Sunday Fulham Stuff - 19/04/26...

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Results

Saturday 18/04
Brentford	0-0	Fulham
Leeds	3-0	Wolves
Newcastle	1-2	Bournemouth
Spurs	2-2	Brighton
Chelsea	0-1	Man Utd

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Brentford 0-0 Fulham

At a glance

    Brentford go close through Igor Thiago inside 10 minutes

    Keane Lewis-Potter fires over in first-half stoppage time

    Fulham's Alex Iwobi taken off with an injury

    The Cottagers fail to register a shot on target

    Brentford stay seventh in Premier League, Fulham 12th

Brentford missed the chance to go sixth in the Premier League with a goalless draw against visitors Fulham - their fifth consecutive stalemate in the top flight.

A win would have helped the Bees overtake Chelsea and boost their chances of qualifying for a debut European campaign but they failed to capitalise in a game of few real chances at Gtech Community Stadium.

Fulham had the majority of possession but it was Brentford who had the best of chances in a lacklustre early kick-off.

Igor Thiago, only one behind 22-goal Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, headed wide from close range early on while Keane Lewis-Potter fired just over Bernd Leno's goal from eight yards in the dying seconds of the first half.

Dango Ouattara, who attempted the only shot on target before the interval, failed to trouble Leno again with an effort from distance in the 58th minute.

An unmarked Mikkel Damsgaard then failed to hit the target with a first-time effort from the edge of the box after Kevin Schade played him through as frustration continued to build for Keith Andrews' side.

Harry Wilson produced a well-timed run to get on the end of a cross in the 78th minute but dragged his shot wide in a rare opening for Fulham.

Leno then tipped over a free-kick from Mathias Jensen before the German goalkeeper emerged as Fulham's hero with a brilliant save to deny Ouattara from point-blank range in stoppage time to salvage the draw.

Brentford remain seventh with 48 points, while Fulham are 12th, three points behind the Bees with five matches remaining.

Brentford analysis: Thiago kept quiet by visitors
Thiago has been Brentford's talisman this season and is giving Manchester City's Haaland a run for his money to land the Golden Boot.

Last week, Thiago's opener against Everton made him the first Brazilian to score 20 goals in a Premier League season, and he broke the record for the most goals by a Brentford player in the top flight with his second.

So all eyes were on Thiago again as the Bees looked to consolidate their top-seven position with a much-needed win against Fulham - especially after conceding a late equaliser to Everton last weekend.

But the Cottagers succeeded in keeping the dangerous striker at bay for most of the afternoon - he was restricted to two attempts, going closest with a 10th-minute header.

And the result? A fifth consecutive league draw for Brentford for the first time since 1957, one that will hurt their chances of securing European football next season.

With former manager Thomas Frank watching from the stands, the Bees were wasteful in front of the goal, producing 13 shots - four of them on target - and generating an expected goals (xG) of 1.36.

Brentford's last win in the league came against Burnley at the end of February and Andrews, who did not make any substitutions on Saturday, will need to return his team to winning ways soon if they are to avoid letting a promising season drift away.

Fulham analysis: Cottagers toothless in derby
Heading into this fixture, Brentford had just one home win in 2026 while Fulham had one away victory during the same period.

So, with hindsight, a draw should not have come as a big surprise.

Aiming to do a double over Brentford for the second season running, the Cottagers made an underwhelming start before finding a foothold in the game when Ryan Sessegnon and Alex Iwobi offered some threat down the left wing.

It was, however, fleeting as Iwobi pulled up with a hamstring issue five minutes before the interval and had to be replaced by his Nigerian compatriot Samuel Chukwueze.

Wilson, who has 10 goals and six assists in 30 appearances and scored as they recovered from going behind to beat the Bees 3-1 in September, had the best of their chances but failed to trouble Caoimhin Kelleher.

None of their 10 shots found the target - the first time they have finished a game without a single shot on target since facing Arsenal in October.

They had Leno to thank for avoiding a late defeat but the draw in the west London derby will not help either side's chances in the race for European spots.

What's next for these teams?
Brentford will make the trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in their next Premier League fixture on Monday, 27 April (20:00 BST), after Fulham take on Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on Saturday, 25 April (12:30).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cx2dg2neg2mt

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Post-Brentford Press Conference
Marco Silva was left frustrated with Fulham's 0-0 draw at Brentford.

His side battled well throughout the 90 but failed to create many clear chances.

"It was not at all the result we wanted. As always, we come with the ambition to win the game. The performance, we played better in the first half.

"We changed completely our three midfielders to compare with the last game against Liverpool, and it did work well in the first half, we were able to control well."

The boss believed his side were on top in the first 45, but let control slip in the second period.

"There were not many big chances in the first half, but Sess did find himself in a good position, he didn't find the target in a very good open play moment. Brentford had one good chance from a set piece but, apart from that, nothing more.

"I believe that we dropped in the last 30 minutes. We started to lose control of the game, we lose too many duels in terms of physicality in the second half, and that is the reason why they pushed more than us. They were more in control of the game."

In a match with very few moments for both sides, it was Bernd Leno who came up with the most crucial moment, denying Brentford a late winner with a superb reaction save from close range.

"They had a big chance. Big save from Leno in that decisive moment, but this chance came from a situation that we cannot lose the ball."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/april/18/post-brentford-press-conference/

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Marco Silva reacts to Fulham's draw against Brentford 🗣� | Post match interview

Marco Silva discusses Fulham's 0-0 draw away at Brentford in the Premier league.

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Brentford and Fulham draw in derby stalemate
Brentford and Fulham were unable to break the deadlock in a disappointing west London derby.

Both sides are chasing a European place – the Bees still have a change of reaching the Champions League – but the game was unexpectedly lacking in intensity.

Brentford had the better chances and went close in the first half, when Igor Thiago headed Mathias Jensen's cross against the post.

In the second half, Dango Ouattara's shot was saved by Fulham keeper Bernd Leno, and Nathan Collins headed wide from Jensen's corner.

And in stoppage time, Leno produced a superb save to keep out Ouattara's goal-bound strike, before Collins again headed wide from a Jensen corner.
Brentford: Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Damsgaard; Ouattara, Thiago, Schade.
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson.

Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Andersen, Sessegnon (Robinson 81); Cairney (Bobb 81), Lukić; Wilson, Smith Rowe (King 67), Iwobi (Chukwueze 43); Muniz (Jimenez 67).
Subs not used: Lecomte, Reed, Berge, Diop.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/brentford/brentford-and-fulham-draw-in-derby-stalemate

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Brentford 0-0 Fulham
Fulham & Brentford played out a tense goalless draw at the GTech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

A match that produced little to no gilt edge chances, it was Bernd Leno who undoubtedly ensured the spoils were shared with a magnificent save in the dying stages.

Marco Silva made four changes to the side from our Anfield defeat last Saturday. Ryan Sessegnon, Saša Lukić, Emile Smith Rowe & Club captain Tom Cairney all returned to the starting XI for a crunch match in West London.

It was a deceptively chilly day as the referee got the match under way in the cozy surrounds of the Gtech Community Stadium.

It was a cagey opening ten minutes from both sides with Brentford looking ominous from set pieces with Igor Thiago flashing a contested header wide in the ninth minute. Alarming signs were also present with regards to consistency in bookings, with Lukić booked for a foul and a Brentford player seemingly ignored for a similar offence.

After stagnant stretch Fulham began to enjoy spells of possession. In the 32nd minute Cairney slipped a neat ball into the path of Sess on the edge of the Brentford box. It sat up nicely but the left-back snatched at the shot and ball went over the bar.

In the 41st minute Fulham were forced into the first change. Alex Iwobi, who had been deployed on the left flank pulled up innocuously chasing for a ball and was replaced by Samuel Chukwueze.

The referee brought thr first half to a close with Fulham enjoying 60% percent possession but with very little to show for it.

Within five minutes of the first half Fulham produced a neat sequence around the opposition box but Lukić was unable to control his left-footed shot, and his effort went harmlessly wide.

With a few feisty challenges in the opening forays of the half both sets of fans were finally activated and the tempo increased noticeably.

In the 62nd minute the deadlock was almost broken when Mikkel Damsgaard unleashed a first-time effort from a strong Kevin Schade flick on. His left-footed volley appeared to be lofting into the near post but thankfully it looped wide of the post.

Brentford continued to threaten from set plays with Nathan Collins a constant menace, but the clash remained in the deadlock.

There was all to play for with ten minutes remaining and Leno needed to be alert to parry a delightful freekick behind for a corner in the 84th minute but in the 90th minute the German produced save of the season to deny Dango Ouattara from close range. A careless clearance allowed the Bees in and after a neat cut back across the box it appeared to be curtains for our point on the road. However, Bernd came to the rescue with an outrageous reaction save to deflect it over the bar.

It proved to be the final key action of the game and the points were shared in West London.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/april/18/brentford-0-0-fulham/

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Draw specialists Brentford unable to cash in on second half superiority as Leno ensures Fulham clean sheet
Premier League

Brentford 0

Fulham 0

A frantic game full of good intentions meandered to the conclusion which had looked on the cards almost from the word go.

The Bees will feel they did enough to pinch it towards the end - when it needed a superb Bernd Leno save to ensure parity - but this was game of modest and only fleeting excitement.

For once, Harry Wilson was not able to turn the game Fulham's way. He had scored in the previous three encounters between the sides - all of them won by the Whites. This time, he had a late half-chance but failed to connect properly with his weaker right foot with a ball launched in from the left.

The draw is Brentford's fifth in a row in the league and although they remain very much in the mix when it comes to European qualification, they could have done with turning one of two of those into a win.

There was plenty of pace in the game. The tempo was good and the fans at both ends of the Gtech were in good voice for this west London derby. But neither side could make the desired impact in the opposition area.

Only three points separated these sides at kick off, though that was enough to put the Bees five places higher in the table and a whisker away from sixth placed Chelsea. They look the more likely European contenders.

The underwhelming nature of the first 45 minutes was no real surprise, given that Fulham had failed to score in the first half of their eight previous away games. They have now equalled an unwanted club record by making it nine.

The Bees looked more threatening as the game wore on though. Dango Ouatarra 's shot at goal packed a punch but was well seen by Leno. Mikkel Damsgaard hooked a shot just over from Kevin Schade's knock down.

The Bees started to apply pressure and during their better spell, Sasa Lukic was lucky not to collect a second yellow for pulling back an escaping player - Keith Andrews and his players certainly thought so.

Mathias Jensen curled a free-kick towards the top corner and Leno tipped it off target. Michael Kayode's long flat throw almost carved open a chance for Keane Lewis-Potter, but only a brilliant save from Leno at the death denied Ouatarra from close range after the ball had been whipped into the six yard box by Lewis-Potter.

Given that the Bees had a weak bench and made no substitutions throughout, the moral victory was probably theirs, but this game will not live too long in the memory.

Bees: (4-2-3-1) Kelleher - Kayode, van den Berg, Collins, Lewis-Potter - Yarmoliuk, Jensen - Ouatarra, Damsgaard, Schade - Igor Thiago

Whites: (4-2-3-1) Leno - Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon (Robinson 81) - Lukic, Cairney (Bobb 81) - Wilson, Smith Rowe (King 67), Iwobi (Chukwueze 43) - Rodrigo Muniz (Jimenez 67)

Attendance: 17,171



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/draw-specialists-brentford-unable-to-cash-in-on-second-half-dominance-as-leno-ensures-fulham-clean-s

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Brentford 0-0 Fulham: Bees fall short of top six as Cottagers force derby draw
Bern Leno made a remarkable stop to deny Dango Ouattara a winner at the death

Wasteful Brentford missed a chance to climb into the top six as they were held to a goalless draw by west London neighbours Fulham.

A drab derby ended in stalemate after Bees top scorer Igor Thiago hit the goal frame, Keane Lewis-Potter blazed a glorious chance over and Bernd Leno made a stunning last-minute save from Dango Ouattara.

A fifth straight draw keeps them in the European shake-up, however, as well as ending a run of three consecutive defeats by their rivals from along the Thames.

It was also a reminder of happier times for former Bees boss Thomas Frank, who paid a visit to his old club for the first time since he was sacked by Tottenham in February.

The popular Dane was probably mulling over certain career choices as he watched from the stands alongside club owner Matthew Benham and sporting director Phil Giles, with Brentford having gone from strength to strength since he left last summer.

Fulham are also in the European mix, but slow starts have cost them too often this season and they almost fell behind in the 10th minute when Mathias Jensen crossed for Thiago, whose header grazed a post.

Moments later Thiago turned Calvin Bassey in the penalty area but Joachim Andersen slid in to block his shot.

Fulham should have gone ahead when Alex Iwobi and Tom Cairney combined to set up Ryan Sessegnon, but the full-back lifted his shot high over the crossbar.

It was the final contribution for Iwobi, who limped off feeling his hamstring shortly before half-time.

In first-half stoppage time Lewis-Potter created a glorious chance for himself by dragging the ball back only to blaze over from six yards.

Brentford threatened first again after the break, with Ouattara wriggling free in the box only to drill his shot straight at Leno.

Mikkel Damsgaard was next to try his luck with an ambitious volley from the edge of the area which flew just wide of Leno's post.

Bees captain Nathan Collins almost marked his 100th appearance for the club with a goal but his header flashed wide.

As the clock ticked down Harry Wilson was lucky to escape a booking for a wild lunge on Damsgaard, with not even a foul given.

Seconds later the Fulham winger appeared in the Brentford box only to pull his volley wildly off target.

Then, in the final minute, Ouattara hooked a low cross goalwards and Leno stuck out an arm to make a remarkable point-blank save to preserve a point for the visitors.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/brentford-fulham-result-premier-league-b1279206.html

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Leno heroics earn a draw at Brentford
A string of late saves keeps the score 0-0 at the Community Stadium

After being marooned across a series of trains last weekend I'm back! But Fulham aren't, and our race for Europe is turning into more of a traipse. Today's derby against Brentford was not an advert for the Premier League, as we played out a low-quality goalless draw against Keith Andrew's side to remain in 12th in the table. It was not an advert for Silva's side, and in truth Bernd Leno can take most of the plaudits for his second-half saves, preventing us from another defeat with a reminder of his worthiness as our number one. On this evidence, our dreams of a return to the continent will have serious work to come to fruition.

First Half
It wasn't a thrilling start. Accusations of Fulham being on the beach won't abate with the snoozy lull much of our half was played with. Lukic earnt an early yellow card for halting an attack by pulling Schade to the ground - not unreasonable, but a little egregious when a little later Jensen hauling Smith Rowe to the floor in a position far closer to goal didn't receive a booking. Arguably the advantage being played, Wilson being dispatched by Smith Rowe along the right and firing a shot into Muniz, took Tierney's mind away from the incident. It was Fulham's best piece of play for 30 minutes - we played in a bit of a stupor, cantering around the pitch without much of a purpose and struggling to muster anything to threaten Kelleher. Cairney entering the team moved Iwobi out wide, who took time to warm into his left wing position, and a series of overhit passes to Sessegnon from Andersen saw us squander possession needlessly.

Brentford had the energy early on, using Schade, Thiago and Ouattara to charge around our half in search of the ball. Their through balls were a touch more accurate than ours, Damsgaard threading a clinical pass into dangerous areas more than once. But their killer touch, perhaps numbed through drawing each of their games since February, wasn't there. A one-touch pass from the Dane let Ouattara bound into the final third, but Andersen marshalled him well to see him produce a tame shot for Leno to smother. The Burkinabe was involved again, tripped by Bassey on the edge of the box following a smart bit of pressing from Brentford, but upon receiving the advantage over-played their move and were forced away from goal. A third involvement, following Yarmoliuk intercepting another woeful Andersen pass and Damsgaard slipping him behind the backline, needed Leno to come off his line to smother the shooting opportunity - thankfully the offside flag would have spared us anyway. Kayode attempted to use his own pace to strike, striding from defence into attack, but Bassey used his own muscle to shut the move down when the right-back knocked the ball past him.

This was enough to shake Fulham awake, and we saw a marginal improvement in the second phase of the half. Lukic taking a bit of aggression to Brentford across their half, combined with Cairney getting on the ball more, let Fulham string together a few decent sequences, eating ourselves into Brentford territory and decreasing the threat their paciest players had of charging at us. Some combinations along the left between the captain, Iwobi and Sessegnon gave us an inroad to the box, forcing an awkward Kelleher push away for a corner at one stage and a handful of shooting opportunities in the aftermath. Brentford's work in the box was solid though - with Muniz in second gear and dangerman Wilson hugging the wing, van den Berg commanded the box and prevented Kelleher from having to make a save. Our closest effort was one his intervention put off - Iwobi and Cairney combined to get Sess, moving central, in a shooting position inside the box, but under pressure from the centre-back he smacked his shot well over the bar.

And then, disaster. A smart interception from Smith Rowe set Cairney away through the middle. Schade charged back into defence to block Cairney's lay off and the ball ricocheted leftwards, perfectly arched for our winger to join the play... until his hamstring went, forcing Iwobi to pull up and slump dejected on the floor. He departed for Chukwueze, likely for the last time this season, and lulled by the setback our attacking energy fell away. It made for a sour end to the half, the injury falling either side of dangerous corners for Brentford, Jensen's from the left being flicked on by Schade, and via Muniz needing a goalline clearance from Lukic, and Damsgaard's from the right fell via clearance to Schade, whose pass to Lewis-Potter let him drag the ball back to deceive the defence and lift the ball over them for a shot. Only his rushed execution spared us a late concession, the ball flying comfortably over the bar - we would need to be much sharper in the second period to turn the game our way.

Second Half
There was certainly an increase in energy from both sides at the start of the second half, but it wasn't well spent. I don't think there's questions over the motivation of these sides to take a victory off a West London rival, but the execution was clumsy, dire at times, and made for dismal viewing at times. Kelleher turning Muniz on the edge of his own box might have been the highlight (and even that was caused by his own poor first touch!) Players bundled into each other repeatedly, Collins catching a stray arm from Lukic and his own teammate on separate occasions. The standard of passing was appalling - at one stage, a comical sequence around the centre-circle saw possession switch between sides four or five times in a row.

You could see what both sides were trying. Cairney continued to enjoy himself, cruising around the pitch waiting for a gap to slot the ball into, but his teammates couldn't find their own clinicality. Chukwueze and Sess's speed took them into good positions on the left yet the Englishman's flakey touches let him down repeatedly, the most egregious being a hideous touch in the box that saw him rush a lay off to Lukic, meaning he skied his first-time shot. Brentford's faster set of players weren't threatened by these attacks and took the opportunity to switch play quickly with long, aerial balls. Lewis-Potter excelled here - be it from his own half or in the space Castagne and Wilson left him on the right, he sent missiles across the pitch for Ouattara to capitalise on. The best of these, a cross over the box to his feet, let Ouattara move the ball goalside of Sessegnon and smash a shot at goal; Leno was firm and took the speed out of the move.

A flurry of Brentford chances forced Silva's hand. A Jensen free kick narrowly sailed over van den Berg's head, an Ouattara cross saw Kayode head a ball on-target for Leno to catch and a Jensen ball into the final third from a deep wide right position was headed down by Schade ahead of Castagne, prompting a Damsgaard volley on the bounce that narrowly travelled wide. Fulham made the first of their intentional changes - King and Jimenez arrived for Smith Rowe and Muniz, the latter of whom had failed to make an impact in the game. But Brentford were on the front foot, and our fresh legs were spent chasing our hosts around the park. Damsgaard continued to shine, playing balls into the pockets of space appearing around our defence - solid work from Bassey and Andersen kept the ball from being turned goalwards - or even touched in the box - by Igor Thiago.

Brentford weren't the only team with a malfunctioning top scorer. Wilson, enduring one of his poorer games of the season, was fortunate not to be penalised for a decidedly clumsy challenge on Damsgaard by the sideline. In the aftermath, a nice sequence of passes that worked us back into Brentford's final third, Lukic curled a killer pass over the defence for Wilson to take, sneaking ahead of Lewis-Potter. But it was met with a rancid touch, too poor for a shot or a cross, that saw our clearest opportunity of the game trickle aimlessly out for a goalkick.

Slowly, the hosts drew closer. Ouattara continued to fizz on the right, getting the better of Sess to put a cross towards goal that Leno had to punch away, and doing the same with a corner. Robinson came off the bench to attempt to remedy the situation, along with Bobb for the captain, but it left us exposed in the heart of the team, Lukic the sole recognised central midfielder on a yellow and struggling to keep the team moving as he'd done earlier. Lewis-Potter, now flying down the wing, won a foul off a clumsy Bobb challenge - Jensen's delivery was good again, and needed Leno to tip yet another cross over the bar. The keeper was in action moments later, rushing out of his box to stop Thiago Silva devouring a hefty clearance ahead of our backline.

The signs were ominous, and Brentford committed their defenders to the attack. Kayode's long throws had been dealt with well for most of the game, but it only takes one to change the game - one barrelled into the heart of our box, into the swarm of red that had made a home there. Lewis-Potter, ever eager to be involved in the action, leapt like a salmon and flicked the ball goalwards. Free of Andersen, it looked to be going in - but it struck Thiago, unaware of the ball's location, and Fulham scraped out of crisis.

But incredibly, it wasn't the closest we came to sinking. A horrible piece of play from Andersen let Thiago steal the ball from him. Damsgaard played an incisive ball down the left, guiding it through our ailing troops. It came again to Lewis-Potter, breezing away from Castagne, who drilled a ball into the box for Ouattara in the middle to gather. Leaning away from the ball, the forward curled a close-range shot towards the net at close range - only to be denied a certain goal by the outstretched arm of Bernd Leno, who'd reacted brilliantly to divert the ball over the bar. Bassey's jubilant reaction summed it up - he'd saved us from collapsing at the death (albeit after Collins headed the resulting corner wide with a free header). The emotion of the moment likely exhausted the players for the rest of the game - the final chance of note, a free kick won by a nice piece of trickery by Bobb, saw a poor delivery cleared simply by Collins and the rebound shot sliced well off-target by the Norwegian. Truly, Leno was the man to thank for the point.

Faltering Fulham
Here's an ugly statistic - Fulham have not scored a goal in the first half for nine consecutive games. Here's another one - Fulham have failed to score a goal whatsoever in five of their last six games. What's going on?

One area to point at is our injury record. Iwobi trudged off today, and it's a summary of the season - constant injuries leaving our under-resources squad threadbare in critical areas. Alex has been covering for Kevin on the left and in central midfield, Castagne is covering for Tete, we've had to rely quite heavily on the goals of Harry Wilson, also without a break in months, because the man who was supposed to be having a breakthrough season as our leading man has spent the majority of it on the physio's bench, and his (second) return to first team football has been rushed... We're not seeing the team at their best because they aren't fit, have spent most of the season filling in for one-another and desperately need the summer break to get themselves back to match fitness. In the meantime, we get anonymous outings from Muniz, cumbersome passing from the wings and Harry Wilson barely able to put his spark into the match.

Marco will catch a lot of the flak - he's the man putting the team together, and at the moment it looks disjointed and lethargic. It's very true that the team is flat, the players aren't performing and our squad, whilst impacted by injuries, should have the depth to avoid being put on a knife's edge against a Brentford team we beat 3-1 earlier in the season. It's also true that we scraped through the second half thanks to Bassey winning so many one-on-ones and Leno's fine work in goal, and could have faced an uglier scoreline but for their interventions.

There's a fair few players underperforming in the team at the moment - Andersen was strong with his defensive duties, but on the ball a mess today, and by the end of the game had actively caused a series of calamities at the back for us. Castagne's shortcomings are well-documented, but Sessegnon is also a concern - he is not a left-back, and if he weren't having to keep such an eye on his defending he would be able to sharpen up in attack, which was sorely needed. Cairney and Lukic were probably the best players outside the keeper and Bassey but the captain isn't a 90 minutes man and swapping him for Bobb let Brentford run the game for the closing stages. We looked listless, and it's not a good look for the team, as despite only being three points away from the European spaces (which could be fewer depending on results elsewhere) it feels a bridge too wide for us right now.

So what's the answer? Silva has long made noise about recruitment, and there is certainly a good argument to be made given the longstanding weaknesses we struggled with today, but another may point to a larger question - is Marco still the man to take the club forward? I am still in the yes-camp - there are far worse fates for Fulham than "season peters out in mid-table" and we need only cast our eyes down the table to see what that looks like - but there is a rebuild of sorts that needs to happen in the summer, and several components around the club need to ask themselves if they have the financial commitment, emotional energy and motivation to put us back on the path towards challenging for the European places. If Brentford can do it, why can't we?

Brentford for Europe?
On that thought - and it's a painful one for many of us - our rivals are level on points with a faltering Chelsea, and are well-placed to make it into one of the European competitions by the end of the season. They have long been cited as a well-run club and they appear to be completing the journey we long for ourselves - elevating out of mid-table battles to get into the same competitions as the "big 6".

Of course, the team are also winless in five, and have three 0-0 draws in that run as well, meaning there's an element of precariousness the side could have avoided. Hindsight might ask of Andrews why he didn't make a single change in the game, even if Brentford had the better of us across the second half, and playing with Yarmoliuk and Jensen when the screw might have been turned by introducing more pace from the bench could have etched out the winner. It could just as equally have let us pinch our own from a counter against a weakened defence though, so there is a counter to that line of thought.

I don't think there's too much to moan about from their perspective - whilst the draws are frustrating, it largely keeps them in pace with the rest of an inconsistent set of teams (ourselves included) that hover around the upper-mid-table. Thiago had a poor game in attack today but his presence is a menace, and occupies defenders enough to get Schade and Ouattara the space they need - they too benefit from their full-backs charging down the flank with the pace they do, and with Damsgaard never too far from an insightful pass there's a lot to be happy about in spite of the goalless draw. Leno alone stopped them from scoring a fair few times - there is a reason he pinched the MOTM at the death. Kelleher also took a clean-sheet too - whilst I am not fully convinced Lewis-Potter is a long-term left-back option, the centre-backs were resolute and kept Muniz or Jimenez from doing anything of note across the whole game. It's an encouraging place to be in for Brentford, and all that remains is to see if they have the nerve to end their run of draws and get across the line.

It's still not over for us though. Despite all I've written, there's no reason Fulham can't also power themselves into these last five games and at least take more fight than they did here into the run-in. There is more chance of keeping a happy, revitalised Marco Silva, and definitely the diamond-like talents of a fully-fit Harry Wilson, if we throw some points together and climb up the table - particularly given how many places may be available for qualification by the end of this season! With three home games and a trip to last-placed Wolves coming up there's no reason to lay down the sword - our meek outing here does not have to define the remainder of the campaign.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/leno-heroics-earn-a-draw-at-brentford

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Iwobi injury worries ease after Fulham's derby draw
Marco Silva believes a hamstring injury Alex Iwobi picked up during Fulham's goalless draw at Brentford does not appear to be serious.

Iwobi went off just before half-time and was replaced by Samuel Chukwueze.

But Whites boss Silva explained: "The first reaction that I got from him is that it is not so bad.

"In the next 24 hours, 48 hours, the exams will give us a clear picture, and we can be more clear about the availability until the end of the season."

A win would have taken Fulham level on points with their west London rivals in the battle for a European place.

But they struggled to create clear-cut chances and relied on keeper Bernd Leno, who produced a number of saves.

Silva admitted: "It was not at all the result we wanted when you came here.

"We drew and we should not be pleased. We were more dominant first half. The moment we lost Alex had an impact.

"As always, you come with ambition to win the game. This afternoon was another chance to get three points. We got one and we have to move on.

"We have to go game by game. We have to look for the next one as the most important one, that is a cliché, but it's the reality in football."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/iwobi-injury-worries-ease-after-fulhams-derby-draw

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Alex Iwobi set to miss remainder of season after injury in Fulham's draw at Brentford
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi could miss the remainder of the season after suffering a suspected hamstring injury during Fulham's draw against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.

Iwobi retained his place in the Cottagers' starting XI for the visit to fellow European hopefuls Brentford in the weekend's opening Premier League fixture.

With both teams evenly matched heading into the contest, a tight affair was expected. The opening exchanges produced few chances, as both sides cancelled each other out in a crowded midfield.

Unfortunately for Fulham, they lost Iwobi in the 42nd minute. The Super Eagles star went to the ground unchallenged, clearly in pain, and required immediate attention from the medical staff.

It quickly became apparent that he could not continue, and he was eventually substituted. Iwobi's grimace while clutching the back of his thigh strongly suggested a hamstring strain.

Fellow Super Eagles international Samuel Chukwueze replaced Iwobi, but he struggled to influence the match, which ultimately ended goalless. It was a gritty encounter with few clear-cut opportunities; on the balance of play, a draw was a fair result for both sides.

When Will Alex Iwobi Return to Action?
Given Iwobi's reaction, there is a high probability that he has sustained a hamstring injury. Typically, such injuries sideline players for four to six weeks, depending on the severity.

However, Iwobi is known for his durability. Throughout his career, he has rarely been sidelined for more than a few weeks at a time. Consequently, there remains a slight possibility of a quicker-than-expected recovery.

Nevertheless, if the initial fears are confirmed, the 29-year-old will forced to watch Fulham's final five games of the campaign from the sidelines. With the Premier League season concluding on May 24—just over five weeks away—time is not on his side.



https://soccernet.ng/2026/04/alex-iwobi-fulham-brentford-epl.html