- Emile Smith Rowe scored his first goal for Fulham in the first half at Craven Cottage
- Wout Faes equalised, before Alex Iwobi scored the winner for Fulham.
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Emile Smith Rowe’s fine form at Fulham should give Marco Silva confidence that he can be the man to bring out the best in the former Arsenal midfielder.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring in Fulham’s 2-1 win over Leicester City with a superb run and finish before another former Arsenal player, Alex Iwobi, sealed the win after Wout Faes had controversially equalised for Leicester.
Smith Rowe endured a frustrating end to his time at his boyhood club Arsenal, making just 13 Premier League appearances last season due to a combination of injuries and increased competition for places meaning his playing time was limited.
But after seeking a fresh start with a move to the other side of London this summer, the Englishman is already proving he can be the man to help take Fulham to the next level.
“He didn’t play football last season, and two seasons ago as well. I think it’s his first Premier League goal in two years as well,” Silva said after Fulham’s win.
Alex Iwobi scored the winner as Fulham secured their first win of the season
Emile Smith Rowe has scored his first goal for Fulham and hinted he could take the club to a new level
Smith Rowe made a fantastic run and finished the match after being passed to him by Adama Traore.
‘He needs these kinds of moments to boost his confidence. He’s far from his best physical level. In terms of performance, he’s going to improve, he’s going to get to know us better and our way of playing, he’s going to adapt more and his body to the tough competition that is the Premier League.
“I’m sure we’ll see better things from him in the future.”
If there really is more to come from Smith Rowe, then Fulham fans have reason to be excited given the attacking midfielder is already playing a major role in his side winning games.
Wout Faes (right) controversially equalised for Leicester in the closing stages of the first half
Marco Silva believes Smith Rowe has much more to offer after his impressive start
He gave his side a deserved lead against Leicester in the 18th minute, latching on to Adama Traoré’s pass and brilliantly controlling the ball to guide Mads Hermansen through on goal before calmly slotting past the visiting goalkeeper.
But a series of missed chances looked like they might cost Silva’s side victory when Faes levelled the scores by heading in a corner from Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte before half-time.
The goal was originally ruled out for an offside call on Jamie Vardy, who was deemed to have blocked goalkeeper Bernd Leno’s line of sight while in an offside position, before a VAR check reversed the decision.
But Fulham had another former Arsenal player to thank for opening their home campaign with a win when Antonee Robinson sent Iwobi racing towards goal from the left before finding the net via a deflection off Hermansen.
