Match Preview
Brentford v Fulham
Premier League Match Day 26 22-23 Gtech Community Stadium
Monday 6th March 2023 KO: 20:00
Referee:
Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Live on Sky Sports
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The Gtech Community Stadium serves up an intriguing Premier League offering on Monday night, as continental chasers Fulham visit London rivals Brentford.
Fulham are in possession of a certain super sub who produced a super equaliser during the visit of Wolves two Fridays ago.
For the third Premier League game running, Manor Solomon's impact off the bench was a telling one, as the Israeli attacker curled home a delightful equaliser following Pablo Sarabia's opener, keeping Fulham in the top seven of the rankings and level on points with Liverpool before the Reds take on Manchester United on Sunday.
A special season for Marco Silva could yet end with European qualification and an elusive piece of silverware - an FA Cup quarter-final with Manchester United awaits thanks to a 2-0 win over Leeds United in midweek - where Solomon was on the scoresheet alongside tackle-master Joao Palhinha.
Victory over the Whites made it seven games unbeaten for Fulham in all tournaments, and Silva's side make the journey across the capital having conceded just one goal in their last five Premier League games away from Craven Cottage, and even then Alexander Isak had to wait until minute 89 to propel Newcastle United to a narrow triumph.
Silva's side edged a 3-2 thriller when Brentford made the journey to Craven Cottage in August for the first-ever Premier League meeting between the two sides, where Aleksandar Mitrovic stung the Bees with a 90th-minute winner.
Hitherto making headlines for all the right reasons with his prolific on-field exploits, Brentford talisman Ivan Toney has been dropped into a pot of hot water with the FA, having admitted breaching the governing body's betting rules and potentially facing an unprecedented ban for his actions.
While the England international remains in limbo regarding his sanctions - an extortionate six-month suspension has been mentioned - Brentford boss Thomas Frank can only try to keep the focus on his side's waning European charge, which has been halted thanks to a succession of stalemates.
It took a last-gasp Vitaly Janelt header to cancel out Eberechi Eze's opener against Crystal Palace last time out, leaving the Bees ninth in the table following Saturday's fixtures, and the Bees cannot break into the top seven no matter what transpires by the close of play this week.
That one-pointer with Palace marked a third draw in four Premier League games for Brentford, but their stellar unbeaten streak in the top division now stands at 11 games since defeat to Aston Villa in October, and the walls of the Gtech fortress are still standing strong.
Indeed, Frank's crop have not lost any of their last eight Premier League home games since being swept aside by Arsenal in September, and a first goal for the Bees could prove pivotal, as they are yet to lose in 21 top-flight games when drawing first blood.
On the other hand, Brentford have failed to win any of their 10 league games when shipping the first goal this term
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Brentford have won four of their last five home league games against Fulham, including the most recent meeting in December 2019 in the Championship.
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Fulham can win both league matches against Brentford in a single campaign for the third time, after 1928-29 in the third tier south and 1947-48 in the second tier.
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Fulham have won five Premier League away games this season, their joint-most in a single top-flight campaign (also 2003-04).
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Their tally of 39 points is the highest by a promoted team after 25 matches of a Premier League season since 2005-06, when Wigan Athletic had earned 39 and went onto finish 10th.
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They have lost only one of their 17 Premier League fixtures this season against teams currently below them in the table, a 3-1 defeat at West Ham United on 9 October.
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The Cottagers can equal the club record of six wins on the road in a single top-flight campaign.
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They can triumph in four top-flight London derbies in the same season for the first time.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored four goals in Premier League London derbies this season. Only Dimitar Berbatov, with six in 2012-13, has netted more in a single Premier League campaign for Fulham.
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Manor Solomon has scored in his last three Premier League games as a substitute. Only Jamie Vardy, between November 2018 to October 2020, has ever scored in four consecutive substitute appearances in the Premier League, while no player has ever done so in an uninterrupted run of four games as a substitute.
Brentford are unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League games (W5, D6), the longest current run in the competition.
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They are one of only three teams in the top five European Leagues to be undefeated in 2023, along with Borussia Dortmund and Stade de Reims.
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They have lost only one of their 12 Premier League home fixtures this season, a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal on 18 September.
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The Bees need just one victory to match their total of seven league wins at home last season.
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However, the Londoners have won just one of their last nine London derbies in the league (D6, L2).
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Brentford have never lost a Premier League game after scoring first (W17, D4), including all 10 such matches this season (W8, D2).
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However, Thomas Frank's team are one of just three Premier League sides yet to win when conceding first in 2022-23 (D6, L4).
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In last season's Premier League, Brentford recorded seven of their 13 wins from March onwards.
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Source Ben Knapton at SportsMole