Newcastle United vs Fulham
Premier League 2018/19
Venue: St James' Park
Comedy fan Rafael Benitez had the smile wiped from his face as Newcastle were held to a drab goalless Premier League draw by bottom-of-the-table Fulham.
The Magpies did not manage a single shot on target to leave the Spaniard, who admitted in the run-up to the game that he loves English sitcoms, stony-faced ahead of an intensely difficult Boxing Day trip to face leaders Liverpool.
Opposite number Claudio Ranieri may have been marginally happier after watching his side keep a first top-flight clean sheet, but they too failed to trouble Magpies goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to any great extent in an awful game in front of a crowd of 51,237 at St James' Park.
Having seen Aleksandar Mitrovic struggle to find his feet at Newcastle, the hosts ran out acutely aware he has done so since his £27million summer switch to Craven Cottage, and he served a warning with an early shot which Dubravka saved comfortably at the near post.
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Team news
Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Manquillo, Lascelles, Schar, Dummett, Ritchie, Diame, Ki, Atsu, Perez, Rondon
Subs: Muto, Hayden, Kenedy, Fernandez, Joselu, Yedlin, Woodman
Fulham XI: Sergio Rico, Odoi, Mawson, Ream, Christie, Chambers, Seri, Bryan, Cairney, Schurrle, Mitrovic
Subs: Bettinelli, McDonald, Johansen, Ayite, Vietto, Le Marchand, Kamara
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
