Dimitar Berbatov, formerly of Fulham and one of Sky Sports’ pundits in the studio tonight, has this to say:
After these sorts of games, this is when babies are made.
That’s all from me. Thanks for reading, and for your posh club suggestions via email. Congratulations to Fulham, and Harry Wilson in particular.
Until next time. Cheers!
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Jacob Steinberg's match report from Craven Cottage
Harry Wilson speaks to the cameras:
Amazing feeling to come on and get the two winners. I thought we were the better team, we had them penned in. He said to play in the pocket and when the ball goes wide, get into the box.
On the first goal, which replays show actually came off his shin!
I’m just trying to help it on, really. If it doesn’t go in, then I’m trying to help it towards the back post for someone else.
On the second goal, which replays show came off Wilson’s shoulder!
The second goal was lucky. It was meant to be a header and go in the other corner, but it’s come off my shoulder. They all count.
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Here’s to the posh football clubs, then.
“With the caveat that Iceland is neither populous enough, nor has the imperialist history, for proper poshness, there’s a club called Stjarnan that really plays up its upper-classness” writes Kári Tulinius. “They’re from a well-to-do suburb of Reykjavík, and their fan club is called ‘The Silver Spoon’. They’re probably best known outside the country for a video of their choreographed celebrations”.
I can’t stop watching Wilson’s first goal. He has definitely meant that, or at least
A Fulham friend of mine, George Dennis, has just texted me. “Harry Wilson only scores bangers”. He’s not wrong.
"Brentford finally breached" 🗣
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 4, 2024
Harry Wilson with a spectacular finish for his first goal of the season! 👏 pic.twitter.com/y72B2jCz7x
Insane. Just insane. But you can’t say that Fulham don’t deserve that win. The home side are up to ninth with that victory. A really tough one to swallow for Brentford, who have lost every one of their five away matches this season.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 10 | 13 | 25 |
| 2 | Man City | 10 | 10 | 23 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 10 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 10 | 6 | 18 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 10 | 2 | 18 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 10 | 11 | 16 |
| 8 | Brighton | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| 9 | Fulham | 10 | 1 | 15 |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth | 10 | 1 | 15 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| 12 | Brentford | 10 | -1 | 13 |
| 13 | Man Utd | 10 | -3 | 12 |
| 14 | West Ham | 10 | -6 | 11 |
| 15 | Leicester | 10 | -4 | 10 |
| 16 | Everton | 10 | -7 | 9 |
| 17 | Crystal Palace | 10 | -5 | 7 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 10 | -11 | 5 |
| 19 | Southampton | 10 | -12 | 4 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 10 | -13 | 3 |
Full-time: Fulham 2-1 Brentford
What a finish to the game.
90+9 min: Craven Cottage has erupted. There are fans on the pitch. It’s absolute bedlam.
GOAL! Fulham 2-1 Brentford (Wilson 90+8 min)
Wilson has done it! Off the bench, the Welshman has scored two in injury time to seal the most unlikely of comebacks! Robinson wriggles free on the left, floats in a hopeful cross to the penalty spot. Wilson, all 5ft 8in of him, heads towards goal. It’s not an effort with power, but Flekken is flat footed and the ball creeps inside the near post. Wilson has scored with pretty much the final touch of the game! Wow.
Updated
90+6 min: Brentford nearly nick a winner at the last! Roerslev gets to the byline, cuts the ball back to Carvalho, who fires at goal from all of eight yards. Leno reads the shot and makes a point-blank save and Fulham’s defenders make two blocks to scramble the ball away!
90+4 min: Two goal-of-the-month contenders tonight, that could not have been more different.
GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Brentford (Wilson 90+2 min)
Oh. My. Word. Wilson has just scored an absolutely sensational goal. Perhaps the smallest player on the pitch scores from a cross to the near post. The Welshman delicately flicks it, a sort-of improvised backheel, with the ball spinning over Flekken and into the top corner! It looks like a lucky finish, but I’m fairly certain Wilson has meant that! An absolutely sensational equaliser.
Updated
90+1 min: Fulham have had 24 shots to Brentford’s three and 67% possession.
Updated
90 min: Six added minutes here. Through a combination of towering centre backs and excellent goalkeeping (Flekken catching crosses), Brentford are sitting deep and dealing well with the missiles being thrown into their box.
89 min: Bassey tries his luck from range … the ball fizzing towards Flekken, who saves and collects at the second attempt.
88 min: It’s all hands on deck for Brentford. Collins and Mee make two huge blocks to deny Traoré and Castagne.
87 min: More changes: Brentford being on Ben Mee for Mbeumo. The Bees shift to a back five.
86 min: A reminder that only West Ham and the bottom three clubs (Ipswich, Southampton and Wolves) have conceded more goals than Brentford so far this season. This would be a huge clean sheet, and the first in the Premier League this campaign.
84 min: Cairney and Harry Wilson, two remarkably similar players in style, both come on for Fulham, replacing Smith Rowe and Nelson.
82 min: A break in play, with Roerslev receiving treatment for a blow to the face. The stoppage certainly suits Brentford and Fulham are becoming frustrated.
“Re posh football clubs, I suggest Racing Santander, whose stadium is very near the Sardinero beach, a very upmarket area of the city”, emails Anthony Ashworth, from Alicante. “The richest man in Spain (and Seve Ballesteros’ father-in-law), banker Emilio Botín, lived literally just up the road.”
81 min: Credit to Brentford, who are preposterously organised at the back. This is not the most exciting performance, but Thomas Frank will not care one bit if they come away with a clean sheet and a 1-0 win.
79 min: Traoré has definitely made a difference since coming on. Fulham look a little short of ideas otherwise.
77 min: And when a good cross does come into the Brenford box from open play, there are nowhere near enough bodies in the box. Muniz is all alone in there!
75 min: Another really poor corner for Fulham, which fails to beat the first man. Nelson is the guilty party there.
73 min: Both sides make substitutions as the game enters its final stage.
Brentford make three changes: Jensen for Damsgaard, Schade for Wissa and Carvalho for Lewis-Potter. Carvalho gets an almighty boo from the Fulham fans, having left Craven Cottage for Anfield in 2022 in a cut-price deal.
Fulham make two like-for-like subs: Timothy Castagne for Kenny Tete and Rodrigo Muniz for Raul Jimenez.
71 min: More Fulham pressure, but Brentford are holding firm. Fulham have two corners, but having scored precisely zero goals from corners this season, they come to nothing.
69 min: “Apparently beach-fronting Botafogo is a very upscale part of Rio De Janeiro” emails Alun Williams. “I only know because a football feature - Football Focus? - did a feature on Clarence Seedorf, when he signed for the club. A very nice part of the world!”
I might also offer Sampdoria as a posh option, although perhaps not on the scale of Fulham. Genoa are seen as the more working-class club in the city, despite their official title being the Genoa Cricket and Football Club (and playing in the same stadium as Sampdoria).
Updated
67 min: Traoré has his first run at Van den Berg, and there is an expectant roar from the home crowd. The Spaniard crosses into the box, and there are shouts for a penalty, but the referee waves play on.
65 min: Here comes that first Fulham change, Traoré for Andreas Pereira, who has offered little in truth. With Traoré going to the right wing, that might mean Smith Rowe drops deeper to cover for Pereira.
63 min: Iwobi bends in a beautiful cross into the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ between centre-backs and goalkeeper, and Mbeumo does well to clear the ball at the back post, with Nelson loitering. Mbeumo has done more defending than attacking tonight!
61 min: Still no change for either side, which is something of a surprise, particularly for Fulham. Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Traore all lurking on the bench.
59 min: A real chance for Brentford, after a brilliant, improvised pass from Norgaard, who has quietly been one of the best players on the pitch. The Dane released Lewis-Potter on the left, in acres of space. The former Hull City winger cuts in on his right foot and fires wildly over the bar. A waste.
57 min: Eeeeeeeeeesh, a really nasty challenge by Roerslev on Smith Rowe. A yellow card for the Brentford right back. Smith Rowe limps on. I’m surprised he isn’t more hurt.
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54 min: This is threatening to turn into a good game. Both teams are pushing for another goal. Iwobi gets free on the left but the Fulham man’s cross is poor. Lewis-Potter then repeats the trick for Brentford, darting beyond Andersen but can’t beat Tete at the near post with his own cross.
52 min: Bassey steps into midfield to make a thunderous tackle, as Fulham go on the attack again. Iwobi finds Smith Rowe, who drives to the byline but is foiled by Norgaard, who makes an outstanding block. Those are the sort of interventions that can be goal saving, but don’t show up on the stats.
50 min: Nelson and Iwobi combine, with the latter wriggling free on the edge of Brentford’s box, flashing a shot just a couple of yards wide. Better from Fulham.
48 min: Wissa, who has been conspicuous from his passiveness, almost connects with a lovely early cross from Lewis-Potter. Bassey gets a clumsy but vital touch on the delivery to take the ball away from the Brentford forward.
Peeeeeep! We’re underway again at Craven Cottage. No changes made by either side.
Correction: Janelt’s goal was from 29 yards, not 25. And it didn’t go in the top corner, more half-way up the goal, but still a stonking strike.
Vitaly Janelt that is SENSATIONAL! 🙌🔥 pic.twitter.com/oMxmrqyQSK
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 4, 2024
Quite funny that this was Jamie Carragher’s pre-match analysis …
Brentford are the best in the PL at making the XG of a shot much better! #MNF ⚽️📊
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) November 4, 2024
pic.twitter.com/9wCmLPvVl9
Updated
Half-time reading:
Half-time: Fulham 0-1 Brentford
An absolutely brilliant goal for Brentford, who have otherwise been quite poor.
45 min: Brentford nearly steal a second. Lewis-Potter squares a pass to Janelt, who is clearly in the mood and tries his luck from range again … deflected just wide!
Two minutes added on for injury time.
43 min: What a miss from Smith Rowe! The 24-year-old fails to connect with a brilliant Iwobi cross at the near post. The ball comes off Smith Rowe’s shoulder, hits Pinnock and Flekken is able to make a much easier save than he should have had. Flekken actually spilled the ball, but Van den Berg was there to clean up. How are Fulham not winning this?
39 min: Damsgaard, who has improved a lot this season, has been particularly poor tonight. Getting physically bossed by Berge and Iwobi and hasn’t had the time to pick a pass. Brentford have been dreadful with the ball, but find themselves ahead.
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36 min: A penny for the thoughts of Rodrigo Muniz, who hit a real hot streak for Fulham last season but hasn’t really featured this season. The Brazilian will be frustrated watching this, as Fulham are sending in some excellent crosses into the box, but Jimenez is being completely bossed by Brentford’s defenders.
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33 min: More of the same as Fulham press for an equaliser. Robinson and Nelson look like the home side’s biggest threat. Roerslev looks like the weak link for Brentford.
31 min: “Janelt’s goal is one of my favorite kinds, when a team pings the ball around in the space in front of the opposition penalty box until one player has two yards of space to himself, picks his spot and absolutely leathers it in the net. I bet Brentford have worked on how to score from distance”.
They scored seven from outside the box last season, which had them joint ninth (with Fulham) in the Premier League table of that metric.
28 min: Fulham are enjoying lots of possession in Brentford’s half but with the away side dropping deeper, there is little space inside the box. Jimenez isn’t getting much change out of Pinnock and Collins.
26 mins: “Vitaly, wooooaah. Vitaly, woooooah. He comes from Germany. And now he is a Bee”, sing the away fans. Certainly a goal of the month contender right there.
GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Brentford (Janelt 24)
Bassey loses the ball, Brentford exchange a couple of passes and Janelt let’s rip from 25 yards … and the ball flies into the top corner. What a hit! Out of nothing, Brentford are ahead! Wow, that’s their first shot on target.
Updated
22 min: Is Lewis-Potter good? Have watched him on countless occasions and still don’t know.
20 min: Brentford simply can’t get out of Fulham’s press, with Berge patrolling the midfield, and Fulham so nearly take the lead. Nelson, who has settled on being a left winger for now, bumbles his way through a couple of challenges and fires just wide! The home side are well on top, but need something to show for it.
17 min: Fulham fans must be loving this. This is surely their most exciting side since the one that lost to Atlético in the 2010 Europa League final.
15 min: Liquid football from Fulham! It’s one-touch stuff, with Smith Rowe, Andreas Pereira and Robinson all combining, the latter playing a brilliant pass inside Brentford’s full back (Roerslev) to release Smith Rowe, who tried to bend it inside the far post, but saw his shot deflected wide for a corner. That could easily have deflected into Brentford’s net. Honestly, that was one of the moves of the season.
Updated
12 min: This is intended as a compliment but I’m not sure exactly where Nelson is playing for Fulham. He’s popped up on both flanks and now drives forward centrally in the No 10 position, carrying the ball a full 40 yards until Collins expertly barges him off the ball.
10 min: Flekken is down, looks like he has possibly tweaked his knee? The Dutchman will continue but is wincing. No Premier League keeper has made more saves than Flekken, on 47 stops.
8 min: Nearly an own goal, as Robinson shepherds the ball back towards Leno. Mbeumo gives the Fulham full-back a shove and the ball nearly deflects past Leno, who gets something on the ball. Fulham scramble the ball away.
6 min: Nelson pops up on the left and drives unopposed into the Brentford box, forcing Flekken into a sharp save at his near post. The ball rebounds back to Nelson but Flekken again closes the angle. Good double save!
4 min: Pinnock, forced towards his own corner flag with a wayward pass, does exceptionally well to keep the ball in and skip past Nelson to start a Brentford attack.
“When Thomas Frank praises Ethan Pinnock for having been a mountain for Brentford, I wonder how Sepp van den Berg must feel (Berg is Dutch for ‘mountain’)", email Peter Oh.
Van den Berg, normally a centre-back, is playing left back tonight. A knock-off Gvardiol, if you like.
2 min: Fulham start well, and Smith Rowe is at the heart of it, linking the play well outside Brentford’s box and setting up Jimenez for a (weak) shot, straight at Flekken.
Peeeeeeeep! We’re off.
The teams are out! Emile Smith Rowe’s socks are pulled suitably low. Two wreaths are laid in the centre circle in honour of Remembrance Day, which is a week today. The Last Post is played and impeccably observed.
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“Surely Peterborough are the Poshest club in England”, emails Richard Hirst, an “An unposh Fulham supporter”.
You’ve done me, Richard.
Craven Cottage is a special ground, isn’t it?
This is the current Premier League table.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 10 | 13 | 25 |
| 2 | Man City | 10 | 10 | 23 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 10 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 10 | 6 | 18 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 10 | 2 | 18 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 10 | 11 | 16 |
| 8 | Brighton | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| 9 | AFC Bournemouth | 10 | 1 | 15 |
| 10 | Newcastle | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| 11 | Brentford | 9 | 0 | 13 |
| 12 | Fulham | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| 13 | Man Utd | 10 | -3 | 12 |
| 14 | West Ham | 10 | -6 | 11 |
| 15 | Leicester | 10 | -4 | 10 |
| 16 | Everton | 10 | -7 | 9 |
| 17 | Crystal Palace | 10 | -5 | 7 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 10 | -11 | 5 |
| 19 | Southampton | 10 | -12 | 4 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 10 | -13 | 3 |
Fulham are undoubtedly the poshest club in England. Does anyone know of a posher club in the world? Usual answers to michael.butler@theguardian.com or via X: @michaelbutler18.
Traoré has been a bit hit and miss recently, so not that surprising to see Marco Silva drop him to the bench for Reiss Nelson, who joins former Gunners Bernd Leno, Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi in Fulham’s starting XI. And what a substitute Traoré is to bring on later in the game when Brentford legs are cramping up.
Just in case you missed this after Brentford’s last game, this was quite some speech by Thomas Frank in congratulating Ethan Pinnock on 100 Premier League appearances. Pinnock, who played non-league football with Dulwich Hamlet for the first six years of his career, starts again tonight for No 101.
"You've been a mountain for us."
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) October 28, 2024
Thomas Frank congratulates Ethan Pinnock on 100 @premierleague appearances ❤️⛰️ pic.twitter.com/ijSe0jWjbY
The teams!
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Andreas Pereira, Berge, Nelson, Smith Rowe, Iwobi, Jimenez.
Subs: Benda, Reed, Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Traore, Castagne, Sessegnon, Diop.
Brentford: Flekken, Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, van den Berg, Norgaard, Janelt, Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter, Wissa.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Schade, Jensen, Carvalho, Mee, Yarmolyuk, Meghoma, Konak, Maghoma.
Preamble
Hello everyone. Fulham and Brentford might be as different as Harrods is to Hounslow, but right now the two west London clubs are eerily similar. Having lost their best player in the summer (João Palhinha and Ivan Toney), the two clubs have started this season well, all things considered, and lie 11th and 12th respectively, one point apart, both with a net goal difference of zero.
Fulham are arguably the stronger team right now, but Brentford have the better manager. Both will be aiming for a top-half finish, but would probably take survival come the season’s end. Both sides have come close to beating City at the Etihad this season and both have lost to Manchester United. The point is, nobody knows what the ceiling or the bottom is for either side. And that, like watching Adama Traoré, is quite exciting.
It’s a derby under the lights. Join me.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
