Fulham’s hopes of securing European football next season were all but extinguished after they were held to a frustrating draw by already-relegated Wolves at Molineux.
Wolves struck first in their final home game before returning to the Championship, with Matheus Mane producing a powerful finish to put the hosts ahead midway through the first half.
However, Fulham drew level deep into first-half stoppage time after a VAR review awarded the visitors a penalty.
Mane caught Timothy Castagne while challenging for a looping ball inside the area, prompting referee Thomas Kirk to point to the spot after reviewing the incident on the monitor.
Antonee Robinson stepped up and calmly converted to score his first Premier League goal and his first in any competition since January 2022.
The result leaves Marco Silva’s side 12th in the table, and with only one game remaining, their chances of finishing in the top eight are now virtually over.
Fulham sit three points behind Brentford with a far inferior goal difference.
Fulham started brightly and almost opened the scoring early on when Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa denied Alex Iwobi after the winger met Castagne’s cross at the back post.
But Wolves gradually grew into the contest. Mane tested Bernd Leno with a fierce strike before Rodrigo Gomes flashed an effort narrowly wide.
The breakthrough came in the 25th minute after Rodrigo Gomes surged down the right flank and delivered a low cross into the area.
Hwang Hee-Chan cleverly laid the ball back for Mane, who rifled a superb strike into the net from the edge of the box.
Fulham nearly responded immediately when Sa failed to deal with a corner, but Sander Berge headed over from close range.
The visitors eventually found their equaliser just before the break after the VAR intervention, with Robinson confidently dispatching the penalty.
Despite dominating possession in the second half, Fulham struggled to create meaningful opportunities.
Wolves, meanwhile, looked more threatening on the counter-attack, with Yerson Mosquera heading wide from six yards and Adam Armstrong clipping the outside of the post with an audacious finish.
Both sets of supporters greeted the final whistle with frustration after a result that offered little encouragement to either side.
Fulham looked genuine contenders for European qualification only a few weeks ago following an impressive victory over Aston Villa.
At one stage, they were within touching distance of the top six and even dreaming of a possible Champions League challenge.
But a damaging run of three matches without a win has seen those ambitions disappear.
While defeat at Arsenal was understandable, dropped points against Bournemouth and now Wolves proved costly.
Against the league’s bottom side, Fulham once again lacked the cutting edge required to turn possession into goals.
They created openings in the first half but offered very little after the interval despite controlling the ball for long periods.
Attention may now turn toward Marco Silva’s future, with the Portuguese manager approaching the end of his contract amid continued uncertainty over whether he will remain at Craven Cottage next season.
For Wolves, this draw did little to lift the gloom surrounding a deeply disappointing campaign.
After brief optimism earlier in the spring following wins over Aston Villa and Liverpool, the mood at Molineux has deteriorated sharply.
The boos at full-time reflected a fanbase eager for the season to end.
Rob Edwards’ side have collected only three points since beating Liverpool in March, while Mane’s strike represented just their second goal since the Easter international break.
Wolves still showed flashes of danger on the counter-attack and arguably created the better chances in the second half, but their inability to convert opportunities continued to frustrate supporters.
Edwards now faces a crucial summer rebuilding job as Wolves prepare for life back in the Championship and attempt to reconnect with a disillusioned home crowd.
