Fulham won at Coventry with fewer and weaker chances than usual

Oscar Bobb's late goal gave Fulham the win, in a match where neither side's chances reached their usual level.

Oscar Bobb scored the only goal at the Coventry Building Society Arena, 80 minutes in, and Fulham left with the three points. Josh King was credited with the assist. Fulham had 65% of the ball, against an average of 56.9% in their away games this season, so this was a side keeping possession more than usual rather than one that piled up chances. The goal came from a team that held the ball for longer than it normally does.

Coventry had 35% of the ball, which is close to the 37.4% they average at home, so the split was ordinary for them. Where the match departed from their usual pattern was in the quality of what they created. Possession alone tells us who was in control of the ball, not who was threatening the goal, and on that second question the numbers are less kind to the home side.

Coventry took 13 shots, above their home average of 10.4 and near the league figure of 13.3 per side across 72 matches. Only 8 of those came from inside the box, and their expected goals figure, a way of weighing each chance by how often shots like it go in, came to 0.58. That is below their home average of 0.84, and well short of the 1.44 that a typical side in this league produces.

Fulham were the reverse. They took 11 shots, fewer than the 14 they average away from home, and their expected goals figure of 0.61 sits far below their away average of 1.46. By this measure their chances were about level with Coventry's, so the difference was not the quality of the openings but the one that went in. Bobb had a single shot, it found the net, and he also created four chances for team-mates over the afternoon.

Discipline was tidier for Coventry, who were not booked at all. Fulham picked up two yellow cards, Shea Charles in the 36th minute and Antonee Robinson in the 82nd. Nobody was sent off, so both sides finished with eleven players, and the scoreline reflects a match played at full strength on both sides.

The league table places the two sides close together. Coventry sit 18th with 6 points from seven matches, and Fulham are 19th with 5 from the same number of games. Coventry have lost four of their last six results, while Fulham have a more mixed run of two wins, two draws and two defeats across the same stretch. The gap between them on the table is narrow, so a single goal in a low-chance game carried more weight than usual.

At home, Coventry have won twice in seven, scored six goals and conceded 14. Fulham have won once on the road, drawn twice and lost four times, scoring seven and conceding 10 along the way.

Player of the matchOscar Bobb1 goal8.2

Joshua King1 assist7.7

B. Leno2 saves7.3

S. Berge1 chance created7.2