Fulham super-sub Harry Wilson stepped off the bench to score two incredible goals in stoppage time and grab a sensational 2-1 comeback win over west London rivals Brentford amid remarkable scenes at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva’s side looked set to be beaten by Vitaly Janelt’s stunning first-half effort and had been repeatedly repelled by their local rivals. But by the end it was Wilson being held aloft by team-mates as the home fans revelled in what appeared an unlikely victory over their near-neighbours going into added time.
The game was in the 92nd minute when Wilson came up with a goal-of-the-season contender to get Fulham back into it. Adama Traore found his fellow sub with a cross from the right and Wilson ingeniously flicked the ball with his heel up and over Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken to huge roars. “I was just trying to help it on really,” he revealed later.
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Harry Wilson scores a late Fulham equaliser against Brentford
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Vitaly Janelt scores STUNNER to fire Brentford ahead against Fulham.
Fabio Carvalho – booed on his return to Fulham – almost restored Brentford’s lead with a close-range effort but Bernd Leno produced a huge moment of his own to block the shot.
Seconds later, Wilson was jumping through the Monday night sky to head in Antonee Robinson’s centre with 90+7 on the clock. Off his shoulder? Certainly. But no one supporting Fulham inside the stadium cared one bit about that.
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Harry Wilson scores a late winner for Fulham against Brentford.
Fulham – who threatened down the left through Robinson, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe in the first half and repeatedly tested Flekken from distance while camped in Brentford territory in the second period – leapfrog their rivals into ninth.
Brentford, meanwhile, slip to 12th, having blown a league-high 14 points from winning positions this season.
Wilson: I was just trying to help it on!
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Fulham’s Harry Wilson reflects on scoring two stoppage time goals against Brentford in the Premier league.
Fulham midfielder Harry Wilson told Sky Sports:
“It was an amazing feeling to come on and score the two goals to win us the game. Throughout the course of the game, I feel it was what we deserved. We penned them in during the second half.
“Marco told me to play in the pocket and try to find space in the box and that’s what I tried to do for both goals. Both of them went in, maybe not quite as I’d have planned!”
On his first goal: “It went wide to Adama and he put it in first time. I just tied to get across the front and I was just trying to help it on really and hopefully someone could get onto it at the far post! When I saw it fly in, it was an amazing feeling.”
On his second goal: “The second goal was a bit luckier. I think it was meant to go the other way! It came off my shoulder but they all count.”
Carra: A deserved win for Fulham
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher told MNF:
“I thought Marco Silva’s side were outstanding. I felt it was very unfortunate that they went in at half-time behind.
“They totally dominated the game. Brentford weren’t really at the races and they’ll be bitterly disappointed to lose.
“When you make a substitution, this is precisely what you want from players off the bench.”
Silva: A great night for our fans
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Marco Silva spoke after Fulham’s dramatic late win against Brentford and felt his players deserved the win after dominating the entire match.
Fulham boss Marco Silva:
“We definitely deserved the three points. No doubts about it. Tonight had been our season so far: dominant, the best team on the pitch, creating many more chances. But the reality we didn’t get the points we deserve from the game. From the first minute we were on the front foot.
“The score was really unfair at half time. I told the players to keep pushing hard. Brentford defended really hard around their box. I’d love to see us a bit more calm in some moments. We tried everything from the bench.
“Sometimes football takes from you but in the end it gives to you if you keep working hard.
“It was a great night for the fans. We’re here to give these type of moments.
“It’s been a tough season for Harry in terms of minutes. He’s been on fire for the national team. He had a great night.”
Frank: It was brutal
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Thomas Frank reacted to Brentford’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham and said the loss was tough to take after conceding two goals in stoppage-time against their rivals.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank:
“It was of course tough. It’s emotionally very tough right now. When you’re leading in the 92nd minute, it’s tough for us to even have a draw – and then we lose it. On the day, Fulham were better but we showed a lot of resilience and defending.
“I thought that could give us the win but then there was an unbelievable touch from Wilson where 99 times out of 100 it doesn’t go in. Then we could have won, and in the end we lost it. It was brutal.”
Brentford see more points slip away
Sky Sports’ Peter Smith:
Premier League points don’t come easy – so to allow 14 of them to slip through your fingers from winning positions is extremely costly for Brentford. How important could they be by the end of the season?
This was a cruel way to lose a derby, going down to two stoppage time goals after defending so resolutely. But Brentford – beneficiaries of a late goal against Ipswich last weekend – felt that familiar feeling again.
“I still prefer to get in front than go 1-0 down and try to turn it around,” said Thomas Frank afterwards, noting their previous dropped points had come from leads against the likes of Man City and Tottenham. “In the end, in time, hopefully it will give us more points,” added Frank, who remains happy with his side’s processes.
He accepted Fulham deserved to win on the balance of play and Brentford had to be better offensively. But points once again got away from Frank’s side.