Marco Silva hailed Fulham’s historic Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Everton, but admitted he would rather his side had prevailed in normal time despite the drama of their penalty shootout victory.
After an own-goal by Michael Keane and an Everton equaliser through Beto, the match went to penalties at Goodison Park on Tuesday night.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye missed in the shootout, before Tosin Adarabioyo slotted home the winner for Fulham, who reached their first-ever League Cup semi-final.
“We are all delighted," said Silva. “It was clear our aim: to come here and to go through in the competition. We did it. I know what it means to go to Goodison when they are in a good moment, when they are in good form, and when everybody is on the same page.
“Congratulations to the players and the fans who were here tonight. We achieved something the club never did in the past, and we want more. We like the moment we are living right now, but we want more, with our dream to go to Wembley."
“Not at all”, he replied, when asked whether the elation after a penalty shootout win is preferable to victory in normal time. “It’s better if we don’t concede the goal. It made it a little bit more tense. Would I prefer to not concede a goal? Of course. Everton were putting us under pressure in that moment and they scored to equalise the game, but what I really liked was that way we reacted after that, the composure that we kept.”
Fulham began this cup run with a penalty victory over then-Premier League leaders Tottenham back in August, and Silva said hard work is behind Fulham’s success on spot-kicks.
“Many people talk about luck. For me, it’s not at all. We have to have a good goalkeeper in the right moment to step in. Everton had that in our fourth penalty for Bobby Reid, and Bobby is one of the best takers that we have. Normally he’s very good. Good save from Jordan [Pickford], Bernd did the same. And, of course, you have to have good takers who can keep their composure. We did it. From Andreas until the decisive one from Tosin.
“It shows the players we are really in the right direction. My ambition is always more and more. We want always more.
“We are in a very good moment. Everton won their last four Premier League games, four clean-sheets as well. We came here, we scored. Their home form has been really good and we were able to go through in this competition. We have to be delighted.”
Middlesbrough and Chelsea joined Fulham in the semi-finals on Tuesday night, while Liverpool and West Ham will face off at Anfield on Wednesday in a bid to secure the final spot.
