty area.
Referee Thomas Kirk initially waved play on but reversed his decision after a VAR review. Antonee Robinson calmly converted the resulting penalty, sending Sá the wrong way.
Despite levelling before the break, Marco Silva’s side struggled to build momentum in a flat second-half display that leaves their European ambitions hanging by a thread.
Fulham remain three points behind eighth place with just one match left to play.
Wolves, meanwhile, showed signs of improvement under head coach Rob Edwards, although some supporters still voiced their frustration at the final whistle after a difficult spell since his return to Molineux.
Former Wolves striker Raúl Jiménez received a warm reception from the home crowd when he came on for Fulham, with supporters applauding the Mexican forward who scored 57 goals during his time at the club.
The hosts nearly restored their lead midway through the second half when Hwang Hee-chan slipped Adam Armstrong through on goal, but the striker saw his effort crash against the post.
