Aleksandar the great!
HAT-TRICK HERO IN FUL FLOW
ALEKSANDAR Mitrovic scored a first-half hat-trick as goal-crazy Fulham roared back to the top of the Championship.
The afternoon started with a power cut delaying kick-off by 15 minutes – but Bristol City were hit by a surge.
Mitrovic was supported by two-goal Neeskens Kebano and Fabio Carvalho as Marco Silva’s men made it 13 goals in five days after hitting Reading for seven.
Bizarrely, before that the Cottagers had managed just four goals in six games and gone five without a win in the league.
Fulham have scored 64 goals so far this season – 20 more than any rival.
And they have a goal difference of plus 43, or 23 superior to the rest and the Championship’s top scorer in Mitrovic with 27.
He now has a great chance of overhauling Guy Whittingham’s 42 in the second tier in the Premier League era, set in 1992-93.
Silva said: “Mitrovic, we know his skills and qualities and we saw those today with his goals.
“Our reaction to going behind twice was excellent, though I wasn’t happy about how we conceded.
“The players know we won’t get six and seven every game, but we have to win matches and I was very pleased with them today.”
It was a swift reunion after an FA Cup win for the Cottagers at Ashton Gate, but the visitors took an early lead.
Antoine Semenyo was sent clear by Alex Scott and unleashed an angled drive that maybe shouldn’t have beaten Marek Rodak.
Mitrovic levelled from Harry Wilson’s cross, nudging Zak Vyner aside and heading into the corner.
Semenyo scored a better one after 29 minutes. Sent clear by Andy King, he outran the defence and found the corner. But Mitrovic caused havoc and Kebano bundled in for 2-2.
After 36 minutes Carvalho fired in a 20-yard curler and, shortly after, Mitrovic scored another header.
He added his third with a superb leftfoot shot and, after the break, Kebano’s sublime piece of skill set himself up for the sixth.
Robins boss Nigel Pearson said: “To concede four goals stemming from set-plays and not lay a glove on them was disappointing.
“At half-time I told them we had surrendered too easily.”