Fulham beat Leicester City 2-1 in a fierce match in the 2nd round of the English Premier League. After the match, Fulham manager Marco Silva was interviewed, commenting on his team's performance and looking ahead to future reinforcement plans.
Marco Silva began by summarizing the game, "It was a tense and intense game, but it was clear that the best team, the most dominant team, the team that gave the most to score the goals won the game. We played very well in the first 30 minutes and the opening pressure made it difficult for the opponents to adapt. The players worked well with each other and the way we got into the vicinity of the penalty area on a number of occasions was of great quality and we created some good chances."
He went on to emphasize the importance of set-pieces in the game: "Set-pieces play a big role in the game. Although we still need to improve our continuity, it is our strong point all the time. We need to be more focused and efficient in these situations. It was good that the team stayed calm and didn't rush things, which allowed us to take the initiative in the game."
On the performance of his team's striker Rodrigo Muniz, Marco Silva said, "Rodrigo was very active in the game and I don't know how many times he shot on goal this afternoon. Usually, with chances like that, he should be able to score one or two goals. Even though he didn't score today, there were still a lot of great moments in his performance."
Speaking about new signing Smith Rowe, Marco Silva spoke highly of him: "We shouldn't get hung up on whether he's the most expensive signing in the club's history or not, we're looking more at his strengths and his contribution to the team. I'm sure he'll be a big part of the team, just like he was today. He is building up his game time and gradually getting back to his best. He barely played last season and didn't go through normal pre-season training, so he will need some time to adapt and recover."
Marco Silva expressed his respect for VAR's intervention in Leicester City's goal during the match, "VAR is part of modern soccer and we have to respect its decisions. Regardless of the result, we will continue to focus on our game."
Finally, Marco Silva revealed the team's reinforcement plan: "We will bring in a winger to strengthen the team's offense. We lost two wingers last season, which had an impact on our offense. So bringing in a new winger will be the last piece of the puzzle for us. We look forward to seeing a more complete and stronger Fulham in the coming games."
