Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EFL Cup match.
Fulham are still unbeaten in the English Premier League. Will Bristol City from the Championship really be the team to stop them, having failed to cope with the top sides at their level last season?
Fulham
Fulham also avoided defeat against the better-resourced clubs Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United, with both matches ending 1:1. Manchester United started with newly acquired Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in attack for a combined €150 million, and early in the second half Benjamin Šeško, with a similar price tag, joined them. Even so, Manchester United did not score from open play; their only goal came via a Rodrigo Muniz own goal.
Bristol City
What kind of win can Bristol City expect if they failed to beat two teams who are likely to battle for survival in the Championship — last season’s promoted side Derby County (1:1) and this year’s newcomer Charlton Athletic (0:0). The squad did put Sheffield United away (4:1), and did so away from home, but Sheffield United look something of an early-season anomaly.
Fulham vs Bristol City Prediction
There is little sense in talking up Bristol City’s chances of competing with Fulham when the former are not paying transfer fees and are clearly tightening their belt. We expect a home win, but we do not expect a high-scoring match, so we will add Total Under 3.5 Goals.
