Kevin's Brazilian flair can elevate Marco Silva's flat Fulham after promising debut | OneFootball

The Cottagers’ club-record signing provided the attacking impetus the side has been crying out for

Kevin endured a difficult night on his first start for Fulham as they limped past Cambridge United in the Carabao Cup third round.

A £34.6million signing from Shakhtar Donetsk, Kevin arrived at Fulham on Deadline Day amid plenty of fanfare, with Silva desperate to bolster his attacking options.

Impressive cameos against Leeds and Brentford following the international break only heightened the noise around the Brazilian's name, and he was handed his full debut as Silva rang the changes against Cambridge.

Kevin has been eased into things as he adapts to life in west London, but in the minutes he has been given, the 22-year-old has taken no time to inject his personality into the game.

This, however, was not a night when Fulham or Kevin, who was guilty of trying too hard at times against Cambridge, had it all their own way.

Desperate to make an impression in the first-half, he lashed a right-footed volley into the 5,000-strong away end, much to the delight of the away support.

Fulham's struggles were not for a lack of trying on Kevin's part, though, and as he looked to drive inside with the ball, he opened up space for the overlapping Antonee Robinson at left-back.

The pair's relationship will develop over time, and it is obvious why Kevin, a right-footed left winger, has been brought in to play alongside Robinson.

Developing those relationships across the pitch will be crucial to getting the best out of Kevin, who tried, with little success, to play several give-and-goes at the top of the box as he worked space for a shot in the first-half.

In a summer where Silva complained Fulham would struggle to get the targets they wanted, Kevin looks to be a good fit for his system, picking up space centrally to allow Robinson, who got the most assists of any defender in the Premier League last season, to get forward.

Fulham are well-drilled and functional, but they've lacked flair under Silva. Kevin represents an exciting look towards the future for a Fulham side firmly established in the Premier League and now looking to play with more freedom in attack, but Silva admitted he will need time.

His progress won't be linear; his performance tonight lacked the zip and unpredictability of his first two outings off the bench, but there were signs of a player who can take charge of games.

Fulham often dropped points from winning positions last season as their lack of a clinical edge hurt them, but with Kevin in the side, they have a player confident enough to make the difference in the final third.