Fulham 3-0 Stoke City: Aleksandar Mitrovic scores again as Whites go two clear

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored his fourth goal in as many games as Fulham swept aside previously unbeaten Stoke to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Mitrovic, who on Friday signed a new five-year deal to stay at Craven Cottage, set up Harry Wilson to give the Whites an early lead.

The Serbia striker was also involved when Bobby Decordova-Reid made it 2-0 soon after the restart and then hit the third to wrap up Fulham's victory.

Mitrovic might have inflicted further damage on Stoke, but his injury-time penalty was kept out by visiting goalkeeper Josef Bursik.

Wilson - returning to the side after suspension - initiated and finished the move that earned Fulham a fifth-minute advantage, with Decordova-Reid and then Mitrovic teeing up the Wales international to fire past Bursik.

The home side swarmed forward with confidence and should have stretched that advantage before half-time as Jean Michael Seri, Fabio Carvalho and Tosin Adarabioyo all forced saves from the Potters' keeper.

Decordova-Reid also went close with an attempt that whistled narrowly over the bar, while Stoke were largely restricted to counter-attacks as they battled to stay in the game.

However, Fulham effectively killed off the visitors' hopes eight minutes into the second half after Bursik parried Mitrovic's shot and the lively Decordova-Reid followed up to tuck away the rebound - the first time he had found the net since January.

Wilson then almost registered his second of the match, but was denied by the post after Josh Onomah had played him through.

It was Mitrovic who made certain of the win, tapping home in the 72nd minute after Decordova-Reid and Wilson had combined again to pull Stoke's defence apart.

The only blemish on Fulham's performance came late on, when Neeskens Kebano was brought down and Bursik denied Mitrovic from the spot.

Marco Silva's side are now two points clear of neighbours QPR, while Stoke drop to fifth place after their first defeat of the season.

Fulham head coach Marco Silva told BBC London 94.9:

"I said before the match we had to be at a very good level to win the game and we were clearly the best team on the pitch. We were the dominant team, we created more chances than the opponent and we didn't give many things for them to punish us.

"When you're playing the way we play and taking some risks, if you're not giving much to them, that means we did a very good job. Our organisation with and without the ball was really good. The players are happy, I'm pleased to see that and congratulations to them."

Stoke manager Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke:

"In periods of the game we played quite well, we just made it difficult for ourselves. We lost a goal early on, we got our pressure wrong on that side between Leo [Ostigard], Tommy [Smith] and Sam Clucas and they exposed that.

"The difference in the final third of the pitch was key. Goals two and three were poor and preventable, then the game becomes very difficult because you have to chase it. You're always going to have to rely on your goalkeeper to make some good saves down here. Joe [Bursik] had a good game today and he's had a good start to the season.

"We had a young goalkeeper and a young back three playing against probably the best front three in the league today. They saw where the standard is and hopefully they'll learn from that."