Fulham showed their teeth under the floodlights here and, given these are footballers we’re talking about, the results were decidedly gleaming. Goals from Alex Iwobi and Harry Wilson plus an Ethan Pinnock own goal enabled Marco Silva’s men to bounce back from an early concession to take three points with something to spare. In claiming the spoils once again in this west London derby, Fulham also took some of the shine off Keith Andrews’ start as Brentford manager in the process.
This was a meeting both of local rivals and of the Premier League’s burgeoning middle class, with both teams capable of mixing their approach and in possession of squads of technically gifted yet physically imposing athletes. Silva’s tactical tinkering, shifting Harry Wilson to negate Keane Lewis-Potter down the right, linking Iwobi with Ryan Sessegnon on the left, ultimately outdid the trusted Brentford strategy of limiting opportunities to opponents and maximising set pieces. The inefficiencies with which Andrews’ men effected their strategy, however, will be of concern.
