No Aleksandar Mitrovic, no problem. Fulham’s Serbian striker – the scorer of a truly sensational number of goals already this season – missed the trip to Stoke yesterday having contracted coronavirus. It would have been understandable for a few flickers of doubt to creep in when the team news filtered through, given how integral Mitrovic is to Marco Silva’s gameplan. But the head coach has faith in his boy from Brazil and Muniz showed just how justified it was with a peerless performance yesterday.

There have been some strange things written about Muniz on various Fulham messageboards in recent weeks. The youngster has spent five months as Mitrovic’s understudy, adapting not only to a new language, country and style of football but to the physical demands of the Championship. He scored a fine header against Reading, grabbed two more goals at Blackburn and has showed promised in a number of cameos off the bench. Some still suggest that he’s well out of his depth and a waste of money. For me, that only encapsulates the fickleness of modern football fans.

Yesterday’s excellent display was all the more impressive because it came against one of the man who had kept him quiet when he stepped in for Mitrovic at short notice earlier in the season. Phil Jagielka had marshalled Muniz pretty effectively at Craven Cottage for Derby before Christmas – even if the former Flamengo forward had come so close with a bicycle kick and had another effort cleared off the line. The veteran defender, who had moved to Stoke when his Pride Park contract was cancelled, had no answer to Muniz’s movement and energy yesterday, however.

It was the 20 year-old who produced the immediate response to Stoke to taking a shock lead through their own young protégé, D’Margio Wright-Phillips, in the first minute. What a goal it was too. Muniz had plenty to do when Harrison Reed’s cross from the right was fizzed into the box. Some impeccable chest control was followed by a terrific turn and shot into the top corner, the speed of the strike surprising Jack Bonham at his near post. Muniz sprinted straight to the dugout to share a celebratory hug with Ivan Cavaleiro – and he wasn’t done, either.

There seems to be a friendly disagreement between Fabio Carvalho and Muniz, whose chemistry looked infectious in their post-match interview, over who got the telling touch for Fulham’s second goal. Consulting the replays, there seems little doubt that the striker’s flick diverts Carvalho’s effort in via the far post – it might well have trickled wide without it. That’s just the sort of predatory finishing Fulham needed in Mitrovic’s absence. It would give him five Championship goals in 357 minutes – a goal every 71 minutes, a strike rate that Serbian would smile at. Not a bad start for a lad still getting to grips with the league.

Even with the language barrier, it is clear that Muniz is the life and soul of the Fulham dressing room. He’s eager to make the most of what he describes as ‘a dream move’ to England, but humble enough to recognise that he will remain second choice to Mitrovic, a man who he says he is learning plenty from. The pair seem to have struck up a real bond, whilst Muniz is quickly becoming a cult hero with the Fulham fans. Strikers are measured by their goal return these days, and by doing it on a cold January afternoon at Stoke, Muniz both silenced the doubters and secured a vital victory to stretch Fulham’s lead at the top of the Championship. Joga Bonito, indeed.