Southampton progressed to the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
It was a cagey affair between the sides in the first half. Fulham had the better chances in the opening exchanges, with Bobby Reid striking the underside of the bar with a thumping effort from a free-kick.
Southampton struggled to find their way beyond Fulham’s resilient back-line, and despite growing into the game, failed to truly put their much-rotated Championship opposition under the cosh.
Saints’ first genuine chance of the match came early on in the second half following some intense pressing. Oriol Romeu was presented with a golden opportunity just yards from goal but saw his effort saved by Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak.
However, Michael Obafemi had no such trouble. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s pass found Nathan Redmond, whose low ball was turned in by the Saints youngster for his second goal in senior football.
Southampton could have doubled their advantage late on, but Danny Ings missed a good chance to score after going through on goal. From the resulting corner, Maya Yoshida should have netted, but his header was straight at Rodak.
Saints advanced to the third round, but it wasn’t all positive. Both Obafemi and Redmond were forced off with respective hamstring and ankle injuries, with the latter’s problem set to be a big concern for Ralph Hasenhuttl ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Manchester United.
So, take a look at how we rated Southampton’s players at Craven Cottage.
