Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
As part of Matchday 37 in the English Premier League, Brentford will take on Fulham. The showdown will take place in London on Sunday, 18 May, with kickoff scheduled for 16:00 Central European Time. I’m backing a bet on goals in this encounter.
Match preview
Under the guidance of Thomas Frank, Brentford have put together another solid season. While they might not be setting the world alight, the Bees have firmly established themselves as a tough mid-table side, consistently making life difficult for more illustrious opponents.
The Bees have secured a top-10 finish in England and have dazzled with their attacking output. Scoring 63 goals is an impressive tally—the club’s best-ever Premier League record since the competition’s inception.
European football proved out of reach, but given the fierce competition, that’s hardly a surprise. Eighth place would be the club’s best-ever Premier League finish if they hold onto it. Before the Premier League era, Brentford actually did even better, finishing fifth back in the 1930s.
The attack deserves special mention. Schade has 11 goals to his name, while Mbeumo and Wissa have bagged 18 each—a superb return. This summer, Brentford will try to keep hold of their stars, who are sure to attract plenty of interest. Still, with a squad brimming with talented youngsters, the club’s future looks bright.
Fulham also hail from West London, adding extra spice to this derby clash. The Cottagers are enjoying a third consecutive Premier League campaign and remain competitive, hovering around 10th to 13th place.
This season is no exception, with Marco Silva’s men playing entertaining football and giving every opponent a serious test. There’s even a chance they could climb as high as eighth, but victories over Brentford and Manchester City might not be enough.
Veteran striker Raul Jimenez continues to impress, having already scored 11 goals this campaign. Alex Iwobi is also enjoying a career-best season, racking up 15 goal involvements.
Arguably, Fulham’s main hope up front is Rodrigo Muniz, who’s added 3 FA Cup goals to his eight in the league. The squad is fairly balanced overall, but some reinforcements will definitely be needed ahead of next season.
Match facts
- Brentford have won four matches in a row.
- The Bees have scored eight goals in their last two home games.
- Fulham have lost four of their last five matches.
- The Cottagers have conceded in nine consecutive away games.
- Brentford average 2.1 goals per home game, while Fulham average 1.3 goals per game away.
Probable lineups
- Brentford: Flekken, Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter, Nørgaard, Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard, Schade, Wissa, Mbeumo.
- Fulham: Leno, Sessegnon, Andersen, Bassey, Tete, Berge, Pereira, Smith Rowe, Wilson, Iwobi, Jimenez.
H2H
- In the Premier League, the teams have drawn once and each has two wins.
- Fulham have not beaten Brentford away since 2016.
Prediction
Both teams play aggressively in attack and regularly find the back of the net. At the same time, both have defensive issues, conceding an average of 1.5 goals per match. Taking all this into account—plus the absence of pressure—this should be an open, high-scoring affair. The hosts are clear favourites and have a strong home record. Expect an entertaining contest, and I recommend a bet on over 2.5 total goals.
