Sunday Fulham Stuff - 22/09/25...

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Result

Saturday 20/09
Liverpool	2-1	Everton
Brighton	2-2	Spurs
Burnley	1-1	Forest
West Ham	1-2	Palace
Wolves	1-3	Leeds
Man Utd	2-1	Chelsea
Fulham	3-1	Brentford
Iwobi Wilson Pinnok(OG)

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Fulham 3-1 Brentford

At a glance

    Mikkel Damsgaard puts Brentford in front after a mistake by Josh King

    Alex Iwobi equalises for Fulham then two minutes later tees up Harry Wilson

    Ethan Pinnock directs the ball into his own net to put Fulham further ahead

    Marco Silva's side earn second win of the season

Alex Iwobi capped a dynamic display with a goal and an assist as Fulham came from behind to beat Brentford and secure their second Premier League victory of the season.

The Bees took the lead when a careless pass from Josh King on the edge of the box was intercepted by Mikkel Damsgaard, who struck a composed low finish into the corner of the net.

Fulham equalised after Sasa Lukic's shot ballooned up into a congested box and the ball dropped for Iwobi to sweep through the legs of Brentford skipper Nathan Collins and into the net.

The Cottagers then got themselves in front two minutes later and Iwobi was instrumental, bisecting the Brentford defence with a superb pass for Harry Wilson to fire home.

Fulham's momentum continued into the second half and they increased their advantage when Ethan Pinnock misjudged a header from Ryan Sessegnon's cross and diverted the ball into his own net off his shoulder blades.

Rodrigo Muniz thought he had notched a stunning fourth with a powerful angled half-volley that Caoimhin Kelleher could not stop.

However, referee Michael Oliver consulted the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and chalked it off for a coming together between Muniz and Collins which left the Bees defender with blood pouring from his mouth.

Fulham's win helped them climb up to seventh in the table while Brentford slip down a place to 17th.

Fulham analysis: Iwobi sparkles
Before this encounter Fulham had scored just one goal from open play this season but Silva relaxed the sleeves of their defensive straitjacket against Brentford and his side played with more adventure.

That attacking ambition was spearheaded by the impressive Iwobi, whose intelligent use of the ball in possession and slickness in transition was key for the Cottagers.

For just the second time in his career - the first coming against Liverpool in April - he scored and assisted in a Premier League game.

It is rare for the joy of scoring a goal to be eclipsed by supplying one for a team-mate, yet this might have been one such instance.

Iwobi's strike was a case of right place and right time, as he crisply whipped a low effort past Kelleher following Brentford's bungled attempts to clear.

The assist for Wilson's goal 98 seonds later was the game's stellar moment, though.

The Nigeria international exquisitely threaded an angled ball out of reach of the toes of Brentford's defenders and Wilson dispatched it with aplomb.

Fulham's third goal effectively sealed the result and it then became a Silva masterclass in organisation and discipline as they saw the game out without too much threat.

Brentford analysis: Loss of belief for Bees
It's still early days in Keith Andrews' managerial reign at Brentford but the Irishman has plenty to ponder.

For starters, Brentford's haul of four points from five games is their lowest in five seasons in the Premier League.

They certainly would have hoped for more from a run of games against Sunderland, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Fulham.

Of greater concern is their ability to hold on to the lead when they get their noses in front.

The fortitude that existed under Andrews' predecessor Thomas Frank appears to have been diluted a little and this was quite a disjointed display.

Indeed, Brentford have now lost eight points from winning positions in the Premier League this season - more than any other team in the English top flight.

When Fulham got back on level terms at Craven Cottage the confidence and belief seemed to drain out of Brentford's players.

Their second-half display yielded five shots - two on target - but it's difficult to remember Bernd Leno having a testing save to make.

The season is still in its infancy but with Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City in three of their next four games, it's not going to get any easier for Andrews.

What's next for these teams?
Fulham host Cambridge United in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Craven Cottage on Tuesday, 23 September at 19:45 BST then travel to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, 28 September at 14:00.

Brentford are next in action on Saturday, 27 September at 12:30 BST when they host Manchester United in the Premier League.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cr4qzexl95dt

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Post-Brentford Press Conference
Marco Silva was full of praise as his side put in a complete performance to dismantle Brentford on derby day.

Even though we went behind to an early Mikkel Damsgaard goal, that was the only blip in an otherwise faultless performance.

Alex Iwobi, Harry Wilson and an Ethan Pinnock own goal completed the turnaround in a relentless and dominant display at the Cottage.

"We were the best team on the pitch," said Silva. "Our first-half was top level from the first minute. Front foot, very aggressive on and off the ball, building up our moments in the right way, causing them many problems with the positions of Alex Iwobi, Josh King and Saša Lukić.

"A good first 20 minutes but we conceded a goal that we didn't deserve – a mistake from ourselves in that moment. I loved the way the players reacted straight away and the support for Josh in that moment was lovely to see.

"What a reaction from us. We kept ourselves cool, but we showed character, we showed resilience and kept doing the good things we were doing before. We controlled all of the first-half from the first whistle to the last, with some great moments of football too.

"Second-half, we scored early and after that moment we didn't give much to them. We were brave, organised and kept ourselves cool, controlling the second-half. The only moments in our box came from long throws or corners.

"I'm proud of our players and the way they did it. A great night for our fans, they deserve it. Back-to-back wins in the Premier League is very important to achieve. Tonight, we won the game, we were the better team and we won the game in our way."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/20/post-brentford-press-conference/

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Wolves should rival Leeds United to sign £12m tricky winger as Fulham are 'ready to cash in' - opinion
Wolves can take advantage of Fulham's stance with a genius January swoop.

It's still early on, but initial results suggest Wolverhampton Wanderers will be in a relegation scrap this season. Four successive defeats means this is officially the worst start Wolves have ever made to a Premier League campaign.

Wanderers were always bound to be in for a tough season as soon as Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri left at the start of the summer. Jhon Arias and David Moller Wolfe were drawn in as replacements but neither are proven in England and it's almost impossible for the pair to make as much of an impact as their predecessors.

Plenty could still happen between now and the new year, but Wolves will probably be right down there come the halfway stage. New long-term contracts for Vitor Pereira and Jorgen Strand Larsen certainly reinforce some faith in the current crop but Wolves may conclude that more new additions are required to escape the drop.

Wolves should make January bid for Fulham winger
January could be crucial for the Old Gold as they seek to motor away from the bottom three. Wolves looked like they were sleepwalking to relegation before Pereira's arrival and subsequent signings at that point last year, so we could see similar action in the market once again.

Who could Wolves realistically target to make a difference, though? Well, in our view, an effort needs to be made to rectify the lack of Premier League experience. Wanderers have plenty of exciting talents but not many who are already established in the English top flight. Quite often, that can be the difference between staying up or going down.

There's one player available who could meet this criteria superbly, all while helping Wolves in a position they're seemingly lacking in. That man is Fulham winger Harry Wilson, who is now into the final 12 months of his contract and could be signed for a cut price.

Football Insider reports Fulham are ready to cash in on Wilson this January as they want to avoid losing him for free in the summer. Signed from Liverpool for around £12 million in 2021, the Wales international could be obtainable for a snip.

Why Wolves should target Wilson
Despite signing Arias and Fer Lopez in the summer, Wolves are still lacking creativity from wide areas. Arias and Lopez have high potential - and as does Rodrigo Gomes - but none of these players have made the immediate impact required to get pivotal points on the board.

There's a running theme there, and that's the lack of Premier League pedigree we've been speaking of. Wilson, meanwhile, has played 124 times in the top flight throughout his career, scoring 19 goals and providing 14 assists. Those aren't numbers to set the world alight, but it's at least proof he can compete effectively at this level.

Not only that, but Wilson put up some really impressive underlying data last season. Compared to other wingers, Wilson was in the top 15% per 90 minutes for goals (0.47), expected goals (0.33), shots (3.34) and shots on target (1.32). Wilson was also effective at defending from the front as he won 70% of his tackles and 51.4% of his duels.

If Wolves do decide they want to sign Wilson, they may face competition from Leeds United as they were heavily linked with the 28-year-old during the summer transfer window. In fact, it's been reported that the Whites are planning to reignite their interest when winter rolls in.



https://www.birminghamworld.uk/sport/football/wolves/wolves-should-sign-fulham-winger-harry-wilson-january-transfer-window-5325784

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Fulham 3-1 Brentford
Fulham recorded another memorable derby day victory over Brentford at Craven Cottage.

Just like in the fixture in SW6 last season, Marco Silva's side had to come from behind, suffering an early setback as Mikkel Damsgaard struck.

But two goals in two minutes, with Alex Iwobi and Harry Wilson the heroes, sparked first-half pandemonium at the Cottage.

After the break, we were just as relentless as an own goal saw us increase the lead, while further gloss would have been added had Rodrigo Muniz's rocket not been ruled out VAR.

Using the energy of the Cottage crowd, we pushed forwards in the opening minutes, with Nathan Collins shifting across to make a vital challenge on a rampaging Ryan Sessegnon.

Long throws have been a feature of Brentford's start to the season - and Michael Kayode's first launch into the area caused issues, flying over several heads before dropping to Bernd Leno on his goal line.

It was a corner that ultimately unlocked the Leeds defence last weekend - and here it was a Saša Lukić inswinger into a packed six-yard box that found Joachim Andersen, with Caoimhin Kelleher forced to punch away his attempt.

The pressure was being firmly put on Kelleher's goal as a Lukić piledriver zipped across the turf before sailing wide.

Brentford's opener was completely against the run of play. Josh King's loose pass was picked off by Damsgaard, who took one touch before applying a crisp finish into the bottom corner.

That setback only temporarily halted our momentum as Kelleher spilled a low Sessegnon drive, with Muniz's deft flick from the follow up landing on top of the net.

We got our rewards seven minutes out from the interval. A Lukić cross took a deflection off Ethan Pinnock, which caused chaos among the Brentford defenders, allowing Iwobi to pounce and prod home from close range.

It was a quickfire double as Wilson gave us the lead less than two minutes later. Another defensive error was punished as a relentless Muniz won the ball before laying a pass off to Iwobi. His crisp, incisive pass into the feet of Wilson was taken in the Welshman's stride, as he struck first time into the far corner past Kelleher.

Silva's side came out with the same attacking intent after the break – and the advantage was soon doubled. Andersen's pinpoint diagonal set the sensational Sessegnon free, with his wicked, flat cross too much for Pinnock, who headed into his own net.

The only thing missing from this complete display was a goal for the selfless Muniz. The striker thought he'd got on the scoresheet on the hour mark with a thunderous half volley into the near corner, only for VAR to disallow the goal following a review, with Muniz adjudged to have fouled Collins before bearing down on goal.

Another marginal call went against Muniz moments later. The left foot of Kelleher produced a fine stop as Muniz rifled another strike towards the goalkeeper's near corner, although the offside flag was up against the Brazilian.

Three straight wins over our neighbours and back-to-back victories in the Premier League. A perfect evening at the Cottage.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/20/fulham-3-1-brentford/

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Wilson strikes again as Fulham beat Brentford
Harry Wilson again inspired Fulham to victory over Brentford as they came from behind to win the derby at Craven Cottage.

The winger and fan favourite, who netted three times, in both home and away fixtures, against the Bees last season, scored once again and was instrumental throughout.

Wilson's excellent performance helped Marco Silva's side recover from going a goal down in the first half.

It is a win which now pushes Fulham up to seventh in the Premier League table, while Brentford drop to 17th.

Mikkel Damsgaard put the Bees ahead, only for the Whites to respond with first-half goals from Alex Iwobi, Wilson, and another just after the interval, when Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock scored an own goal.

In a predictably competitive start, Fulham had a slight edge, only for Brentford to take firm advantage of a basic error in the 20th minute to go in front.

Joshua King's wayward pass across the defensive line was seized upon by Damsgaard. The Dane still had some work to do, but composed himself before placing the ball right-footed and low past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno from just inside the penalty area.

Fulham, though, responded aggressively – and scored twice inside two minutes before half-time to go in front as Brentford's rearguard began to wobble.

On 38th minutes, Iwobi pounced on a loose ball to tuck past keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, after stopper Nathan Collins failed to deal with a spinning Sasa Lukic cross.

With Keith Andrews' side remaining nervy, Iwobi was involved again for the Whites' second.

The playmaker split the Brentford defence with an angled pass into the path of Wilson, who calmly despatched the ball first time into the corner of the net from around 12 yards out.

Brentford suffered another blow just four minutes into the second half, when they conceded via an own goal for Fulham's third.

Pinnock, hesitating inside the six-yard area, could only head the ball beyond Kelleher, following a well-delivered cross from the left by Ryan Sessegnon.

Rodrigo Muniz then had a goal ruled out by VAR. The striker was judged to have fouled Collins before lashing the ball past Kelleher.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon, Lukic (Cairney 86), Berge, Wilson (Cuenca 86), King (Kevin 66), Iwobi (Smith-Rowe 79), Muniz (Jimenez 79)
Subs not used: Castagne, Chukwueze, Leconte (GK), Traore

Brentford: Kelleher, Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock (Ajer 73), Lewis-Potter (Henry 65), Yarmolyuk, Henderson (Janelt 73), Damsgaard (Carvalho 87), Thiago (Ouattara 65), Schade
Subs not used: Cavalho, Hickey, Jensen, Onyeka, Valdimarsson (GK)



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-v-brentford-report-20-925

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Goal and assist for Iwobi in 98 seconds as Fulham beat Onyeka's Brentford
Super Eagles star Alex Iwobi produced a match-winning performance on Saturday, scoring and providing an assist within 98 seconds to inspire Fulham to a 3-1 comeback victory over Brentford at Craven Cottage.

Brentford had drawn first blood in the 20th minute when Mikkel Damsgaard fired home.

But Iwobi quickly turned the tide for the Cottagers, smashing in a loose ball after Brentford captain Nathan Collins failed to clear Saša Lukić's deflected effort in the 38th minute.

Less than two minutes later, the Nigerian midfielder turned provider, laying off a neat pass for Harry Wilson, who curled a superb low effort into the bottom corner to put Fulham ahead.

The 29-year-old's goal and assist increased his tally to three direct contributions in five league matches this season, underlining his continued influence since joining from Everton in 2023.

Iwobi enjoyed his most productive campaign last term with nine goals and six assists in 38 appearances, nearly firing Fulham into Europe.

As the season unfolds, Iwobi will be central to Fulham's push for continental football or domestic silverware.

Meanwhile, his compatriots Frank Onyeka and Samuel Chukwueze watched from the bench as unused substitutes.

Adeyemi Adewale



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=57172

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Fulham 3-1 Brentford: Cottagers complete remarkable turnaround to win west London derby
It is now back-to-back wins for Marco Silva's side

Fulham stung Brentford with two rapid first-half goals to fight back and win 3-1 against their west London rivals at Craven Cottage.

Harry Wilson was the hero last season in this fixture with two goals in a stunning stoppage-time turnaround and it was his finish which capped a similarly eye-catching comeback, bending into the corner to give Marco Silva's side the lead only moments after Alex Iwobi's strike had levelled the match.

A mistake by teenager Josh King had earlier gifted Brentford the lead, an opportunistic finish from Mikkel Damsgaard midway through the half after the 18-year-old had given the ball away.

It was a rare bright spot for Brentford who were for the most part second best. Fulham added a third goal to reflect their superiority when Ethan Pinnock headed into his own net early in the second half, after which Keith Andrews' side never looked like recovering.

Fulham might have led after 14 minutes but for a good reaction save from Caoimhin Kelleher, throwing up a fist to punch away Michael Kayode's wayward header towards his own goal. Sasa Lukic then drew a roar from home fans with a low drive which zipped just wide, as Fulham began the brighter.

A horrendous error gifted Brentford the lead after 20 minutes. King received the ball from goalkeeper Bernd Leno and passed straight to Damsgaard, who took two steps forward and rolled calmly into the bottom corner.

It was an unfortunate mistake from the 18-year-old, who drew a show of solidarity from his more senior team-mates to rally around him in support.

Kelleher spilled a shot from Ryan Sessegnon to give Rodrigo Muniz a chance to stick away the rebound, but Brentford's goalkeeper recovered well to smother the shot.

The Cottagers had scored only three goals all season, but then hit Brentford with two in less than a 100 seconds.

They deservedly levelled after 38 minutes when the visitors bungled the chance to clear a ball into their box.

Keane Lewis-Potter seemed caught off-balance and failed to make proper contact as the ball fell to him, his half-clearance bouncing off Kayode before landing at the feet of Iwobi to tap home.

And a remarkable turnaround was complete less than two minutes later when the goalscorer received the ball centrally from Muniz and played an excellent through-ball which was bent first time into the corner by Wilson.

The second half began with another howler and this time Brentford were culpable. Sessegnon's cross looked an easy clean-up job for Pinnock, who had no Fulham player near him.

Nathan Collins missed a header which appeared to unnerve his team-mate and rather than clear the danger, Pinnock ducked down and clumsily sent the ball past his own goalkeeper.

Fulham thought they had scored a pearler of a fourth goal when Muniz lashed the ball in at the near post, only for referee Michael Oliver to consult the pitchside monitor to judge the striker had leaned an elbow into Nathan Collins in the build-up.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-vs-brentford-premier-league-result-iwobi-wilson-b1248831.html

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Brentford bested in commanding derby win for Fulham
A terrific comeback victory at the Cottage makes it two in a row for Silva's men

Two wins in a row! More than one goal! A derby victory! It was a fine night at Craven Cottage, where an early wobble was put aside to comfortably dispatch Brentford 3-1. Goals from Iwobi, Muniz and a Sessegnon-created own goal outweighed Damsgaard's opener on a night of fine football from Fulham, and continues the upwards trend of the early stages of the campaign.

Brentford under Thomas Frank were always a pain to play, and Keith Andrews' tactics today bore many of the same signs - three solid centre-backs in a back five, physical excellence everywhere and a rapid turnaround of defending into counter-attacks. Us taking a lion's share of the early possession didn't seem to deflate them, soaking up our passes and using their defensive unit to lockdown the final third before our players could even ponder shooting. Wilson had a shot in the box deflect wide, from which Lukic's corner deflected goalwards and had to be punched by Kelleher, but these were half-chances, and Brentford rode through them.

Their 5-3-2 was reactive - dull, even - but not useless. Schade and Thiago had the pace to take the ball forward rapidly, putting the pressure on our backline in an instant, and any clearance that went to the sidelines was turned into a long-throw situation, where Kayode was more than happy to loop in the ball into the box. One bounced just in front of Leno, who was fortunate not to have knocked the ball into his own net. Infuriatingly, it was not any tactical genius that gave the visitors the lead but a mistake of our own; a scuffed pass from Josh King in the build-up gobbled up by Damsgaard, a dangerous roaming presence behind the two strikers, who arched his run and intelligently angled his shot around Leno for the opener.

It was a horrible moment for King and was followed by a few more ugly mistakes - Lukic made a similarly botched pass behind Berge to Schade, whose subsequent sprint goalwards had to be forced wide by Bassey, and a headed clearance from Andersen went off the radar and again Schade's marauding pace had to be denied by Bassey. Such errors threatened to stain Fulham's night - we'd responded well to the concession, Iwobi and Sessegnon linking nicely along the left and quick passes taking the game straight back to Brentford, and on one occasion Kelleher had been forced into saving a low-driven shot from the latter.

Thankfully, it was Brentford's slip-up that tipped the game our way. Lukic had already smacked one long shot into Pinnock and dragged another considerably wide, and a third had again found the centre-back as it looped towards the goal. But Collins decision to let the ball bounce meant his attempted clearance was scuffed, and with Muniz pressuring Van Den Berg into another rushed clearance, the deflection off Kayode fell into the path of a lurking Iwobi, who pumped the loose ball beyond Kelleher for the equaliser.

It proved the perfect catalyst. Brentford were unfortunate to have their post-goal momentum slowed by a Pinnock head-injury; Fulham wasted no time sustaining the pressure, and found a second instantly. Tete's long throw was met by Muniz, who muscled through Brentford's midfield and combined with King to drive into the heart of a scrambling defence. Laying the ball off to the left, he found Iwobi, who had the time and space to thread a delectable pass through everyone to the feet of Wilson, whose perfectly-timed run needed only a single left-footed touch to curl the ball past Kelleher. 2-1, and the game was turned on its head before halftime.

A shell-shocked Brentford came out of the interval at fullspeed, launching more aerial passes and long throws into our final third. Thankfully our lead seemed to sober us up at the back, because Bassey's tackle on Schade and Leno tipping a knock-on over the bar proved timely, crucial interventions. Such defensive contributions are vital over the course of a Premier League season, keeping games competitive and reducing the time you have to spend chasing a game, and tonight was no different. From our own half, a terrific crossfield pass from Andersen found Sessegnon, who used his space away from Kayode to float a cross into the box. Muniz and Collins missed the cross but the danger was still present - low, gangling and awkward, a misshapen Pinnock was caught on the nape by the ball, and Kelleher could only turn and watch as it fell into the corner of the net.

It was a jubilant moment, not least because it meant Brentford now had no choice but to break from their rigid defensive structures and try and use the ball to rescue the game. It required concentration for Fulham, who now had centre-backs entering their half and periods of watching Brentford on the ball. Damsgaard, a wily fox, kept popping up around the box and needed the attention of Berge to snuffle out, and Schade's energy never seemed to quell as passes were thrown for him to latch onto.

But Fulham were attuned to the situation, and holes in Brentford's backline were being spotted. Sure enough, a lofty pass from Tete was won in the air by Muniz, who knocked it down for Wilson. The Welshman played the ball into the open space, where Muniz surged ahead of a dawdling van den Berg to fire a volley too powerful for Kelleher's arm to block from goal. Alas, a foul in the build-up prevented the Brazilian striking our fourth - if Muniz's elbow hadn't clattered and bloodied Collins' mouth, he'd have had a goal for the ages.

Andrews, and soon after Silva, started to make changes - one to try and salvage the game, the other to keep the energy up and build the sharpness of the squad. Strangely the back-five was persisted with for Brentford. Henry swapped with Lewis-Potter at LWB, Ouattara offered more pace off the bench for Thiago, Janelt tried to offer more dynamic passing than Henderson, Ajer replaced a battle-weary Pinnock and Carvalho switched late with Damsgaard for a pantomime-villain cameo, but Brentford were inflexible in their formation, and thus unable to shift enough energy towards Fulham for the rest of the half. It explains why the chances they had weren't particularly devastating: a glut of corners comfortably cleared, a few long-throws that required putting out and a couple of well-worked chances that Ouattara couldn't keep on-target. The danger was still there, but Fulham knew how to deal with it, and with Cuenca arriving to give us a back-five Brentford couldn't find a way through.

The order of the goals makes this a comeback win but it doesn't really feel like one - Brentford had a coherent gameplan but Fulham were the stronger side throughout the contest, by far the more proactive and creative one and had to shoot themselves in the foot for Brentford to actually claim a goal today. I think there's a massive achievement for the team as a whole - it would have been all too familiar for Fulham to slump into submission after Damsgaard's goal, or even implode completely and let Brentford steal the game two or three-nil, but Silva has given us real steel, and combined with our solid attacking philosophy gave us a useful vision to craft our way back into the game.

I thought the attacking was sublime today. Iwobi has been our most versatile, reliable footballer and he excelled again today, combining well with Sessegnon to penetrate the defence behind Kayode, holding the space so the winger could bomb into the box, and of course turning the screw himself with attacking moves of his own. We underestimate his intelligence - he had the alertness to sneak into the box to strike our first goal, the vision to spot Wilson amongst a sea of defenders for the second and most importantly the quality to execute both exquisitely, earning himself a goal and an assist. Certainly enough to earn MOTM today - what a signing he has been for Silva over the last few years.

His teammates had a strong day today too. I think King has been tremendously unlucky recently, with the nonsense at Chelsea the other week and the spotlight on him for the gaffe with Brentford's goal, but he was actually strong again today, fighting off far larger players to take the ball forward and win territory for Fulham, and linking seamlessly with his teammates in the process. He was involved in clever passing moves all game, most notably for Wilson's goal. He channeled his visible frustration into a very mature response and should hold his head high as a result. Another Fulham starlet, the slightly older Sessegnon, also had a strong game - covering for Robinson is no easy feat, but he continues to perform well - he looks quicker than last season, taking on players, using his acceleration to get into nifty positions and sprinting back into defence when Fulham needed him to. An assist - albeit for an own-goal - is a just reward.

I liked Wilson today, who was far more active along the right against Lewis-Potter and kept Brentford's centre-backs busy. The goal was the obvious highlight (he doesn't score simple goals, does he!) but clever footwork was present all game, such as for the ruled-out Muniz goal or a quick-free kick that set King up in the box. Muniz didn't get his goal but did cause another - he started quietly against the triple centre-back threat but by the end had conquered them, forcing them into mistakes and drawing them away from his creative teammates. This is true of Lukic also - there was a fair amount of stodge in his earlier passes (and he really is fortunate not to have blown the game with his misplaced backpass to Schade) but when the performance got flowing his passes were core to keeping us on top of the game.

Berge had a great game - like Palhinha, his contributions are easy to take for granted, but the muscle, positioning and timing helped shut down Brentford's passing avenues and force the visitors into relying on the aerial route to goal. This made things much easier for Bassey and Andersen, who had a lot to deal with against Schade, Thiago and later Ouattara but could feel more confident handling crosses and lofted passes. It was a great night for them actually - it wasn't that long ago that our centre-backs were lambs to the slaughter, so for such refined players to take the mantle and come out on top in a range of attacking situations is brilliant. Tete, as always, quietly won his battles all evening - dependable as ever, and whilst there's no clean sheet this week Fulham demonstrated their evolution as a defensive unit against a physical threat.

Onto Brentford, then. I don't think Andrews is destined to relegate the Bees, and I don't think the club were solely dependant on Frank's stewardship, but there is clearly a bit of work to do to make this team close to being as effective as they were in recent seasons, and Fulham have really highlighted the limitations of their team. Three centre-backs and two defensive midfielders needs a lot of pace around it - and in it - to keep your team progressive, moving out of defence and into the opposition half. Schade was certainly an outlet and ran all match, and Damsgaard has a lot of quality, but other than those two chances were limited to long-throws and corners. Watching Henderson smack passes into Fulham players or Yarmoliuk chase shadows for 90 minutes was alarming - they needed more players to consolidate possession and put pressure on Fulham, but their back-five made that impossible to realise.

I think they can also rue some glaring defensive errors. The calamitous defending for the first goal really crumpled their entire approach, because they couldn't rely on three solid figures absorbing anything that entered the box. Collins will be furious with himself, because his error seemed to ripple throughout the team and they were at sea for the rest of the half and most of the second. Pinnock too will be frustrated - a good start devolved into a positional mess and a hideous own goal. However, they and van den Berg were still involved in a range of tackles and did stop Muniz from scoring (even if it did cost the captain some blood). I don't know why more wasn't done to support Kayode at RWB, who was continually overloaded and exposed by Fulham, and how Henry is kept on the bench when the not-even-left-footed Lewis-Potter continues to struggle at LWB is a mystery.

Perhaps the biggest problem is the lack of tactical flexibility. Back fives can work, and many a side will switch to them in certain scenarios. Fulham certainly will, as Cuenca's introduction showed. However, Silva is proactive as well as pragmatic, and only tends to switch to them when Fulham benefit from it. We also had Kevin's tricks, Cairney's calm and team-players Jimenez and Smith-Rowe coming on as well, all of whom have featured in late goal comebacks this season too. Brentford, even as they trailed by two goals, were stuck with five defensive players, and a formation that never really shook itself into life. Andrews is in the hotseat and will have to learn quite quickly that the Premier League will not wait for your team to sort out their shortcomings.

It's early days yet though, and why focus on the defeated? Fulham have another win, the first consecutive league wins since February, and a nice mood to head into a hopefully-comfortable home cup tie against League 2 Cambridge United up next, where Kevin and yet-to-debut Chukwueze should hopefully get a full runaround. There's plenty to be positive about, and with eight points from five here's hoping our current top half placing gives the squad a taste for ambition for the coming months.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/brentford-bested-in-commanding-derby

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Fulham 3-1 Brentford: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Alex Iwobi shines in the West London derby
Fulham came from behind to record a 3-1 victory over Brentford in Saturday night's West London derby at Craven Cottage.

A mistake from youngster Josh King allowed Brentford attacker Mikkel Damsgaard to send the Bees ahead, but Fulham had turned the game around before the half was out, levelling through Alex Iwobi, before Harry Wilson got his name on the scoresheet with a clever finish.

Brentford found themselves further behind in the 50th minute when Ryan Sessegnon's cross was headed into the back of his own net by Ethan Pinnock.

Fulham thought that they had scored a fourth just before the hour through Rodrigo Muniz, but the striker's effort was eventually disallowed for a foul following a VAR check.

The result has seen Fulham move into seventh spot in the Premier League table, boasting eight points from their first five matches, while Brentford sit 17th, with a tough start to the season seeing them collect four points from five games.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
Fulham have only lost once this season, and that was a controversial one at Chelsea, with Marco Silva's side having a Josh King 'goal' chalked off in what was a mistake from the officials.

There have been so many positive signs in the early stages of the campaign, and it was the same story on Saturday night, as the hosts showed character to bounce back from an early setback.

That is now eight points from five matches, which has left them two points off second, and Silva's stock continues to rise, with the Portuguese undoubtedly one of the best managers in the Premier League.

For Brentford, there were positive signs against Chelsea last time out, and they also beat Aston Villa on home soil earlier this season, but the Bees are down in 17th spot in the table.

The manner of the away team's defending at Craven Cottage was concerning, and it would not be a complete surprise if Keith Andrews' side found themselves in a relegation battle this season.

MAN OF THE MATCH - ALEX IWOBI
Iwobi was excellent for Fulham on Saturday night, scoring his side's leveller before setting up Wilson to make it 2-1, and he caused Brentford all sorts of issues at Craven Cottage.

The former Arsenal attacker also completed two successful dribbles and finished with a pass success rate of 88% during an excellent all-round performance.

FULHAM VS. BRENTFORD MATCH STATS
Possession: Fulham 53%-47% Brentford

Shots: Fulham 14-8 Brentford

Shots on target: Fulham 3-3 Brentford

Corners: Fulham 2-10 Brentford

Fouls: Fulham 11-13 Brentford

WHAT NEXT?
Fulham will be looking to book their spot in the fourth round of the EFL Cup when they welcome Cambridge United to Craven Cottage on Tuesday, before heading to Aston Villa in the Premier League next Sunday.

Brentford, meanwhile, now have a free week to prepare for next Saturday's Premier League clash against Manchester United, who will enter the clash off the back of a 2-1 win over Chelsea.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/result/iwobi-stars-as-fulham-come-from-behind-to-beat-brentford-in-west-london-derby_581946.html

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'World-class pass' – Ex-PL striker Berbatov hails Iwobi for stunning assist in Fulham's win v Brentford
Fulham have the bragging rights in the West London derby, after coming from behind to beat Brentford 3-1 at Craven Cottage on Saturday night.

A Josh King error allowed Mikkel Damsgaard to open the scoring in the 20th minute, but Alex Iwobi levelled in the 38th minute before setting up Harry Wilson just 98 seconds later, sending Fulham into the break 2-1 up.

Fulham were comfortable in the end as Ethan Pinnock's own goal four minutes after the restart game them a two-goal advantage.

In the 40th minute, Iwobi produced a delightful pass which found Wilson in stride, allowing the Welshman to fire a first-time shot into the far corner beyond the Bees goalkeeper.

The Nigeria international earned praise from former Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur striker Dimitar Berbatov for his moment of brilliance five minutes before halftime.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, Berbatov described iwobi's pass as 'unbelievable.'

"From the moment the ball reached Iwobi's feet—what a pass, unbelievable. A world-class pass, and the finish was on the same level," Berbatov said.

Berbatov emphasised the difficulty of Wilson's goal, noting that while the finish appeared effortless, it required exceptional technique.

"To connect with the ball in such a way that you guide it calmly and precisely into the corner, with finesse and technique, is extremely difficult. That's what made the goal perfect—the pass and the finish together."

When asked why he considered the pass world-class, Berbatov highlighted the skill involved.

"It's a risky pass because obviously you are counting on the defenders not reading your pass.

"The speed of that pass, the moment of the pass, to know how to pass it to a teammate.

"All these small technical details, no selfishness as well, seeing someone in a better position, trying to find him.

"These are the simple things that sometimes make the difference between a good team and a great team."

Fulham secured back-to-back wins to climb to seventh in the Premier League standings, drawing level on eight points with West London rivals Chelsea.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=57173

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Silva hails 'top-level' King after Fulham's derby triumph
Marco Silva praised Josh King for his reaction to making an error in Fulham's victory against Brentford.

King gave the ball away to Mikkel Damsgaard, who scored to put Brentford into the lead after 20 minutes.

But the youngster went on to play a key role in his side coming from behind to win 3-1.

Whites boss Silva declared: "I'm very, very impressed. Doesn't surprise me, to be honest.

"Of course we're starting to know him better, and just these moments, mistakes that we don't want to happen, but did happen – tonight we'll make him grow quicker.

"We make him feel that it's not always going to be always sunshine. Some moments it's going to be slightly dark, and he has to be ready for it. And he impressed me in the way he reacted again.

"First, in the way the team reacts, all the team within, the support from these team-mates, was lovely to see – the way he reacted straightaway, with the ball after that mistake, he wanted the ball again in his feet, he wanted to play again in his way."

King has made a name for himself this season, starting in all five Premier League matches ahead of Emile Smith Rowe.

"His effort on the pitch, he's been top level every single time on the ball and off the ball," said Silva.

"Just shows that even if he's 18 years old, apart from his talent, we all agree that he already has. He has the maturity to react in this way.

"After the first mistake, sometimes you try to hide yourself a little bit to gain confidence – but it was not the case."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/brentford/silva-hails-top-level-king-after-fulhams-derby-triumph