Marco Silva delighted with striking options as Fulham beat Watford in FA Cup
Rodrigo Muniz hit a first-time finish into the bottom right corner.
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Your support makes all the difference.Marco Silva is relishing the competition between Fulham’s striking options after Rodrigo Muniz and Raul Jimenez got among the goals in their 4-1 victory over Watford in the third round of the FA Cup at Craven Cottage.
After Muniz scored his first since Boxing Day, Rocco Vata fired a sensational goal from range to level the tie.
Silva turned to the bench in the form of Jimenez following a back injury to Muniz, and the Mexican forward got in on the act from the spot.
Defenders Joachim Andersen and Timothy Castagne added the late extras to book the West Londoners’ place in the next round.
“We scored a good goal from Rodrigo, it was a good finish from him,” Silva said when asked about Muniz’s first-time finish into the bottom right corner.
“He had a small issue before half-time. But it was not an easy finish and the way he did it was really good, it was a proper striker’s finish in that situation, Rodrigo in the box when he strikes the ball in that way is difficult for the goalkeeper to stop.
“He felt something in his back and it was impossible for him to play the second half.”
Jimenez scored his third penalty in as many games following his brace from the spot in Fulham’s 2-2 draw with Ipswich in the Premier League on Sunday.
After a stuttered run-up, the striker buried his effort past Jonathan Bond from 12 yards with a placed finish into the top right-hand corner.
“It was important,” Silva added when asked about Jimenez continuing his penalty success.
“He kept the composure again, the goalkeeper waited until the last moment and he scored again.
“It’s important to have players of that capacity, since the start of the season it’s been a good fight between both (Muniz and Jimenez), it’s nice to have both with the capacity.”
Vata equalised for the visitors with a thumping long-range effort which found the top corner.
“It was fantastic,” Watford manager Tom Cleverley said.
“Rocco has this real knack for scoring goals and different types of goals in practice. The five and 10-yard ones from inside the box have really impressed me because he has a hunger to arrive in the box.
“He has those fantastic strikes and the burst of speed to get away from the defence, how clean the strike was really impressed me.”