Fulham are into the third round – but the Whites didn’t make it easy for themselves. For the first half an hour, it looked as though Marco Silva’s side were set to steamroller Bristol City, shorn of their creative talisman Scott Twine. But the hosts took their foot of the gas – perhaps with Saturday’s SW6 derby on their minds. At least we’ve made it into round three and a home tie against League Two Cambridge United is our reward. Here are some things that struck me during last night’s victory at Craven Cottage:

Fulham have four Premier League quality centre backs

Issa Diop, reliable. Jorge Cuenca, a true prospect for the future. We all know what Diop is. A quality mid-table centre half, but probably only a backup defender for Marco Silva due to his propensity for a lapse in concentration. Diop was an assured presence at the back, making a mockery of the, utterly shocking, QPR reject, Sinclair Armstrong.

Jorge Cuenca just continues to impress. Name a Fulham game where Jorge hasn’t looked a cut above? You can’t. That trend continued last night. Cuenca may well have been the home side’s man of the match. He certainly earned my vote and it could easily have been Jorge’s best performance in black and white. The Spaniard was physically dominant and confident in possession, which is what you want from a modern centre back.

Raul Jimenez reminds everyone Fulham have two top-tier centre forwards

If Rodrigo doesn’t score, Raul does. If Raul doesn’t get you, Rodrigo will. Last night’s League Cup triumph just reaffirms how lucky Fulham are to have two top quality strikers. They are far from perfect, but, they’ll get the goals between them to keep Silva’s side competitive at the highest level.

Tonight, Jimenez linked up fantastically and offered a threat in the box that ultimately fired Marco’s men into the third round. Raul was ready to score the first before George Tanner did it for him and a smartly taken second from Harrison Reed’s set piece meant he opened his account for the campaign. I have no doubt another double figure return could be on the cards once again, for one of the underrated Mexican veteran.

When Fulham look at their best: at speed

In the opening 25 minutes, Fulham looked the sharpest I’ve seen them since their Championship days. The style was turned on and Silva’s swashbuckling Whites were in full flow once more. Fluid interchanges of play linked the hosts’ attack and midfield seamlessly. Against poorer opposition, Silva should play a singular six, allowing an all-action eight to run the game. If the Fulham coaching staff ever doubt the way to break down a low block, they can consult the video to remind themselves how the Whites battered Bristol City.

ESR and Cairney: The King and his successor?

I’ve written already about Fulham’s fluid passages of play in the first twenty five minutes and how it reminded me of Silva’s first few weeks in the Craven Cottage hotseat. The men who it happen were the Welsh wizard Harry Wilson, the evergreen Tom Cairney and Emile Smith Rowe, rejuvenated by Sunday’s strike against Manchester United.

TC rolled back the years in a display reminiscent of the times when the captain dictated the tempo of play at the Cottage effortlessly. Emile Smith Rowe picked up where he left off against Brighton and United in his first start of the season. Fulham’s record signing was direct, confident and hungry to show for the ball. This was exactly where the Whites want the England international to be. The ex-Arsenal midfielder’s link-up play with Wilson in the 10 was something to behold. Keep it up, Emile!

Wilson at No. 10?

Wilson’s first starting competitive number ten display in Fulham colours was a real hit. Harry looked a threat in transition, and against Bristol City’s low block, all night long. Wilson ran off Raul, exploited half spaces superbly, and utilised his athleticism to turn defenders at speed, with ease.

With Andreas Pereira departing, Wilson can step into his attacking midfield void. With some of the Welshman’s wide minutes perhaps being taken up by the potential arrivals of Kevin and Samuel Chukwueze, this was a timely club cameo in the role he has made his own for his country. Silva should follow Craig Bellamy’s lead and consider Wilson as a Premier League option in the number ten role, too.

Too complacent?

We almost watched two games last night. The Whites were wonderful in the first 25 minutes, but the remainder of the evening Silva’s side looked pretty ordinary. Silva understandably took his foot off the gas pedal, with Saturday’s derby clash no doubt in mind, but frankly, if Fulham had been playing a better side than the Robins, they would have been punished for their lapses in cocentration.

Bristol City were allowed back into a game that should have been dead and buried. I’m not naïve to the fact this Fulham startling line-up had never played a competitive fixture together, but if the Cottagers want to make progress both in the Premier League and the Cup competitions, they have to learn how to kill games off.

Adama Traore: Questions Must Be Asked

Despite a clever run and cross for Fulham’s first goal, questions have to be asked about Adama Traore’s future. The Spanish winger was the subject of concerted interest from Nottingham Forest, which apparently caused a rift between Nuno and the Forest owner, but Silva made clear that he wanted the former Middlesbrough man to remain at Craven Cottage.

Adama put in a typically, well… Adama performance. Traore looked like a man unsure what to do with a football at times in the second half – especially when he was asked to play right wing-back after Silva switched to three centre backs – but his first half display had you wondering why he ever left Barcelona. If Chukwueze and Kevin do sign on the dotted line, it’s not impossible that Silva seeks to shift a winger on before 7pm on September first. If his start do the season is anything to by, Traoré might end up the odd man out in SW6.