It was derby day delight for Brentford as they conquered Craven Cottage with a 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
Thomas Frank's side proved too strong for their west London rivals as the Bees continued their impressive unbeaten record in London derbies, extending it to eleven matches without defeat. A feat that dates back to a 3-0 loss to Arsenal 11 months ago.
It was an uncharacteristically slow affair in the first half as Brentford sat back and contained their hosts, with the most notable chance coming for Fulham as Ethan Pinnock headed Andreas Pereira's corner onto his own bar.
With the half set to peter out, a sloppy pass from Issa Diop in the 44th-minute was intercepted by Yoane Wissa, which the Congolese capitalised on as he rounded Bernd Leno before calmly firing his side into a half-time lead.
Then just after the hour-mark Fulham were again at fault for their own downfall as Tim Ream bundled Wissa over in the area and was subsequently sent off for a second yellow card. Bryan Mbeumo stepped up and slotted his effort in with the aid of the inside of the left post.
The hosts looked deflated from this point on and struggled to break down a resolute Brentford set-up. As second-half stoppage-time ticked on, Brentford killed the game as Kristoffer Ajer's pull-back set Mbeumo up for the easiest of tap-ins, to the jubilation of the travelling support.
Here are four things we learnt as Brentford secured their first win at Craven Cottage since 2020.
Fulham's lack of offensive threat
It was an afternoon Fulham fans will want to forget as soon as possible, but one that they will be reminded of at every opportunity by their counterparts.
Marco Silva's side struggled in front of goal and failed to test Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, firing two tame second half efforts at the Netherlands international. Raul Jimenez lead the line as Aleksandar Mitrovic, who scored twice in this fixture last season, was omitted from the squad, but the Serbian's presence was severely missed.
It didn't quite go to plan for Jimenez as the Mexican was up against the colossal performances of Nathan Collins and Ethan Pinnock, who intercepted even the slightest scent of the ball, with an attempt to control a pass in the area ballooning off his foot and acting as a clearance in the second half ultimately summing up his day.
The set-pieces of Pereira caused Brentford a few issues but Fulham lacked the predatory instinct to capitalise on these deliveries. Jimenez isn't the centre-forward he once was and the risk to sign him as Mitrovic's successor could backfire this season.
However, it must be noted that it's not just the 32-year-old's fault as the supply was far from ideal, with Fulham severely struggling to break down a resilient Brentford setup.
Architects of their own downfall
If Fulham are to point the finger at something for their capitulation this afternoon then it should be themselves.
The gameplan was going accordingly for the Cottagers; they were in full control of possession, moving the ball well, and were comfortably dealing with Brentford's threat on the counter. An initial lapse in concentration from Diop derailed their performance.
In what should have been a routine circulating of the ball in defence before the break, the Frenchman attempted a first-time pass to Bernd Leno that he miss-hit into a dangerous area. With the goalkeeper stranded and Tim Ream unable to recover, Wissa pounced to give them the lead.
Then 20 minutes into the second half, Ream was the culprit as he bundled Wissa over in the area in an attempt to block his close-range shot. Ream's rash decision put them a man down and susceptible to embarrassment by their arch-rivals.
Fulham looked a dejected team in the remaining minutes and were fortunate to not have been beaten by a heavier score as Brentford had the chances to do so.
Summer arrivals prove their worth
Thomas Frank made one change to his starting line-up and that was to switch from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3, with Nathan Collins and Ethan Pinnock pairing up at centre-back for the first time.
If there's one way to endear yourself to a new set of supporters, it's to put in a standout performance against your new club's rivals. Collins did just that.
The 22-year-old was a colossal figure at the back and gave Fulham very little room for joy. He read the game very well as he made key interceptions, dominated the air, and stepped up with the ball when the opportunity arose.
Collins was vital in keeping Fulham at bay and produced an outstanding last-ditch tackle to deny Jimenez a clear scoring opportunity from close range in the first half. With his former club losing 4-1 this afternoon, Wolves will be kicking themselves for letting him go.
While the centre-back kept things routine for Flekken, the 30-year-old was himself impressive. He commanded his area well, was composed in possession, and showcased a wide range of passes with either foot, including a diagonal pass that was beautifully floated over the defender's head into Josh Dasilva's path late on.
The Dutch shot-stopper came under some scrutiny during pre-season but it appears that he is starting to find his rhythm in west London.
Wissa and Mbeumo continue to thrive in Toney's absence
Before the season started, the discussion surrounding Brentford was how they would contend without Ivan Toney for the first half of it.
Supporters caught glimpses of what life could be like at the end of last season, as Wissa and Mbeumo stepped up to lead Brentford to wins over West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester City.
Now that the new campaign is underway there is a decreasing sense of concern surrounding the club as the pair are thriving in Toney's absence, having scored all five of Brentford's goals in their opening two fixtures.
Mbeumo has taken on the responsibility of replicating Toney's penalty exploits and calmly done so, netting from the spot against Tottenham and Fulham, while Wissa continued to show why Frank rates him so highly.
It was by no means a high-standard performance from the pair, with Wissa unable to convert two big chances, but the result shows that even when they're not at their best the duo are capable of leading Brentford to victory.
