Fulham vs Brentford prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-08-18 14:00.
Fulham made a solid start to the Premier League (PL) season, securing a first top-flight opening day victory since 2013 by beating Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.
That doesn’t quite tell the full story though, as head coach Marco Silva acknowledged that his side rode their luck to leave Merseyside with all three points after facing 19 shots and conceding a whopping 3.07 xG!
Next up is a mouthwatering clash with local rivals Brentford in a fixture that looks destined to produce goals. The corresponding match last term – which coincidentally also took place on the second weekend of the campaign – ended 3-2 to the Cottagers, while the Bees sealed the win during the reverse encounter in March by the same scoreline. Oddly, that result was then replicated in last month’s PL Summer Series in pre-season, with Fulham coming out on top on that occasion.
Brentford may not have been buzzing with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, with boss Thomas Frank declaring he thought his side “should have won it”. That was the third season in succession that the Bees have opened up by avoiding defeat, a record they’ll be looking to build on for this short trip across the capital. Craven Cottage has proved a fruitful venue for them too, losing just one of their last six visits here (W2, D3).
Frank will continue to be without the suspended Ivan Toney who netted in both H2Hs last term, but Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are more than filling the void, with the pair netting 11 goals combined in their side’s last six PL fixtures without Toney! They were both on target the last time the Bees hit the road in league action, a 3-1 win over London rivals Tottenham!
Players to watch: Andreas Pereira will be pushing for a starting spot after returning from injury by supplying the winner at Everton off the bench – the Brazilian midfielder also provided the assist for JoĂŁo Palhinha’s bullet header in this fixture 12 months ago. Brentford’s Wissa is flourishing in Toney’s absence, netting in three of his last four PL appearances.
Hot stat: The team that has scored first in each of the last six competitive H2Hs has gone on to win.