Here was a bleak teaser of what life without Aleksandar Mitrovic might be like for Fulham, and here was a famous London derby victory on the Thames for Brentford.
If the slight ankle injury that Fulham’s Serbian goal-getter sustained at Everton last week was a handy tool through which Marco Silva could avoid questions about the striker’s imminent move to Al Hilal, his absence at Craven Cottage was handy only for the visitors.
This was by no means a poor full home debut for new signing Raul Jimenez, but neither was it one to remember.
It was Jimenez’s opposite number, the wily Yoane Wissa, whose centre-forward display inspired more confidence and exhibited more energy to leave his manager content with his own situation up front.
With Mitrovic missing for Fulham and Ivan Toney absent until January for the Bees due to his betting ban, others had to step up for both sides. Wissa did, in a way that Jimenez must prove over the course of the season that he too is able to do.
A first half in which both teams enjoyed extended periods of possession ended with a calamitous error that seemed to settle the rhythm of this match, as well as its end result.
Fellow centre-back Sasa Lukic could only raise his hands aloft in disgust as Issa Diop received his pass, turned, and underhit a back-pass to keeper Bernd Leno. Wissa will love his half-season as Toney’s deputy if free opportunities like this one are generously handed to him. The DR Congo striker arrived between Diop and Leno to round the goalkeeper and fire the Bees in front.
Harrison Reed teed up Bobby Decordova-Reid early in the second half, but Decordova-Reid’s first-time effort which had Mark Flekken floundering crashed off the crossbar and away.
Brentford responded immediately and so nearly edged two in front when Mathias Jensen’s downward volley bouncing up and over Leno, only for the German to scramble back and tip it over.
Wissa was humming and buzzing and causing a nuisance, combining well with Byran Mbeumo and Kevin Schade either side. It must be a thankless task defending Brentford’s fluid attack, and, for Tim Ream, it was.
Ream got the wrong side of Wissa in the box, their legs tangled, and to the bafflement of the home crowd, Darren Bond gave a penalty and showed Ream a second yellow.
Brentford were 2-0 up and loving life with 25 minutes to go as Mbeumo scraped his penalty in off the post, coolly.
Never did Thomas Frank’s side look like losing it from there. And never did Silva’s look like turning it around. Not when Willian came on, not when the returning Joao Palhinha came on, not when Adama Traore came on for a forgettable cameo debut. And not when Mbeumo slotted home Brentford’s third.
