Premier League: Respect Due for Bees and Cottagers

Brentford vs Fulham

As the 2025-26 Premier League season draws towards its closing stages, it is worth reflecting on the fine seasons that Brentford and Fulham have enjoyed to date.

Sure, I doubt either club will quite finish high enough to qualify for Europe.

But in many ways, the sheer fact that they have both remained in the conversation (sporadically at least) shows just how well they are faring.

 

Talking Points

As they go in search of Premier League 2026 highlights in west London this Saturday, some readers may strongly dispute what I’m saying. After all, this is a meeting of the seventh versus the 12^th. Yet that, in itself, is success.

Here are two clubs, with budgets a mere fraction of the size of some of their counterparts, who continue to punch above their weight. This season alone, Brentford have beaten Manchester United and Liverpool and held leaders Arsenal and Chelsea. Fulham, meanwhile, have also had their moments and are comfortably on course to secure a fifth successive season in the top-flight (one fewer than Brentford).

I feared for the Bees last summer after they lost several key players, including two strikers who grabbed a combined 39 goals between them last term.

Furthermore, I felt their biggest loss would be the influential manager Thomas Frank, who not only guided a seemingly unfashionable club into the top tier for the first time in 74 years but then kept them there and claimed the scalp of virtually every other big hitter in the English game along the way.

However, his successor, rookie manager Keith Andrews, has defied the doubters, exceeding all expectations on a shoestring.

His counterpart by the Thames, Marco Silva, is doing the same. For how much longer remains to be seen, and the popular Portuguese boss is yet to sign a new deal (the current contract expires this summer).

Regardless of what his future holds though, one suspects true Cottagers appreciate everything he has done, especially in the Premier League where he made his mark from his very first game after promotion.

Their two-goal scorer that day, Aleksandar Mitrovic, is one of a number of star players who have since departed; just as Brentford have lost key men during that period.

But for every Mitrovic and Joao Palhinha, every Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo to have been sold, they have recruited and developed the likes of Harry Wilson and Igor Thiago, whose double last weekend versus Everton, ensured he became the first Brazilian player to reach the milestone figure of 20 goals.

That is just one reason why Brentford and Fulham are now established Premier League clubs. That is a triumph in itself.

 

History

With 26 Fulham victories to 25 Brentford triumphs, along with another 18 draws, these teams have been closely matched and enjoyed some real ding-dongs historically.

It was December 1928 when they first met in the former Division Three South, a 1-1 draw on that occasion. They locked horns on a further seven occasions in that league before another 1-1 draw in Division Two in 1933, that time at Craven Cottage.

Although the late 1980s and 90s saw clashes in the Sherpa Vans Trophy, Leyland DAF Cup, and Auto Windscreens Shield (the cup, in various guises, for the teams in the third and fourth tiers of league football), they had never met in the top-flight until August 2022 – a 3-2 home Fulham win when Bobby Decordova-Reid, Palhinha and Mitrovic, in the final minute, sealed the points after Christian Norgaard and Toney had drawn the Bees level from a 2-0 deficit.

Fulham have won the last three meetings, including this corresponding fixture last term when they edged a five-goal contest. Then, Brentford found the net through their front pairing of Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, but the Cottagers came back from 2-1 to win via Raul Jiminez, Tom Cairney, and Harry Wilson goals.

They also won on home soil earlier this term when Alex Iwobi, Wilson, and an own goal earned a 3-1 home win after Mikkel Damsgaard had put Brentford ahead.

It ensured Fulham had won three consecutive league meetings with Brentford for the first time since October 1929 (in Division Three South).

Arguably, their most important meeting was the Championship Play-off Final of 2020, won 2-1 by Fulham thanks to an extra-time double from Joe Bryan.

 

Betting Tip

Our SBOTOP Premier League 2026 betting odds back the Bees who are priced 1X2 @ 2.14 and Asian Handicap -0.50 @ 2.14. Fulham are slightly adrift but also an attractive bet, including 1X2 @ 3.04 and Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.02 and 0.00 @ 2.42. The 1X2 Draw has an appeal and will earn you a pay day @ 3.26. A repeat of their meeting last season is on offer @ 34.00 with Correct Score 2-3.

If you fancy goals, as I do, then how about Over 3.00 @ 2.31, Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.01, 4-6 @ 3.02. Or, if you’re feeling a bit more conservative, then Total Goal 0-1 is an option @ 3.50. I think the Bees have a bit more about them right now, but it is a close call.

   

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