Fulham produced their best performance of the season so far to beat Brentford 3-1 in a quite sensational west London derby at Craven Cottage on Saturday. Fulham started on the back foot after Mikkel Damsgaard opened the scoring for Brentford. Then they quickly came roaring back, scoring three consecutive goals to earn their second win in less than a week. The match showcased Fulham’s resilience and attacking prowess, particularly highlighted by Harry Wilson’s standout performance.
Fulham’s starting lineup featured goalkeeper Bernd Leno, defenders Kenny Tete, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Ryan Sessegnon, along with midfielders Sander Berge, Sasa Lukic, and Wilson, and forwards Josh King, Alex Iwobi, and Rodrigo Muniz. Brentford started the match well and rattled stand-in goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher early. Their back line included defenders Nathan Collins and Ethan Pinnock amongst others.
Early Setback for Fulham
Brentford opened the scoring with just 23 minutes on the clock when Mikkel Damsgaard restored the Bees’ advantage with a clever finish. This 19th minute goal immediately placed Fulham on the defensive as they needed to score to avoid elimination. Yet, it was their defensive lapses that’s given Brentford the chance to seize momentum from the start of the game.
Fulham’s answer came quick, but it was an adventurous road back to level terms. The initial critical mistake came when Nathan Collins attempted to clear a deflected shot. This blunder opened the door for Fulham to grab the equalizer. The White’s passionate home crowd celebrated as Fulham equalized and showed a commitment to socking it to the favorite crosstown rivals.
“When your luck is out, it is out.” – Rob Green
Fulham really did try to take the game to Birmingham. The atmosphere in Craven Cottage shifted as the fans rallied behind their team, urging them to seize control of the match.
Dominant Second Half
Fulham’s bright start to the second half quickly turned into disaster. Blades’ attackers made the most of Brentford’s backline frailty. Kelleher would have had no chance with Pinnock’s decisive third goal for Fulham too. The powerful header from a corner sustained the pressure. The importance of this goal can’t be overstated as it swung all the momentum and then some to Fulham.
Josh King was a thorn in Aston Villa’s side and was instrumental in pushing Fulham’s front-foot attack before being replaced later on the match. His central contributions were key in opening up chances and maintaining pressure on Brentford’s backline.
Alex Iwobi was the most influential sub, creating an equaliser within minutes of coming on. His superb display saw him pick up player of the match as his reward. The forward vision and passing accuracy of his game ensured he was on hand to orchestrate the majority of Fulham’s attacking moves.
Brentford’s Struggles Persist
Brentford’s defensive problems have been apparent this season, especially in their away games. Keith Andrews, Brentford’s manager, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance despite the loss. What impressed him was the mentality that the players arrived with, how they faced up to the challenge.
I certainly didn’t feel any of that leading up to the game, Andrews told media after the game. The players came in with a championship mentality.
Brentford’s bench was Outtara, Henry, Ajer, Janelt and Carvalho. As the game wore on, they became unable to play a key role. The pattern that their shaky form has established. After that, the last two seasons have been a study in the dichotomy of their home versus away performance.
Fulham really should have made it three, Rodrigo Muniz blasting a third effort home. But VAR intervened and ruled it out for offside, preserving the final score at 3-1.
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