Fulham’s second London derby this week, a first competitive win for Álvaro Arbeloa. If AFC Wimbledon represent a different echelon to Chelsea, Monday’s visitors, Thursday’s easy progress to the third round supplied a number of reasons for optimism in the new regime.
Marco Silva, Arbeloa’s predecessor, frequently offered sullen dismissal of the depth of his Fulham squad but actually left behind plenty of talent on departing for Benfica. Getting a better tune from Emile Smith Rowe and Rodrigo Muniz than Silva managed last season will be helpful. The pair scored the first-half goals to take the tie from Wimbledon’s reach, making for a night for comfort and experimentation, glances at what a renewed, refreshed Fulham may look like, with teenage talent handed a chance to shine.
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