Match Report
Fulham (0) 2-1 (1) Brentford
Premier League Match Day 10 2425 at Craven Cottage
Monday 4th November 2024 KO: 20:00
Referee:
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Live on Sky Sports
|
Harry Wilson rescued three points for Fulham in the West London derby against Brentford on Monday evening at Craven Cottage.
Despite a dominant performance in the first period, Brentford led at the break thanks to Vitaly Janelt’s thunderbolt. But patience was the key for the Whites as Harry Wilson scored with an outrageous flick in stoppage-time to equalise, before completing the turnaround with a header from an Antonee Robinson cross in the 97th minute.
The headline from the team news was a first start for Reiss Nelson, rewarded following a number of impressive cameos from the bench.
Joachim Andersen returned from suspension to partner Calvin Bassey, replacing Issa Diop, while Timothy Castagne was named on the bench following a period of the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Emile Smith Rowe was instrumental in the early stages, picking up the ball just outside the box and laying it off to Raúl Jiménez, only for his weak shot to be easily gathered by Mark Flekken.
Nelson, keen to impress on his first start for the Whites, could have broken the deadlock after five minutes, forcing Flekken into a smart double save at his near post. The goalkeeper got a strong hand to Nelson’s initial effort, before rushing out to keep out the follow up.
At the other end, Antonee Robinson had to be alert as he won a foot race with Bryan Mbeumo, making an important interception to stop the Brentford forward.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Brentford |
| Goals |
(0) 2 |
1 (1) |
|
| Scorers |
Wilson 90+2 |
Janelt 24 |
|
Wilson 90+7 |
- |
| , |
| Goal attempts |
26 |
5 |
| On target |
12 |
2 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
46% |
40% |
| Possession |
68% |
32% |
| Passes |
643 |
321 |
| Passes Success |
88% |
71% |
| Corners |
11 |
3 |
| Tackles |
15 |
16 |
| Tackles Success |
53% |
75% |
| Saves |
1 |
10 |
| Fouls |
3 |
10 |
| Offsides |
2 |
0 |
| Yellows |
2 |
1 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
Fulham were building their attacking moves down the left side – and Nelson, Robinson and Smith Rowe were all involved in a free-flowing team move on 15 minutes, only for Nathan Collins to make a big block to deny our number 32.
But against the run of play, it was Brentford who took the lead midway through the first-half. There was nothing Bernd Leno could do about Janelt’s opener, striking the ball into the far corner from 25 yards with his left foot.
Smith Rowe then nearly finished off a move that he started, feeding Alex Iwobi down the left after driving through the middle of the pitch, but he could only get slight contact on Iwobi’s teasing delivery.
On the stroke of half-time, Janelt almost picked out the opposite corner to which he hit earlier in the game, only for his shot to take a slight deflection and sail wide.
Marco Silva's side started the second period with an even greater intensity as Iwobi dragged a shot wide from 20 yards, before Collins made a last-ditch challenge in the box as Jiménez was about the pull the trigger.
Adama Traoré's introduction shortly after the hour mark gave Fulham some fresh energy, with Kenny Tete and Iwobi testing Flekken from range, with the Whites number 11 involved in both moves.
Brentford were restricting the Whites to shots from range, with centre-back pairing Andersen and Bassey the latest to try their luck from outside the box with little success.
As the minutes ticked away, Andersen headed the ball into the arms of Flekken from a deep Tom Cairney corner, before it was Sepp van den Berg's turn to make a vital block, throwing himself at a fierce Adama effort.
The attacks just kept on coming. Flekken temporarily spilled Bassey's piledriver, but gobbled the ball up as Rodrigo Muniz tried to jump on the follow up.
The equaliser came in stoppage-time as Wilson met Adama's cross with a mind-blowing backheel, which flew over Flekken and into the back of the net.
Brentford could have stolen the points themselves as Leno sprung to his right to deny Fabio Carvalho, who had been found in the box by a Mads Roerslev cutback, but Robinson led the march at the other end, picking out Wilson whose header looped over Flekken to make it a memorable night at the Cottage and to complete a remarkable turnaround.
Fulham boss Marco Silva:
"We definitely deserved the three points. No doubts about it. Tonight had been our season so far: dominant, the best team on the pitch, creating many more chances. But the reality we didn't get the points we deserve from the game. From the first minute we were on the front foot.
"The score was really unfair at half time. I told the players to keep pushing hard. Brentford defended really hard around their box. I'd love to see us a bit more calm in some moments. We tried everything from the bench.
"Sometimes football takes from you but in the end it gives to you if you keep working hard.
"It was a great night for the fans. We're here to give these type of moments.
"It's been a tough season for Harry in terms of minutes. He's been on fire for the national team. He had a great night."
Brentford boss Thomas Frank:
"It was of course tough. It's emotionally very tough right now. When you're leading in the 92nd minute, it's tough for us to even have a draw - and then we lose it. On the day, Fulham were better but we showed a lot of resilience and defending.
"I thought that could give us the win but then there was an unbelievable touch from Wilson where 99 times out of 100 it doesn't go in. Then we could have won, and in the end we lost it. It was brutal."
Fulham: Leno, Tete (Castagne 73), Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Pereira (Traore 65), Berge, Iwobi, Smith Rowe (Cairney 82), Nelson (Wilson 82), Jimenez (Muniz 73)
Unused substitutes: Reed, Benda, Sessegnon, Diop
Goals:
Wilson 92 (FULHAM HAVE EQUALISED AT LAST!
And what a goal it is! Wow!
Traore crosses from the right and Wilson meets it at the near post with a back-heeled flick that loops over Flekken and drops into the far corner.
How on earth has he done that?! Wilson wizardry! )
Wilson 97 (THEY'VE DONE IT IN THE 97TH MINUTE!
WILSON GETS HIS SECOND AFTER COMING OFF THE BENCH!
Robinson pulls the ball across from inside the area and Wilson arrives to head it home.
Craven Cottage goes wild, what an ending!)
Booked: Wilson (97,excessive celebration), Muniz (98,excessive celebration)
Brentford : Flekken, Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, van den Berg, Norgaard, Janelt (Yarmoliuk 93), Mbeumo (Mee 87), Damsgaard (Jensen 72), Lewis-Potter (Carvalho 73), Wissa (Schade 72)
Unused substitutes: Jensen, Valdimarsson, Meghoma, Konak, Maghoma
Goals:
Janelt 24 (left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Christian Nørgaard.)
Booked: Roerslev (57,f),
Referee:
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Attendance: 24,931
Fulham are next in action on Saturday 9th November when they visit Crystal Palace.