"It's been a very difficult two weeks. Obviously, we have had the international break, with players going away, but we have also had a bit of illness in the camp, so it's been a mixed two weeks but it didn't show in our performance.

"Today was a day that was all positive for us. It was a really good performance from the group. It was a very important game for us – we knew we needed to win.

"We knew we needed to perform well – we know how difficult this ground can be and how good a team Fulham are.

"The sending off certainly helped us, but even before that, I felt there was a good feel about the team. I thought the body language and our attitude to the game was spot on.”

On the red card:

"It's difficult; I haven’t seen it again, but my initial feeling was, ‘Ooh, that’s high’. Whenever there’s height and force, the player’s safety is in danger.

"I thought Sean was lucky to get up from that one. I think the referee had a similar view – hence why he gave the red card."

On Almiron:

"I’ve seen it. Crystal Palace last year, the goal he scored that day was an individual goal and had similar parts to it to today’s goal.

"He’s capable of doing magical things and for me that was a magical goal. Bruno (Guimaraes) again was involved and they’ve got a really good understanding the pair of them.

"I’m delighted for Miggy, he’s such an infectious character, his work sort of epitomises our play really so it was great to see.”

On Callum Wilson:

"The one he’s missed early on he’ll probably be disappointed with. The goal that he did score is a typical striker’s finish. He’s in the right place at the right time to finish the move off.

"He’s a hugely important part of our team, a focal point. We rely not just on his goals but his movement, his work rate. His appearance in the team gave us confidence.

"Knowing Callum as I do, I don’t think anything really fazes him other than trying to be the best that he can be. He’s got an incredible attitude to the game, an incredible way of looking at life and football.

"He will see it as healthy competition. It will inspire him to perform better because he knows he’s got someone (Isak), plus Chris Wood, breathing down his neck and that’s very healthy for the team."

On Joelinton:

"Joelinton picked up a knee injury against Bournemouth and hadn’t trained. He wanted to be involved, the type of character that he is.

"I wanted to protect him, knowing how important he is. He was there if we needed him in an absolute emergency, and my hand was forced with him.

"Hopefully, a week’s training will make a difference for him, and he’ll be back next week, and available for selection.”

On ASM:

"Hopefully, Allan will be back next weekend too. It’s always difficult to give a guarantee, but he did train with the team yesterday and trained well.

"For me, it was too early to involve him. We need to make sure that when he comes back, he’s fit enough to do himself and the team justice. Hopefully, with a good training week under his belt, he could be close.”

On Matt Targett:

"Matt had been ill, so we decided not to risk him. That’s why I said in the press conference yesterday it had been a difficult two weeks for us – not just in terms of injuries, but illness running through the team as well. I’m delighted to come here and win off the back of that.”
 

Marco Silva said:

"Yes it was a disappointing afternoon, a strange afternoon. The red card made a huge impact in the game and the second goal killed our belief.

"It is difficult to talk about the challenge. I have strange feeling after seeing it many times on TV. People who play football know if you keep stopping the moments you will probably find five or 10 red cards in a game.

You have to keep looking at the moments to understand what you are seeing. The referee was clearly there. He told me it was a clear yellow card.

"After so long a time to find one picture of Nathaniel's tackle it is difficult for me to accept. If it will always be like that, I would accept it. But I am 100% sure that in moments like that, one will be a yellow card and that's it.

"This is the difficult situation to understand. We need to see consistency in these situation or you have to give the yellow card.

"I think in the next few weeks in tough matches you will see moments like this one where it will be a yellow card. These decisions feel strange to us.

"So congratulations to Newcastle. The scenario was made much easier for them after the red card. Even so, with 10 players in the first half, we should do much better in certain moments.

"In certain moments we were not aggressive enough. I can say the three moments they scored in the first half we could do much better.

"I am really confident that 11 v 11 the result would have been different."