Fulham vs Southampton: Claudio Ranieri off to perfect start as away fans turn on Mark Hughes

Fulham 3-2 Southampton: Two goals from Aleksandr Mitrovic saw the Cottagers end a seven-game run without a win

Long live the king of Craven Cottage. There was a delicious irony about Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge of Fulham which owed more to his predecessor’s attacking bent than to the Italian’s more cautious style.

Ranieri had wandered on to the banks of the Thames promising pragmatism to temper Fulham’s all-out flair, which was the hallmark of Slavisa Jokanovic’s time in charge.

Instead, he presided over a compelling contest that was high on creativity yet utterly devoid of defensive structure – a crime for which Jokanovic paid with his job two weeks ago.

Above all, it was great fun. Ranieri was afforded a tumultuously warm ovation from the Fulham faithful on his return to the English game.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring twice, his new side responded with a thrilling victory which lifted them off the bottom of the Premier League table.

Fulham ought to have been behind after only six minutes when goalkeeper Sergio Rico could only push a low Stuart Armstrong shot into the path of Manolo Gabbiadini.

Fortunately for Rico, the Italian’s confidence is sorely lacking and he scuffed the rebound into Rico’s prone body.

After Fulham’s Calum Chambers saw his header from a corner saved, the London side’s brittleness showed through again.

The goal they conceded after 18 minutes was utterly preventable but Andre Schurrle and Cyrus Christie failed to track the run of Nathan Redmond at a throw-in.

Redmond sprinted to the by-line and forced a poor header from Maxime Le Marchand with his looping cross. In came Armstrong again, chesting the ball into space and firing home under Rico’s body.

Mitrovic scored the opener (REUTERS)

“We’re winning away,” sang the Southampton supporters more in surprise than joy, you suspect. Their only other triumph on their travels this season was a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on September 1.

The song was not relevant for long. Two minutes after a rasping Ryan Sessegnon strike had risen over the Southampton crossbar, the home side equalised in the 32nd minute.

Tom Cairney and Le Marchand were involved with the latter sending over a cross which Mitrovic stooped to glance home into the far corner. It was first goal for 585 Premier League minutes since he scored against Watford in September.

Christie was the next Fulham full-back attempting to atone for his part in the opening goal, skipping inside before sending his left-foot shot fizzing just wide of the far post.

Schurrle added a second (REUTERS)

Southampton responded with almost total domination of possession and territory for the next 10 minutes.

However, domination without goals has been the leitmotif of their season and true to form, they fell behind three minutes before half-time.

Sessegnon tricked his way past Cedric Soares, then crossed early and low for Schurrle to convert at the far post.

Having played the rope-a-dope tactic to perfection once, Fulham tried it again at the start of the second period, absorbing Southampton pressure before striking forward quickly. Schurrle fed Mitrovic whose low shot was brilliantly turned away by visiting keeper Alex McCarthy.

Mitrovic scored the winner at Craven Cottage (Action Images via Reuters) (Reuters)

That save proved pivotal when Armstrong struck his second of the game to make it 2-2 after 53 minutes. Seizing on a back-heel from Soares, the midfielder curled a majestic shot into the top corner.

This scintillating contest took another twist on the hour. Pressure from Schurrle allowed Christie to float over a cross which Sessegnon headed on and Mitrovic volleyed home with elan at the far post.

The only surprise thereafter was that there were no more goals. Pierre Hojbjerg came closest to earning a deserved point for Mark Hughes’ side, but yet again this season they were left with nothing to show for their control.