Brentford’s bid for their first-ever European adventure took a double hit this weekend, first with Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup on Saturday and again on Sunday when Fulham came from behind to beat the Bees 3-2 at Gtech Community Stadium.
WATCH — Brentford vs Fulham full match replay
Fulham took the lead through Raul Jimenez in the 16th minute but Brentford were level just six minutes later when Bryan Mbeumo bagged his 19th Premier League goal of the season with a fine right-footed finish. Yoane Wissa joined him on 19 goals in the 43rd minute, perhaps stealing one from teammate and captain Christian Norgaard from an inch or two out, but Brentford failed to control the game in the second half and Fulham roared back with two goals in two minutes to retake the lead.
Tom Cairney, not normally known for his aerial prowess, rose highest and headed home a deflected cross in the 68th minute and Harry Wilson scored his second late winner of the season against Brentford (and third goal overall) in the 70th. Wilson picked the ball up 35 yards from goal, turned upfield and uncorked a curler that made its way through a sea of bodies and unsighted goalkeeper Mark Flekken as the ball nestled itself inside the far post and in the back of the net.
European dream slipping away from Brentford, but not gone
That’s a west London derby double for Fulham (54 points), who climb up to 10th in the table with one game left to play and a chance to finish as high as 8th, which is where Brentford (55 points) currently reside. 9th-place Brighton are yet to play this weekend (Monday, vs Liverpool) and 8th is now no longer guaranteed to be a European place, pending Chelsea’s result in the Europa Conference League final and where the Blues finish in the league. For a full breakdown of the European scenarios, check out this explainer.
Player ratings - Brentford vs Fulham
What’s next?
- Fulham vs Manchester City — Sunday, 11 am ET
- Wolves vs Brentford — Sunday, 11 am ET
Brentford vs Fulham live updates - by Andy Edwards
Brentford vs Fulham final score: 2-3
Goalscorers: Raul Jimenez (16'), Bryan Mbeumo (22'), Yoane Wissa (43'), Tom Cairney (68'), Harry Wilson (70')
GOAL! Brentford 2-3 Fulham: Wilson curls a beauty from long distance (70')
GOAL! Brentford 2-2 Fulham: Cairney heads home a deflected cross (68')
GOAL! Brentford 2-1 Fulham: Wissa cleans up a messy long throw (43')
PENALTY SAVED! Leno denies Mbeumo his 20th goal of the season (27')
GOAL! Brentford 1-1 Fulham: Mbeumo slots home an instant response (22')
GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Fulham: Jimenez climbs highest and heads home the opener (16')
Brentford starting lineup
Flekken - Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter - Norgaard, Yarmolyuk, Damsgaard - Mbeumo, Schade, Wissa
Fulham starting lineup
Leno - Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson - Berge, Lukic, Smith Rowe - Traore, Iwobi, Jimenez
How to watch Brentford vs Fulham live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 10 am ET ET Sunday (May 18)
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium — London
TV Channel: Peacock
Streaming: Watch live on Peacock
Brentford are unbeaten in their last six PL games (4W-2D-0L) and have climbed from 11th to 8th with their last two wins, leapfrogging Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham in the process. Thomas Frank’s side has won every type of game of late — from 4-3 over Manchester United two weeks ago, to 1-0 against relegated Ipswich last weekend — but the one constant has been Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Scahde scoring the goals. The Bees’ brilliant attacking trio has bagged 11 of 13 goals during the unbeaten run, with Christian Norgaard and Luke Shaw (own goal) the only others to score in the last six weeks.
Fulham are trending in the opposite direction at the business end of the season and have all but officially missed out on their chance to play in Europe next season. The Cottagers were squarely in the 8th to 10th range for nearly the entire season — every single week from matchweek 5 until matchweek 35 — but Marco Silva’s side slipped to 11th following back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Everton, and just three points from their last five league games (1W-0D-4L).
Brentford team news, focus
OUT: Vitaly Janelt (ankle), Fabio Carvalho (shoulder), Josh Dasilva (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Aaron Hickey (thigh)
Fulham team news, focus
OUT: Timothy Castagne (muscular), Rodrigo Muniz (knock), Reiss Nelson (hamstring), Harrison Reed (calf) | QUESTIONABLE: Antonee Robinson (knee), Sasa Lukic (knock)
Brentford vs Fulham prediction
Fulham have hit a wall in recent weeks, whether due to having a small squad or the persistent rumors over Silva’s future, and the last thing they need right now is to face a side that contests every kick of the ball with the intensity and tempo of Brentford. Brentford 3-1 Fulham.
