After an own goal and a goal from Raúl Jimenez, Fulham defeated Bristol City from the Championship 2-0 at home in the second round of the 2025/26 English League Cup. Marco Silva stated that keeping a clean sheet was a very important performance because it helped the team play in a better atmosphere.

Eight minutes into the game, George Tanner accidentally kicked the ball into his own goal while clearing the ball, giving Fulham a 1-0 lead. In the 21st minute, Harrison Reid took a corner kick, and Raul Jimenez stopped the ball and shot it in, helping Fulham extend their lead to 2-0.

In the following time, neither side was able to change the score, and Fulham finally eliminated Bristol City 2-0.

When talking about the team's performance, Fulham coach Marco Silva said, "We performed better in the first half than in the second half. It is very important for us to get off to a good start. We must show efficiency and sharpness at critical moments, and we did it."

"It's always crucial to score first in these types of games, as it can undermine the opponent's confidence and belief. For teams from the second division, the passion and motivation is always very high."

Marco Silva pointed out, "I think the team controlled the game very well in the first half. In terms of ball possession, I preferred to attack in the opponent's half rather than organize the attack in our half, but the opponent also tried to press us high. We also had some good moments and the combination was also smooth, which was really good."

“I told the players at half-time that we should try to score more goals, but more importantly, keep a clean sheet. I certainly don’t want to see the team concede a goal in the game, because keeping a clean sheet can help us build a positive atmosphere and confidence.”

In addition, Marco Silva added, "In the second half, we should have had more possession and controlled the game better through ball possession, but we lost the ball many times. But overall, it was still a serious and professional performance."