Football Review | Fulham 2 - 0 Bristol City

Fulham ease into Carabao Cup third round

Marco Silva’s moved comfortably into the third round of the Carabao Cup with victory over Bristol City.

Author | Josh M

Stadium | Craven Cottage

Silva may be frustrated by a lack of transfer activity but he was still able to rotate heavily, and his side rarely looked troubled by Championship opponents who also fielded a much-changed XI.

The breakthrough came from a neat exchange down the right involving Harrison Reed and Adama Traoré, with Raúl Jiménez’s presence unsettling George Tanner into turning the ball into his own net. Fulham’s grip on midfield was soon rewarded again when Jiménez collected Reed’s corner and drove a low finish beyond Joe Lumley.

Their dominance deserved more but, after the interval, the home side’s intensity dipped and Bristol City enjoyed their best spell. Anis Mehmeti was central to the visitors’ attacking moments, while Fally Mayulu came closest to reducing the deficit when he struck the base of the post late on.

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It was nonetheless a satisfying evening for Fulham, who have rarely progressed deep in this competition outside of last season’s semi-final run.

Bigger tests to come for Fulham

Marco Silva has been open about his frustration at Fulham’s lack of reinforcements this summer, but he will have taken encouragement from the performances of several players on the fringes of his Premier League side.

Raúl Jiménez made a convincing case to lead the line ahead of Rodrigo Muniz with a tireless display that brought a goal and constant involvement in attack. Behind him, Harrison Reed impressed with a controlled, intelligent performance in midfield, repeatedly outmanoeuvring his opponents.

Silva will know, however, that such judgments come with caveats. Bristol City were weakened, and a test against Championship opposition is a poor guide for what lies ahead. The challenge will be of an altogether different order at the weekend, when Fulham travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, a London rival with resources and ambitions far beyond their own.