Brentford travel to west London rivals Fulham on Monday night as they go in search of their first points on the road this season.
Trips to Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Manchester United has seen them fall to four defeats; an inability to win at Craven Cottage will see them fail to win in their opening five league away matches for the first time since 2012.
It is a record the Bees will want to avoid in what is an emerging rivalry in the London football scene, one that has been reignited over the past decade following a dormant period in the early 2000s, with the two clubs tussling for promotion to the Premier League.
Now in the top-flight, not much has separated the two - particularly heading into this fixture, with one point and one place in the table proving the difference at this moment, plus a number of tightly-contested fixtures.
Casting the drab, end-of-season 0-0 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium in May aside, Brentford boast the recent bragging rights in this derby with two wins in the last three meetings, which includes an emphatic 3-0 triumph in this fixture in August 2023.
Visits to Craven Cottage have been enjoyable for Bees supporters in recent times, with Thomas Frank's side scoring at least twice in their past three trips - on top of scoring in all seven meetings at this stadium since they reacquainted in 2014.
It could prove to be an entertaining spectacle for the neutral as both sides have had no issue find the back of the net this season. However, holding onto leads have proven to be problematic, with Fulham dropping 10 points from winning positions while Brentford have dropped 11.
Team News
Fulham
Marco Silva will be pleased to be able to call upon Andreas Pereira; he has been passed fit after sustaining a knock during last week's draw with Everton.
Joachim Andersen is available for selection after serving a one-game suspension for his red card against Aston Villa, as is Timothy Castagne, who has recovered from a hamstring issue and has been involved in training this week.
Carlos Vinicius (calf) is set to be assessed ahead of this fixture as he nears a long-awaited return from injury. The 29-year-old is said to be "going in the right direction," according to Silva and has been involved in training.
Sasa Lukic is the sole absentee as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury sustained while representing Serbia. He is not expected to be involved until after the November international break.
Brentford
Thomas Frank confessed that there is a big chance that Kristoffer Ajer will be involved after missing their previous two matches due to a 'minor foot injury'.
The Norwegian is by far the closest to a return in comparison to Brentford's other absentees.
Rico Henry (knee) continues to be involved in team training but the club is taking every precaution to make sure the left-back is ready to return after a year on the sideline.
Igor Thiago (knee) and Gustavo Nunes (back) are said to be making good progress and have been doing individual work on the pitch at Jersey Road, but it too soon for them to be involved.
Aaron Hickey (hamstring) and Josh Dasilva (knee) remain long-term absentees.
Predicted Line-ups
Fulham
Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Pereira, Berge; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez.
Brentford
Flekken; van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer; Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Wissa.
Key Players
Fulham: Andreas Pereira
Only Arsenal's Bukayo Saka has created more chances in the Premier League this season than Pereira's 26 heading into this gameweek.
It is a statistic that highlights the influential role the 28-year-old has as the creative outlet in Fulham's midfield, acting as the bridge in their prompt transitions from defence to attack. The statistic also highlights the Cottagers' profligacy in front of goal as he is yet to register an assist.
His technical qualities and passing range are well documented and are attributes that will put him in good stead to evade Brentford's press and get the ball into advantageous areas for team-mates to threaten.
Fulham's opponents have conceded a number of goals from half-space crosses this season and it is weakness Pereira is capable of exposing.
Brentford: Mikkel Damsgaard
Brentford's patience with Damsgaard is starting to pay dividends.
The 24-year-old's tally of four assists in his previous three league matches surpasses the three he contributed in the preceding 63 appearances (all comps.) - a run of form that is seeing him become an indispensable figure.
His game-on-game improvement is seeing him exhibit the talent he showed during Denmark's run to the EURO 2020 semi-finals, showcasing brilliant control and agility to evade opponents before driving with the ball into advanced areas.
Operating ahead of a pivot, Damsgaard is afforded a freedom that is allowing him into positions where he can cause problems with intricate passes and combinations, as well as his deliveries from wide areas.
While the focus is on his attacking input, Damsgaard's defensive contribution is invaluable and will be key in keepings the hosts threat in transition at a minimum.
Match Information
Where is this game being played?
Craven Cottage, London.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 20:00 (GMT) on Monday, 4 November, 2024.
How can I watch?
This fixture is being broadcasted in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
