Keith Andrews expressed satisfaction with Brentford's progress following their EFL Cup victory over Aston Villa. Harvey Elliott scored first at Gtech Community Stadium, but Aaron Hickey equalised in the second half, leading to penalties. Mikkel Damsgaard's decisive penalty secured a 4-2 win, advancing Brentford to the fourth round. This success followed a draw against Chelsea, where Fabio Carvalho scored in stoppage time.
Brentford currently holds the 12th spot in the Premier League with four points from four matches, just below Fulham, whom they will face this Saturday. Despite a mixed start, Andrews remains optimistic about his team's development. He stated after the Villa match: "Even though we made a lot of changes tonight, I feel as though we're
growing as a group, we're taking steps, in terms of what we do with the ball, and we're definitely getting there. "
Fulham recently secured their first Premier League win of the season by defeating Leeds United 1-0. The victory came through a last-minute own goal by Gabriel Gudmundsson. Marco Silva praised Kevin's impact off the bench. Entering in the 76th minute, Kevin contributed significantly by creating chances and completing dribbles.
Silva commented on Kevin's performance: "Massive impact from Kevin. I know him very well," said Silva. "When I pushed to go for him, he's a player who is still very young but at the same time has enough maturity because he was playing in the Champions League and Europa League. We don't have any doubt about his quality. "
Alex Iwobi remains crucial for Fulham's attack after contributing to 15 league goals last season. He leads in progressive carries among attacking players this season with 37. For Brentford, Kevin Schade is noteworthy after scoring against Chelsea and aiming to build on his previous season's tally of 11 goals and two assists.
Fulham aims to continue their winning streak against Brentford after achieving a Premier League double over them last season. They seek three consecutive league victories over Brentford for the second time since 1928-1929.
Brentford might need to leverage set-pieces as Fulham has not conceded from open play this season; their goals against have come from corners or penalties.
Match Prediction and Statistics
Fulham has lost five of their last seven London derby games but previously remained unbeaten in ten such matches. Brentford has struggled at Craven Cottage, losing two of three recent visits compared to just one loss in their prior 15 trips.
Brentford is winless in their last three away games, losing two consecutively after winning seven of nine previous away matches. Their shot average this season is at its lowest across five campaigns.
The Opta Win Probability suggests Fulham has a 43% chance of winning, while Brentford stands at 30.2%, with a draw probability of 26.7%.
