Football: Toney strikes as Brentford beat London rivals Fulham

LONDON – Brentford fuelled their ambition of playing European football with a 3-2 home victory over fellow hopefuls Fulham to extend their unbeaten run in the English Premier League to 12 games on Monday.

Ivan Toney, praised by his manager Thomas Frank as a “special footballer”, extended his hot streak as his 15th league goal this season helped clinch the win.

The striker has shown no signs of being distracted since he was charged with 262 breaches, dating back to 2017, of the Football Association’s (FA) gambling laws.

He recently criticised the FA in an Instagram post, over what he alleges are lapses of confidentiality as he prepares to argue his case.

But the 26-year-old has kept his focus on the pitch and his penalty at the Gtech Community Stadium made it eight goals in his last 10 games.

“Ivan is the best penalty taker in the world for a few reasons, his strategy, he practises it and he is very cool,” Frank said.

“He is a special footballer. His character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team.

“His link-up play and the way he sees his teammates in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-around player.”

Toney has scored 27 of his 28 career spot kicks – 22 from 22 since joining Brentford – with his only miss coming while playing for Peterborough in 2018.

His goal put Brentford back in front, after Fulham’s Manor Solomon had cancelled out Ethan Pinnock’s opener.

Mathias Jensen netted late on and Carlos Vinicius’ stoppage-time strike was no consolation for Fulham, as Brentford remain undefeated in the league in 2023. The Bees sit ninth, just one point behind seventh-placed Fulham (39) in the race to qualify for European competition.

Brentford are seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth, having played two games fewer.

Given the genteel west London districts that Brentford and Fulham call home, their encounters will never rank among football’s most explosive derbies.

Before 2014, the neighbours had never even met above the third tier of English football.

But after decades in the shadow of local rivals Chelsea, both clubs are enjoying a golden period and have climbed above the spluttering Blues this season.

“They deserved the three points, they were more aggressive than us. They played in their way,” said Fulham boss Marco Silva.

“But we’ll not change what we’ve been doing. The best way for us to improve is to be honest when we analyse the game, make the players understand we weren’t at the standard we should be.”

AFP, REUTERS