Fulham Manager Marco Silva Lauds Emile Smith Rowe After Impressive Performance Against Crystal Palace

Add as a preferred source on Google

Fulham's manager, Marco Silva, praised Emile Smith Rowe after their 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace. This win brought Fulham level on points with Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League. Smith Rowe scored just before halftime, assisted by Raul Jimenez, while Harry Wilson secured the win with a late goal. Fulham now has 18 points from 11 matches this season.

Silva expressed admiration for Smith Rowe, who scored his third league goal of the season at Selhurst Park. The 24-year-old had previously netted more only during the 2021-22 season with Arsenal, scoring ten goals. Silva told BBC Sport that he urged the board to sign Smith Rowe due to his creativity and potential to score more goals throughout the season.

"When I saw [Smith Rowe] and we had a small chance to fight to have him here, I told our board that we need to fight with everything we can because we needed a player like him," Silva said. "Creative in those pocket areas, a player who will score more throughout the season—I don't have doubts."

Saturday's result marked Fulham's sixth win in their last ten London derbies (D3 L1), surpassing their previous record of five wins in 49 such games (W5 D9 L35). Silva highlighted the team's improved performance and confidence, noting their commitment and desire to achieve great things.

Smith Rowe not only scored but also created three chances during the match. Only Alex Iwobi surpassed him in this regard with four chances created. Silva described Smith Rowe as a talented player who is expected to improve further.

Crystal Palace's Struggles

Crystal Palace is now just one point above the relegation zone after securing only one win, four draws, and six losses in their first eleven matches. Manager Oliver Glasner acknowledged Fulham's superiority on the day and admitted his team made too many mistakes.

"I don't look for excuses," Glasner stated. "I think we had a competitive squad available. We have to be honest; Fulham were the better team today."

The pressure mounts on Glasner as Palace struggles to find form this season. Despite having opportunities during the match, they failed to capitalize on them effectively.