Claims Benitez after draw
summer switch to Craven Cottage, and he served a warning with an early shot which Martin Dubravka saved comfortably.
Benitez’s men started to work their way into the game, although without any great quality until Ki Sungyueng picked out skipper Jamaal Lascelles with a 18th-minute free-kick and saw the defender’s header across goal hacked clear by Denis Odoi.
Dubravka saved Jean Seri’s 41st-minute free-kick and Matt Ritchie saw two shots blocked in quick succession at the other end.
Ritchie picked out Fabian Schar with a near-post corner, but the defender’s header looped over the bar.
Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri was a happier man after seeing his side keep a first top-flight clean sheet of the season at the 18th attempt.
Ranieri said: “At this moment for us, it’s important to get a point, it’s important to have a clean sheet because in the last matches, we have played well and from their first chance, the opponent has scored a goal.
“They made a lot of crosses – 30 – and they shot at goal, but our keeper never had to save anything.
“It’s important not to lose and we have a clean sheet. That is very important.” NEWCASTLE United:
Dubravka 7; Manquillo 7 (Yedlin 84, 6), Ritchie 7, Schar 6, Lascelles 6, Dummett 6; Diame 5, Ki 5, Perez 5, Atsu 6 (Kenedy 72, 6); Rondon 5. Unused subs – Muto, Hayden, Fernandez, Joselu, Woodman. FULHAM:
Rico 6; Odoi 8, Mawson 6, Ream 7; Christie 6, Chambers 6, Seri 6, Bryan 6; Cairney 7 (Ayite 82, 6), Schurrle 6 (Kamara 76, 5), Mitrovic 6. Unused subs – Bettinelli, Mcdonald, Johansen, Vietto, Le Marchand.