Fulham fixes penalty woes to jump out of EPL's bottom 3

The first ballooned over the crossbar. The second was a dreadful attempt at a “Panenka” that flopped into the goalkeeper’s arms. The third flew off target because of an unfortunate slip.

Three embarrassing penalty misses have summed up Fulham’s miserable start to life back in the English Premier League, so hopes weren’t exactly high when the team was awarded another against Leicester on Monday.

This time, no mistake.

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins scores Villa's late equalizer but after a VAR review it is disallowed for offside during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Aston Villa at the London stadium in London, England, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein, Pool)

Ivan Cavaleiro — one of the spot kick culprits from previous matches — stepped up and curled his effort high into the net for a goal that ultimately proved the winner at King Power Stadium.

A 2-1 victory was only Fulham’s second in 10 games since promotion back to the top-flight and it lifted the team out of the relegation zone.

It also ended Fulham’s penalty nightmare.

Aston Villa's Trezeguet receives medical treatment during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Aston Villa at the London stadium in London, England, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein, Pool)

“I didn’t feel pressure,” said Cavaleiro, who slipped before shanking a penalty over the bar in last week’s 3-2 home loss to Everton. “That happens in football and the manager just gave me confidence to take it and I did.”

A penalty proved to be pivotal in Monday’s late match, with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins hitting the bar with a second-half effort to allow West Ham to hold on for a 2-1 win at its Olympic Stadium.

Watkins also had a stoppage-time goal ruled out by the video assistant referee when his outstretched arm was adjudged to have made him offside before he turned in a cross from the left. It was an agonizing wait for Watkins and Villa's players as the VAR deliberated over the narrow decision.

Leicester missed the chance to move level on points with first-placed Tottenham and second-placed Liverpool. Villa could have jumped into the top four with a win.

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Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus scored more goals in 53 minutes on Saturday than he had in the previous eight months in the English Premier League.

Becoming the first player in the league to score four goals in one game this season, Jesus led City to a 5-1 thrashing of Watford to open a four-point lead over second-placed Liverpool in the title race.

Liverpool can trim that back to one point with five matches left by beating Everton in the Merseyside derby on Sunday.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his fourth goal, his side's fifth, during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Watford at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

Jesus scored three goals in the league before the arrival of next-to-last Watford for a match that ended up resembling a training exercise.

The Brazil international netted twice in the first half and twice more in the opening eight minutes of the second half — one of which was a penalty to complete his hat trick.

Rodri scored the other goal for City, which used the match to give key players a rest ahead of Real Madrid's visit in the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after failing to score from a penalty kick during an English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday April 23, 2022. (AP PhotoAlastair J. Grant)

While City stayed on course for the title, fierce rival Manchester United likely dropped out of the race for Champions League qualification.

By losing at Arsenal 3-1, United fell six points behind its top-four rival and manager Ralf Rangnick all but called time on his team's season.

“I don’t think it’s very realistic to dream and think of the top four," Rangnick said at the end of a week when United also lost at Liverpool 4-0 and hired a new manager, Ajax's Erik ten Hag, for the start of next season.

Arsenal moved into fourth, three points above north London rival Tottenham, which visited Brentford late.

In other games, last-placed Norwich plunged closer to relegation with a 3-0 loss at home to Newcastle, while mid-table teams Leicester and Aston Villa drew 0-0.

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