Fulham will look to push for European qualification with a win over Brentford when the two sides meet in the Premier League on Monday.
Fulham come into the game against Brentford on the back of a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at home. And Marco Silva will demand a better showing from his players on Monday. Fulham cannot afford to keep dropping points if they want to play European football next season.
The Cottagers have done well this season and need to finish the campaign strongly now. Meanwhile, Brentford are winless in three of their last four league games. But they are ninth in the league table and have been difficult to beat this season.
The Bees are just four points adrift of the top six and will fancy their chances of qualifying for European competitions as well. The last time these two sides met at Craven Cottage, Fulham picked up a 3-2 win. Brentford will look to return the favour at home now.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
The home side have no notable injury concerns heading into this game, and Thomas Frank will be able to field his strongest team tomorrow. Brentford are likely to line up in a 4-3-3, with David Raya in goal.
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— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) March 2, 2023
Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry will look to provide an outlet during the attack and overload the Fulham defence during overlaps. Ethan Pinnock will start with Ben Mee at the centre of the defence.
Christian Norgaard, Josh Dasilva and Mathias Jensen will start in the middle of the park. While Norgaard and Jensen will look to keep the midfield organised with their defensive contributions, Dasilva will look to drive the team forward with his flair and creativity.
Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa will start as the wide forwards here and they will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Ivan Toney is set to lead the line for Brentford against Fulham.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Hickey, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Dasilva, Norgaard, Jensen; Mbuemo, Toney, Wissa
Fulham
Fulham will be without the services of Neeskens Kebano, Layvin Kurzawa, and Tom Cairney due to injuries. Joao Palhinha is suspended because of an accumulation of yellow cards. Kebano has an Achilles injury, while Kurzawa is ruled out with a knee injury.
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— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) March 3, 2023
Marco Silva will field his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will add creativity from the flanks during the attack, and they will be expected to keep Bryan Mbuemo quiet as well. Issa Diop will start alongside Tim Ream as the central defender.
In the midfield pivot, Sasa Lukic will start in the absence of Palhinha, alongside Harrison Reed. Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Willian will start as the wingers here. Andreas Pereira will be deployed in the hole and he will be expected to add creativity in the final third and link up with striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Lukic, Reed; De Cordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Mitrovic
Key Stats
- Brentford are undefeated in their last 11 matches in the Premier League.
- Brentford have kept a clean sheet in their last three home matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Brentford are unbeaten at home in their last eight matches.
- Fulham have kept three clean sheets in the last five games, conceding two goals during this period.
- Out of 14 previous meetings, Brentford have won seven matches and Fulham won four. The rest have ended in a draw.
Player to Watch
Ivan Toney
The Brentford striker has been in immaculate form this season and he will look to cause all sorts of problems for the Fulham defence. Supported ably by Bryan Mbuemo, Toney will look to trouble Issa Diop and Tim Ream with his movement and hold-up play.
Toney has scored seven goals in his last nine outings across all competitions, and he will be desperate to get on the scoresheet here. Ahead of a likely ban, Toney will be eager to go out with a bang this month.
Prediction
Brentford 2-1 Fulham
Brentford have been very good at home this season, and this will be a massive challenge for Fulham. The Cottagers have the quality to grind out a result here, especially with Aleksandar Mitrovic in good form this season. However, they can be quite inconsistent at times, and Brentford will be raring to get back to winning ways after drawing three of their last four league games.
The home side have a better attack at their disposal and should be able to find a way past the Fulham resistance. The absence of Joao Palhinha could prove to be crucial for the away side. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Brentford.