FAB FINISH FOR SILVA

Carvalho makes his Marc

FULHAM boss Marco Silva watched his team take over at the top of the table then warned his rivals: “It wasn’t our best performance.”

And that should cause a few tremors elsewhere in the Championship, because the Cottagers could easily have won this game, their third successive victory, even more comfortably.

“Of course I’m happy with the three points,” said Silva.

“Third win in a row, first home win and a clean sheet, everything I asked them for.

“It wasn’t the best performance but even if it wasn’t perfect, we have to play to win matches. We deserved the three points.”

Aleksandar Mitrovic put Fulham ahead in the 22nd minute with his third goal of the season and his first at Craven Cottage since July 2020.

The Serb has already equalled his total of league goals scored last season when Fulham were relegated from the Premier League.

But Silva denied that new Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz, 20, from Flamengo, had been signed to nudge Mitrovic into better goalscoring form – even though that was the effect.

“Definitely, but we didn’t sign a striker because Mitrovic is scoring or not,” added Silva.

“We sold Aboubakar Kamara and we can’t go 46 games with just one No.9 in our squad. Muniz is a young player I know and I believe he can be an important player for our squad in the present and in the future.”

Antonee Robinson’s runs down the left opened Hull up several times early on and they never truly got to grips with him.

And Fulham were ahead when the unmarked Mitrovic glanced a header in off the far post from Jean Michael Seri’s corner.

But Hull were adamant that Tosin Adarabioyo had fouled Jacob Greaves as he tracked the Serb’s run.

“We are very disappointed,” said Tigers boss Grant McCann. “It was a block on Jacob. It was right in front of the referee and we’re disappointed that he didn’t see it.”

Fabio Carvalho, 18, doubled the lead in the 34th minute, controlling the ball with a deft touch and slipping it past Matt Ingram.

Fulham were never in danger after that. But after looking likely to be overrun, Hull kept the score respectable.

Three defeats in a row does not sound good, but plenty will do worse against Fulham.

“I was proud of the boys in the second half,” said McCann.

“I think 2-0 could easily have become 3-0 or 4-0. They could have crumbled.”