Brentford head coach Keith Andrews says Brentford need to manage the games within the game better after suffering a 3-1 west London derby defeat to Fulham last weekend.
A mere 98 seconds separated Alex Iwobi's equaliser in the 38th minute and Harry Wilson's lead-taking goal before half-time, which preceded an Ethan Pinnock own goal after the interval at Craven Cottage.
Mikkel Damsgaard had given the visitors a 20th-minute lead but it ultimately meant nothing on a night where the score line almost became embarrassing for the Bees when the hosts had a fourth goal disallowed.
It was Fulham's third consecutive win against their rivals, having come from behind in both games last season to secure three points, including two goals in second-half stoppage-time in November 2024.
"I didn’t think we managed it very well as a group," Andrews told VAVEL.
"You look at where the second goal came from, it was from a throw-in. To concede in the way we did and the manner and the timing, where it came from, a restart, something we work on, I felt was disappointing.
"[It is] something we have addressed this week and hopefully we’ve sorted that out."
In all three fixtures, the Cottagers have scored twice in quick succession to turn the game on its head, making it the seventh time since August 2024 Brentford have conceded two goals within five minutes of one another.
The Bees have also conceded twice in quick succession in defeats to Arsenal (1-3), Liverpool (0-2), and Nottingham Forest (3-1) over the past 13 months, as well as in the 4-3 win over Ipswich Town in October 2024.
Andrews is aware of the issue alongside the timings of the goals being conceded and feels his side need to manage the moments better to prevent such situations for reoccurring.
"When I look at football games and sport, in general, there’s always games within the game. You need to manage those moments," the 45-year-old explained.
"The momentum swings within games are really telling for me when a team slightly gets on top or you take a backwards step, something that can be very detrimental to the performance [and] the score line.
"You need to be very delicate with how you approach things like that, but, ultimately, what I want the players to do is just manage moments."
As a result, Brentford have now dropped eight points from winning positions so far this campaign, the most in the Premier League, three more than second-place Manchester City (5).
Sunderland came from behind to secure a 95th-minute at the Stadium of Light, 12 minutes after Enzo Le Fee's equaliser from the spot, after Igor Thiago had given the Bees the lead in the 78th-minute.
It then required a 93rd-minute equaliser from Fabio Carvalho to prevent Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo's strikes earning Chelsea a win after Kevin Schade opened the scoring in a 2-2 draw earlier this month.
"I’ve had it in different environments I’ve been in and you need to be careful how much you make of an issue," Andrews added.
"You don’t want it to take over the players’ heads where if they concede a goal they go too defensive, you just want to stay with the game, really, and the game plan."
The defeat to Fulham leaves Brentford 17th in the table, the lowest position the club has been since earning promotion from the Championship in 2021, and one point above the relegation zone.
Brentford find themselves in a difficult position as they face a tough fixture list heading into October, with consolidating a strong home form crucial in accumulating points over the next four matches.
Andrews' side are unbeaten in three matches on home turf, having beaten Aston Villa both in the league and Carabao Cup, either side of their draw with Enzo Maresca's Blues.
The Bees now face Manchester United at home on Saturday before welcoming Manchester City and Liverpool to the Gtech Community Stadium, with a trip to West Ham United in between next month.
