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Emile Smith Rowe opened the scoring as Fulham eased to a 3-0 win against AFC Wimbledon, setting up a third-round trip to West Ham
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Football — John Brewin at Craven Cottage
Fulham’s second London derby this week, a first competitive win for Álvaro Arbeloa. If AFC Wimbledon represent a different echelon to Chelsea, Monday’s visitors, Thursday’s easy progress to the third round supplied a number of reasons for optimism in the new regime.
Marco Silva, Arbeloa’s predecessor, frequently offered sullen dismissal of the depth of his Fulham squad but actually left behind plenty of talent on departing for Benfica. Getting a better tune from Emile Smith Rowe and Rodrigo Muniz than Silva managed last season will be helpful. The pair scored the first-half goals to take the tie from Wimbledon’s reach, making for a night for comfort and experimentation, glances at what a renewed, refreshed Fulham may look like, with teenage talent handed a chance to shine.
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A muggy riverside evening had attracted a decent enough attendance. More than enough to disrupt the dog walkers and evening strollers of a genteel locale, the Wimbledon contingent making sure to be heard. The first meeting between the clubs since 2001, before the old Wimbledon was franchised to Milton Keynes and a phoenix club rose from the pyre of that rotten affair.
The respective team selections revealed the managers’ priorities; 10 changes for Arbeloa, only Oscar Bobb remaining from Monday’s home defeat by Chelsea; six for Johnnie Jackson, the Wimbledon manager. Fulham featured Shea Charles, making his first start. Luc de Fougerolles, who played in the summer’s World Cup for Canada, was making only his second Fulham appearance. Down each team’s left, a Sessegnon brother, Ryan for Fulham and Steven, formerly of Fulham himself, for Wimbledon.
Wafting high and wide, De Fougerolles had the first genuine effort after 12 minutes of feeling each other out. Wimbledon, maintaining Crazy Gang traditions, were most dangerous from set pieces. When De Fougerolles could only head away a corner, the ball fell to Dons’ skipper Alistair Smith. The shot was straight at Benjamin Lecomte.
Keeping the contest physical, going direct was the policy for those visiting from SW17. Callum Maycock might have scored had he better directed Myles Hippolyte’s arrowing cross but thereafter Fulham began to pile up opportunities, and eventually goals. Emile Smith Rowe missed a pearling chance, furious with himself on doing so. Rodrigo Muniz was just as self-flagellating when ballooning a Smith Rowe flick into the Putney End.
Smith Rowe’s redemption came swiftly, from close range after James Tilley could only direct a header into danger, the celebration minimal. Muniz was far more rapturous after nodding in Kenny Tete’s cross. Small wonder. It was his first goal since the opening game of last season.
Bobb was rested from half-time as Macaulay Zepa, 18, arrived. Arbeloa’s appointment was accompanied by heralding of his youth development work at Real Madrid, a different approach from Silva’s preference for hard-bitten pros. Zepa, speedy and direct in his running, was full of promise.
Muniz’s swelling confidence was evidenced by some acrobatics, while Hippolyte, Wimbledon’s 2025 play-off hero, also attempted the spectacular from long range. In defence, Fulham’s youth and experience combination of De Fougerolles and Joachim Andersen remained assured and Calvin Bassey replaced the senior partner on the hour. The youngster did not last much longer, pulling up after a block tackle, and taken down the tunnel.
The arrivals of Gonzalo García and César Palacios, the young Madrilenos who accompanied Arbeloa to west London, supplied further excitement, more promise for the future, García scoring deftly in injury-time. Zepa, with fellow youth graduate Chibby Nwoko now in midfield, continued his impressive debut, giving Wimbledon’s Sessegnon quite the chasing. West Ham await this new Fulham in the next round, as do Sunderland on Sunday.
Marco Silva, Arbeloa’s predecessor, frequently offered sullen dismissal of the depth of his Fulham squad but actually left behind plenty of talent on departing for Benfica. Getting a better tune from Emile Smith Rowe and Rodrigo Muniz than Silva managed last season will be helpful. The pair scored the first-half goals to take the tie from Wimbledon’s reach, making for a night for comfort and experimentation, glances at what a renewed, refreshed Fulham may look like, with teenage talent handed a chance to shine.
This report is published with credit to The Guardian. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on The Guardian →
Source: The Guardian · John Brewin at Craven Cottage. Published 27 Aug 2026, 09:01 pm.
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