Fulham 3-0 AFC Wimbledon: a first-half double and 29 shots
AI-written review based on match data · How we make it
Key numbers
- xG 4.21 v 0.38: Fulham created far better chances
- 29 shots, 8 on target; Bishop made 5 saves
- Led for about 53 minutes; goals at 37', 42', 90'
A first-half double put the hosts in control
Fulham beat AFC Wimbledon 3-0 in the EFL Cup at Craven Cottage, and the hosts had the match in hand by the break. Emile Smith Rowe broke the deadlock in the 37th minute and Rodrigo Muniz made it two soon after, a first-half double that Wimbledon did not answer. Gonzalo García added a third in the 90th minute.
Plenty of chances, fewer goals than the xG
Fulham's pressure was heavier than the scoreline suggests. Most of their 29 shots came from inside the box and their expected goals reached 4.21, yet they scored fewer than that. Nathan Bishop turned away five shots on target for Wimbledon, which kept the scoreline more modest than the chances created.
Wimbledon rarely had the ball to work with
AFC Wimbledon set up with a back five and struggled to keep the ball, completing only 62% of their passes. Their shots carried an xG of just 0.38. Dan Sweeney was their busiest defender, making nine defensive actions through tackles, interceptions and blocks, but Wimbledon still conceded three.
Smith Rowe's opener cracked the match open
Smith Rowe's goal in the 37th minute, set up by Ryan Sessegnon, was worth +0.5 FN xPts, the largest figure of the match, because it turned a level game into a lead. Fulham's pre-match FN xPts of 2.6 rose accordingly. García's late goal, created by Macauley Zepa, arrived with the result settled and barely moved the figure.
Player of the match
Kenny Tete 8.6Dominant
Highest FN Score in the match, with the assist for Muniz's goal in the 42nd minute.
Kenny Tete earned most of his credit in attack despite playing as a defender. His four key passes were the most by any player in the match, and he completed 65 of his 72 passes. The ball he supplied for Muniz's 42nd-minute goal made it 2-0 before the break, and he also won six of his ten duels.
Game state
1-02-03-0
Fulham ahead 53 min · level 37 min · AFC Wimbledon ahead 0 min
- Macauley Zepa — off the bench 45 min · 0G 1A
- Gonzalo García — off the bench 17 min · 1G 0A
FN xPts — what each moment was worth
How much each moment changed that team's expected points (win 3, draw 1). A goal's value is credited 70% to the scorer and 30% to the assist.
37'
Emile Smith Rowe
Goal · scorer +0.3 · assist Ryan Sessegnon +0.2
+0.5
42'
Rodrigo Muniz
Goal · assist Kenny Tete
+0.1
90'
Gonzalo García
Goal · assist Macauley Zepa
0.0
Knockout ties have no league points, so moments are weighed on a win-3/draw-1 scale only.
Pre-match expectation for AFC Wimbledon is an estimate: no top-five-league record, so it uses the published starting values.
How FN Score and FN xPts work →
Match stats
FulhamAFC Wimbledon
4.21Expected goals (xG)0.38
Timeline
- 37'
Goal
Emile Smith Rowe competition goal #1 assist Ryan Sessegnon
- 42'
Goal
Rodrigo Muniz competition goal #1 assist Kenny Tete
- 46'
Sub
Oscar Bobb → Macauley Zepa
- 48'
Yellow
Kenny Tete
- 62'
Sub
Joachim Andersen → Calvin Bassey
- 67'
Sub
Luc De Fougerolles → Chibuzo Nwoko
- 67'
Sub
Callum Maycock → Zack Nelson
- 67'
Sub
Aron Sasu → Jayden Stockley
- 73'
Sub
Kevin → César Palacios
- 73'
Sub
Rodrigo Muniz → Gonzalo García
- 80'
Sub
Myles Hippolyte → Antwoine Hackford
- 80'
Sub
James Tilley → R. Nkeng
- 82'
Yellow
Zack Nelson
- 86'
Sub
Ollie Harrison → Delano McCoy-Splatt
- 90'
Goal
Gonzalo García competition goal #1 assist Macauley Zepa
Category leaders
- Key passesKenny Tete4
- Duels wonKevin9/14
- DribblesKevin6/10
- Defensive actionsDan Sweeney9
- ShotsKenny Tete4 (on target 0)
- Fouls wonMyles Hippolyte4
#Fulham#AFC Wimbledon#EFL Cup#Kenny Tete#Emile Smith Rowe#Rodrigo Muniz
This review was written by AI from match data (API-Football). FN Score and FN xPts are calculated by Fulltime Note using a published formula.