Fulham 3-0 AFC Wimbledon: Cottagers Ease Into Third Round
Gonzalo Garcia wrapped up a comfortable win for Fulham. Source: Tom Dulat - Getty Images
Álvaro Arbeloa gets his first competitive win as Fulham manager, with his side beating League One outfit AFC Wimbledon in a comfortable display at Craven Cottage with goals from Emile Smith Rowe, Rodrigo Muniz and summer signing Gonzalo García.
Arbeloa gets first competitive win with Fulham
The home side dominated the match from early on, having a plethora of shots, with the first chance for the hosts coming in the seventh minute. An effort from Muniz was saved by Nathan Bishop, which was one of five shots that the 26-year-old had to save.
Just minutes later, the Cottagers had another opportunity. This time, it came through centre-back Luc de Fougerolles, who had the most touches and passes in the match before his substitution.
His shot, struck with his right foot from just inside the box, went over the crossbar, but was another warning sign for the Dons.
Luc De Fougerolles played his first match for Fulham in over two seasons. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)
Luc De Fougerolles played his first match for Fulham in over two seasons. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)
This was De Fougerolles’ first competitive match for Fulham since the 2023/24 season, when he started in a match where he beat Ipswich Town 3-1 away at Portman Road in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The young Canadian shone brightly at the World Cup for his side, where he was ranked as the fifth-best defender at the World Cup and the best defender when excluding the champions, Spain. He will hope to see more game time to continue his development.
Yet after chances from Kenny Tete and Smith Rowe, the Premier League side would eventually find the breakthrough in the 37th minute.
This came through the former Arsenal man when he headed a shot from close range from just inside the six-yard box, an opportunity that was hard for a player of his quality to miss.
A second goal, this time from Muniz, would make Arbeloa’s half-time team talk much more straightforward.
After Tete beats his man down the wing, he swings the ball into the box, where Muniz is there to meet it, headering the shot back across Bishop into the bottom right corner.
It was expected to be a comfortable afternoon for the Premier League side, and though there might have been a little bit of tension creeping into Craven Cottage late into the first half, two rapid-fire goals would reduce any nerves.
Though, the best goal of the match would have to wait until the second half.
After constant pressure throughout the match from Fulham, their third eventually arrived through Garcia, who replaced García.
After the ball deflected off Smith Rowe, eighteen-year-old Macauley Zepa played a ball down the right-hand side to the Spanish striker, who took a big touch to beat the defender with his pace, before getting another touch before the onrushing Bishop to go around the Dons goalkeeper, and place the ball into an empty net from an acute angle.
This is his second goal for the club, scoring on both of his professional matches for the Cottagers in his first month at the club.
Fellow London side West Ham United await Fulham in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Yet their mind will be on their match against Sunderland this weekend for now.
Young Stars prove too much for Wimbledon
Prior to this match, it was highly expected that Fulham would field a changed side, and that is what Arbeloa chose.
Fulham celebrate in a comfortable win. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)
Fulham celebrate in a comfortable win. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)
The squad still features a huge amount of quality, but proved a chance for younger players to prove that they can play a huge role in Fulham’s season.
As mentioned, De Fougerolles played 68 minutes of the match before he was substituted for fellow 20-year-old Chibuzo Nwoko.
The Canadian had not featured much in the team's pre-season due to participating at the World Cup, so this game proved important for him to show his ability to the new Fulham manager.
Another player that expected to start was new summer signing Shea Charles, who joined the club from Southampton after his £30 million transfer bid was accepted by the South Coast side.
Playing alongside Harrison Reed in midfield in a 4-2-3-1 system, both players proved effective and complemented each other well.
Though as much as this was a match for new players to show their worth, players that have found themselves to have less game time than desired as of recent proved decisive in the match, with the first two goals coming from players that would be eager to win their starting place back in the side.
This includes Tete, who was the best player on the pitch, who created the most chances, resulting in gaining an assist for the second goal of the match under the lights at Craven Cottage.