Blackburn 0-7 Fulham

Fulham ran riot at Ewood Park on Wednesday night, claiming an emphatic 7-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers.

Neeskens Kebano got things rolling, before Aleksandar Mitrović continued his purple patch with a thumping header.

Rovers were reduced to 10 men after half an hour courtesy of Jan Paul van Hecke’s neck-high challenge on Harry Wilson, who added a brace to the scoreline after the break.

Kebano then got his second of the night, while Rodrigo Muniz also came off the bench to nab a couple for himself as well.

The solitary change to the side which dispatched West Brom at the weekend was an enforced one, with Tosin’s suspension paving the way for Michael Hector to make a first league appearance of the season.

Mitrović demonstrated just the sort of confidence he’s got right now less than four minutes in when he tried his luck from the halfway line with Thomas Kaminski some way out of his goal, but his ambitious strike was always moving away from goal.

The opener was a mere two minutes away, though. Bobby De Cordova-Reid – on his 100th Fulham appearance – dazzled his way past his man in the area before cutting back to Kebano who finished with aplomb.

Three things are certain in life at the moment; death, taxes, and Mitro bagging. Not 20 minutes had passed when he scored his 19th goal of the season, expertly planting Jean Michaël Seri’s corner into the back of the net with a firm header.

Going two down prompted Rovers to provide an attacking threat for the first time, with Tyrhys Dolan drawing a save from Marek Rodák before Bradley Johnson had an effort deflected over and Ben Brereton Diaz blazed wide of the near post.

The hosts were enjoying their best spell of the game but their momentum was halted with van Hecke’s red card on the half hour mark. Seri’s pass looked to send Wilson in on goal until the Welshman was unceremoniously stopped in his track courtesy of a boot to the head from the Rovers centre-back.

Thankfully Wilson wasn’t injured and was back to his creative self quickly enough, bursting beyond his man and cutting back to Harrison Reed who saw his placed strike take a deflection en route to goal, with Kaminski reacting well to tip it over.

And the home goalie had to be alert again moments later to repel Mitrović’s goalbound effort after he was sent in by De Cordova-Reid.

The lads were playing with a swagger, as was evidenced early in the second half when Wilson outmuscled his man and tried his luck from 50 odd yards. His shot had Kaminski beaten, but it dropped just the wrong side of the far post.

Mitrović then turned provider as he prodded a cute ball through to De Cordova-Reid with the outside of his boot, but Kaminski made himself big to deny our number 14.

It could have been three on 54 minutes when Wilson burst upfield and drew two fouls before working the ball out left. It ended up with a sight of goal for Antonee Robinson but the left-back drilled wide of the far stick.

Number three was imminent, though, and it was a deserved goal for Wilson. After showing his man one way, he pushed through on his right and coolly sent his shot through the legs of Kaminski.

This match reporter had barely finished penning that last sentence when Wilson doubled his tally. Fed by Mitrović, he cut back inside his man before lashing an unstoppable strike high into the net for Fulham’s fourth of the night.

With the game won, Marco Silva used the opportunity to rest some players, with Seri, Mitrović and De Cordova-Reid all coming off. And with 13 minutes to play, two of their replacements combined for a chance, with Muniz heading Tom Cairney’s lofted pass over.

Fulham weren’t content with their current goal tally, with Kebano slamming in via a deflection following some intricate play by the Whites in the box, before turning provider with a brilliant cross for Muniz to convert for number six.

Fabio Carvalho was another who’d come off the bench, and he will have been frustrated to only find the side-netting after being slipped in by the irrepressible Wilson.

Surely Fulham were done? But no. Muniz grabbed his second of the night and number seven for the brilliant Whites with an excellent header from Robinson’s cross.

A quite remarkable evening in Blackburn, and some reward for those hardy souls who made the long trip.