Raul Jimenez struck twice as Fulham ended a three-game Premier League losing streak with an impressive win away against Sunderland.
The Mexican forward opened the scoring nine minutes into the second half, drifting away from his marker to power home a header from Alex Iwobi’s corner.
It was a rare moment of quality in what had been a cagey contest.
Seven minutes later, Fulham were awarded a penalty after referee Craig Pawson consulted the pitchside monitor and ruled that Brian Brobbey had pulled Calvin Bassey’s shirt inside the area.
Jimenez confidently converted, sending goalkeeper Robin Roefs the wrong way to maintain his perfect Premier League penalty record - 13 from 13.
Sunderland responded with a penalty of their own in the 76th minute when Dan Ballard was brought down by Ryan Sessegnon.
Enzo Le Fée blasted his spot-kick into the top corner to reignite home hopes.
However, Fulham sealed the points five minutes from time with a swift counter-attack.
Harry Wilson surged forward and slipped in Iwobi, who delicately chipped Roefs for his first goal since December.
The victory - Fulham’s first in the league since beating Brighton in January and their first away win in the top flight this year - lifted them into 10th place, above Sunderland.
Jiménez’s brace took his tally to 11 goals for club and country this season.
The 34-year-old had not scored since early February but proved decisive here, bringing sharpness in the box when it mattered most.
He was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card in the first half after catching Omar Alderete with a raised arm, having already been booked for a similar challenge on Ballard.
Fulham manager Marco Silva withdrew Jiménez midway through the second half, denying him the chance of a hat-trick.
Silva also had to replace Kevin due to a muscle injury, with Samuel Chukwueze already sidelined.
Despite those setbacks, Fulham retained their attacking threat. Wilson continued his excellent form, registering his fifth assist of the campaign with the pass for Iwobi’s goal.
Since November, only Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes have been directly involved in more Premier League goals than the Wales winger.
Sunderland’s once-impressive home form is beginning to unravel.
After starting the season with a 12-match unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light, they have now suffered consecutive defeats on their own turf.
Romaine Mundle squandered a golden opportunity just before Fulham’s opener, firing wide from close range, while Nilson Angulo saw a shot tipped over the bar when the hosts trailed 2-0.
Injuries compounded their frustration.
Manager Régis Le Bris lost both Nordi Mukiele and Jocelin Ta Bi in the first half, disrupting his side’s rhythm.
The return of captain Granit Xhaka after a four-match absence provided some encouragement, but Sunderland have now lost four of their last five league outings and must quickly rediscover their earlier-season resilience.
