Fulham’s fantastic display against Leicester City was a timely reminder of how the good the Whites’ return to the Premier League has been. Marco Silva’s side had seen the momentum of their campaign jolted by the fallout from their FA Cup exit at Old Trafford, especially losing the services of Aleksandar Mitrovic for some eight games, but they bounced back from three narrow defeats at the hands of teams vying for European places with a performance that blew the relegation-threatened Foxes away.

It was fitting that in a season where Silva has coaxed consistency out of a number of players who you might have considered to be likely bit-part performers in the top flight that two of the old timers took centre stage. The head coach waxed lyrical about the qualities of the wily Willian, whose signing on a free transfer prompted plenty of sniggers after his dismal season with Arsenal and a failed return home to Corinthians. The 34 year-old has followed the example of Tim Ream before the veteran American defender fractured his arm in playing with the vitality of a man at least ten years his junior.

The majesty of Willian’s performances on the wing have made the Brazilian one of the first names on Silva’s teamsheet. He might not be blessed with prodigious pace but he still has the turn of speed to trouble a full back and remains quick in his head, where the crucial first yard always is. Yesterday afternoon, he took set piece responsibility in the absence of Andreas Pereira and whipped a devilish delivery that his compatriot would have been proud of. That it went straight in from all the way out on the left wing was a black mark against Daniel Iversen, but it set the tone for a glorious afternoon.

Willian was at the heart of much of what made Fulham tick as the Foxes fall apart in the first half. The hosts looked like scoring every time they came forward and the winger totally terrorised poor old Victor Kristansen to the point where the Danish full back had to be taken out of the firing line. By then, Willian had added his second goal – a superb strike from 25 yards that saw him pick his spot inside the far post where Iversen wouldn’t be able to stop it, cleverly using the overworked Leicester defenders as a shield.

As well as the ageless Brazilian, there was further evidence of the importance of Tom Cairney to Silva’s plans. Plenty of pundits believed that the silky Scottish international, Fulham’s creative hub for nine years now, was too timid for the top flight and that his legs wouldn’t last. For some, he symbolised the club’s recent yo-yoing between the top divisions: too good for the Championship, but not cut out for the Premier League. But Cairney has already proved the neighsayers wrong but returning from ten months out with a troublesome knee injury to breathe new life in Silva’s side in the Portuguese coach’s first campaign at the Cottage and he has been sensational as a substitute this season.

He has slotted seamlessy into the first team following Pereira’s season-ending injury and the quality of his performances could fool you that he has been there all season. After 280 appearances Fulham, we all know what Cairney is going to do but he still finds ways to surprise us. There was a wonderful shimmy and finish with his right foot to fire the Whites into a three-goal lead before the break, before he finished off a flowing move with his left foot seven minutes later as the Foxes defeat appeared to part in front of him. That second goal was typical Cairney: bursting into the box with a trademark late run to provide the rampaging Kenny Tete with a goalscoring option but, as ever with the Fulham skipper, his game was about more than a first Premier League brace.

The Fulham number ten is so comfortable on the ball that, as Dan has pointed out before, he gives the Whites another five per cent position simply by using it intelligently. Anyone who thinks his legs have gone should be made to watch the video of this superb showing. Cairney’s influence was not just limited to the final third; he came and collected the ball from the back line, dropped into deep positions to start attacks, and was always available for his team-mates when in possession. That made it almost impossible for Leicester’s midfield to pick up the Nottingham Zidane, even if Youri Tielemens appeared to be phoning it in for much of the afternoon.

There was a fitting symmetry about how Cairney picked his moment to frustrate John Terry, Leicester’s recently-installed defensive coach, after ending his playing career on that magical day almost five years ago at Wembley. The Hammersmith End choir certainly enjoyed reminding Dean Smith’s sidekick of how he cried on the telly and repeatedly enquired as to what the score was. Tom Cairney really is everything to me and his timing has always been impeccable – on his four hundredth league appearance, this was a performance to prove that there’s plenty more to come from Fulham’s midfield maestro.