Toney on target as Brentford outclass Fulham in feisty clash
Now 20 months into their maiden PL voyage, Brentford went into this feisty London derby having gone unbeaten in the 21 matches where they had taken a lead.
Their intent to extend that run translated into an electric opening six minutes, during which Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo both forced Bernd Leno into saves before the Bees finally went ahead.
A reworked corner made its way to the edge of the box, and Ethan Pinnock was there on cue to strike at goal, with his shot deflecting off Tim Ream and into the net to put the hosts ahead.
This all-capital duel became combative from there, and with clear open-play chances scarce, two free-kicks would prove to be key moments in what remained of the first half.
An ever-dangerous Mbeumo first shaved the right-hand post of Leno’s goal with his effort, before Fulham forged a route back into the game late on in the first period.
From a central position, Andreas Pereira would also strike the woodwork, but the in-form Manor Solomon pounced upon a fortuitous rebound to head in his fifth goal in as many appearances and equalise.
With European qualification still on the line for both sides, the Israeli’s goal set the scene for a tense second half, especially in light of referee Anthony Taylor’s decision not to punish Fulham midfielder Saša Lukić’s cynical foul just before HT with a second yellow card.
However, the referee would crucially rule in Brentford’s favour five minutes after the restart, when Issa Diop caught Christian Norgaard in the box. Ivan Toney dispatched the resulting penalty with aplomb underneath Leno’s full-stretch dive to preserve Brentford’s perfect PL penalty record.
Mathias Jensen secured the result five minutes before the 90’ was up with a neat tap-in, following Kevin Schade’s excellent solo run and assist.
However, there was still time for Carlos Vinicius to grab a consolation with the last kick of the game when a save fell into his path, but the points were only ever going to the men in stripes.
Whilst the Bees may not reap the rewards of victory tonight in terms of improving their position in the PL standings, they move within one point of their seventh-placed London rivals as dreams of a maiden European odyssey continue to glow brightly.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ivan Toney (Brentford)
