Premier League: Brentford and Fulham are still in the Chase for Europe

Brentford vs Fulham

This has been some campaign in the English top flight and, with just two games to go half the division still has plenty to play for.

The league title is already Liverpool’s and the relegation places have been confirmed, though painfully obvious for many weeks. But the chase for Europe has been as fascinating and complicated as you could expect. And Premier League: Brentford vs Fulham, a clash between eighth and 11^th in the league table, still has plenty riding on it.

And that’s why we love football!

With five Champions League places available to the Premier League and Manchester United facing Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final making it six, there could be eight or nine and maybe even ten English teams strutting their stuff in Europe next season. But eighth place is the target for the chasing pack and Thomas Frank’s Bees will be determined to hang on to that spot. They come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win away to Ipswich to make it four wins on the bounce while Marco Silva’s Cottagers lost 3-1 at home to Everton, to make it back to back defeats; but Fulham know full well that a win in this West London Derby will keep their European hopes alive with one game to play and that all makes this a fascinating prospect.          

 

Talking Points

Mbeumo can help Bees to write history  

Frank could well be the first manager to lead Brentford into Europe and the Bees took another big step last week when they overcame a tricky visit to Ipswich, who were already relegated and playing with less pressure. It took a goal from Kevin Schade, his 11^th of the campaign, to see off the Tractor Boys as he headed home a pinpoint corner from Bryan Mbeumo who provided his seventh assist of the season. The win took Brentford up to eighth on 55 points and they are making their run at the perfect time.

Mbeumo has scored 18 goals and, alongside team-mate Yoanne Wissa, is the fifth top scorer in the league. Both players have really thrived since the departure of striker Ivan Toney but it is the Cameroonian Mbeumo who is attracting the most attention, with Newcastle United looking to make a move in the summer.

In the meantime he can help the Bees make history with his goals, assists and direct running. And this is a team with plenty of attacking flair. In last week’s 4-3 defeat of Manchester United, Mbeumo neither scored nor made an assist as Schade and Wissa did the business. Midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard, who has made nine assists this season, is the man who makes Brentford tick and often provides the space and ammunition for the front three.  

 

Cottagers need to hang on to a lead   

Fulham’s home game against Everton turned out to be a huge disappointment after it started so well, with Mexican striker Raul Jimenez netting his 11^th league goal of the campaign to put Silva’s side ahead. But the Cottagers capitulated and conceded three times, with Everton centre back Michael Keane and striker Beto having too much strength for the Fulham back line. Danish defender Joachim Anderson is a class act at centre back and in Antonee Robinson Fulham have one of the best wingbacks in the business. But defending comes from the front and, as a team, the Cottagers have struggled to see games out, losing a huge 28 points from winning positions this season; and to say they are four points adrift of a likely European place that must be hugely frustrating for the manager: “It’s much more difficult right now and we have to analyse why the last six, seven games we have not been at the level we should be at these type of moments, late goals or set piece goals,” he said.

“We have to do our job. If we don’t do what we should, it doesn’t matter what the other clubs are going to do.”

Fulham snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in their last West London Derby, at home to Chelsea late in April. Alex Iwobi gave the Cottagers an early lead which they held on to until the 83^rd minute when Tyrique George equalised, and then Pedro Neto scored a 93^rd minute winner to rub salt into the Cottagers’ wounds.

If Fulham can keep it tight at the back, winger Iwobi is a key man, with nine goals and six assists for the campaign; and Silva’s men have constantly shown this season that they can compete with anyone on their day, beating champions-to-be Liverpool 3-2 early in April when Iwobi was on target again.              

 

History

With nine wins to six the Bees have edged the head to head Brentford vs Fulham results and they are unbeaten in five games at home to the Cottagers. But when the two teams met on the banks of the Thames on Fulham’s home turf Harry Wilson scored twice in stoppage time to snatch all three points for the hosts.  

Brentford have four wins and two draws from the last six while Fulham have two wins and four losses.

 

Betting Tip

The Brentford vs Fulham betting odds, here at SBOTOP, favour a home win with the Bees priced at 1.84, Fulham at 3.40 and the draw is at 3.41. The hosts are in much better form but Fulham are nothing if not unpredictable, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a 2-2 draw in an entertaining tussle, which would pay a cool 12.52.  

   

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