Typically a testy rivalry emerges unexpectedly. It is probably not the Previous Agency, Villa v Birmingham and even Crystal Palace v Brighton but, however a compelling battleground is rising in west London between the Premier League’s upwardly-mobile new center class.
Brentford and Fulham are each having fun with outstanding seasons, each sport between them is a thriller which stokes the flames and every ends no nearer to a definitive reply about which of those vibrant groups is superior.
This was undeniably Brentford’s night time, a lot in order that their followers’ chant of “we’re all occurring a European tour” has a hoop of fact to it. This 3-2 was some payback after Fulham edged them by the identical rating at Craven Cottage final August, and received the lockdown Championship play-off closing of 2020.
“That is for us, within the Premier League, the most important London derby,” stated coach Thomas Frank. “It’s extra particular towards Fulham and lately there have been extra attention-grabbing video games between the groups, so in fact it meant one thing further, particularly for the followers.”
Nice rivalries are constructed on elementary variations. Pink v blue, Mersey docks v Manchester ship canal, our little bit of city v your barely demographically totally different little bit of city. Fulham and Brentford are distinct propositions tactically and their followers don’t like each other, they’ve been too shut in geography and stature for too lengthy for that. However at the moment they’ve extra in frequent than their supporters would care to confess.
Each are punching above their weight with spectacular managers, each appear to have mastered the artwork of recruitment and every has a centre again in Ben Mee and Tim Ream whose each constructive contribution is greeted by an exaggerated yelling of their identify, e-vowel stretched to breaking level.
Frank’s facet began ferociously and went forward after six minutes when Ethan Pinnock’s shot took a drastic diversion into the underside nook off Ream. Their scary momentum was curbed solely by a delay after a flare was thrown on to the pitch by their very own followers.
