Match Preview
Brentford vrs Fulham
Carabao Cup: 2020/2021 Round Four at Brentford Community Stadium
Thursday 1st October 2020 KO: 17:30
Referee:
Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire)
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Fulham and Brentford head into their encounter on Thursday evening looking to earn a rare appearance in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Fulham have reached this stage of the competition courtesy of getting the better of Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday while Brentford got the better of Southampton and West Bromwich Albion, .
When Fulham earned promotion to the Premier League at the beginning of last month, Scott Parker suggested that personnel changes would be kept to a minimum.
However, on the back of three straight defeats in the top flight, co-owner Tony Khan has promised further arrivals on top of the seven new signings which have already been made in recent weeks.
The manner of the club's 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa means that it is an uncertain time for both the club and Parker, who may be concerned about the time which he will be afforded to turn things around.
Although their efforts in the Championship will not be instantly forgotten, Parker knows that survival this season is key if Fulham are to continue on an upward trajectory.
Progression in the EFL Cup is way down the list of priorities, but the Englishman will not want to give club officials any further reason to doubt whether he is the right man to take the team to the next level.
Key figures and supporters may have felt the same when Thomas Frank was promoted to the role of Brentford head coach when Dean Smith departed in 2018.
The Dane has proven people wrong by producing and continuing to develop a team which are playing some of the best football below the top flight, as well as reaping the financial benefits through player sales.
Frank has made alterations in this competition, but that has not stopped Brentford from overcoming Southampton and West Brom in recent weeks.
Despite their costly loss of form at key moments last season, the Bees do not look like faltering any time soon, and they will have full confidence that they can take another Premier League scalp regardless which players who take to the pitch on Thursday night.
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Brentford have lost just one of their last six meetings with Fulham in all competitions (W3 D2), losing 1-2 in the Championship play-off final in August.
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Brentford have progressed from two of their three League Cup ties against Fulham, doing so in the first round in both 1988-89 and 1992-93. However, they did lose the last such meeting 0-1 in August 2014.
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Fulham haven't reached the League Cup quarter-final since the 2004-05 campaign, with this just their fourth appearance in the fourth round since then.
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Of the 7 away Cup games Fulham has lost, they conceded first 5 times.
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Brentford are looking to reach the League Cup quarter-final for the first time - their two previous fourth round appearances saw them eliminated in 1982-83 and 2010-11.
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Brentford have seen off Premier League opponents in rounds two and three so far - the Bees had only progressed from two of their previous 22 League Cup ties against top-flight opposition before this season.
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Of the 9 cup games Brentford has won at home, they scored first 7 times.