Fulham 2-3 Sheffield United: Marco Silva's side undone by two penalties as Emile Smith Rowe on target | OneFootball

West Londoners have room for improvement with Premier League opener just a fortnight away

Fulham suffered their first loss of pre-season on Saturday as they were beaten 3-2 by Sheffield United in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Motspur Park.

Ryan Sessegnon, who enjoyed something of a career resurgence on return to his boyhood club last season, teed up Smith Rowe’s opener, setting him up with a backheeled assist which was lashed into the top corner with 15 minutes played.

But the game was level at half time after Tom Cannon scored from the spot.

Jimenez reclaimed the lead for the west London outfit after the break, heading home from Andreas Pereira’s corner to net his first goal of pre-season, before Louie Barry equalised for Ruben Selles’ men from 12 yards.

O’Hare scored the only goal of extra time to secure the win for the Championship side.

The result will bring Fulham back down to earth after they came out on top in friendly meetings with Nottingham Forest and Al-Ittihad.

The Cottagers’ discipline - or lack thereof - may be called into question after they gave away two penalties in the match.

They can be encouraged, though, by Smith Rowe’s summer performances. He has found the back of the net twice in three pre-season appearances after struggling for form and fitness last year.

It has been a quiet window at Craven Cottage, with 34-year-old goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte arriving from Montpellier as the only signing of the summer so far.

Marco Silva had hoped for some transfer investment after an uninspiring 11th-place finish last season.

"Myself as a manager, and all the managers, they would prefer to have the squad almost complete in this stage of the pre-season,” said the Portuguese last month, evidently frustrated by the club’s lack of movement in the transfer window.

“I understand the fans, but what I can tell them is we are working hard, we haven't started in terms of signings. But we have a lot of business to do in this market."

Fulham have one more friendly booked in this summer - they will host Eintracht Frankfurt at home next weekend before travelling to Brighton and Hove Albion for their 2025-26 Premier League opener on August 16.