Marco Silva believes Fulham claimed a "deserved win" against Brentford, though admits they should have secured the three points much earlier in their 2-1 victory.

It looked like Vitaly Janelt's 24th-minute strike against the run of play was going to wrap up all three points for Brentford, but Harry Wilson proved the Cottagers' hero off the bench, scoring twice in stoppage time to snatch the three points.

Fulham had dominated from the first whistle and had 26 shots, 12 of which were on target, though they struggled to find a way past their opponents' staunch defence until the 92nd minute.

Wilson became just the sixth player to score an equalising and match-winning goal from the 90th minute onwards in the Premier League, while his second goal was Fulham's latest-ever Premier League winner at 96:46.

Silva was delighted with how his team pushed until the final seconds to ensure they came away with a win.

"It was definitely a deserved win. We started on the front foot and dominated all the game. In the first 20 minutes, we had two clear chances to score," Silva told BBC Sport.

"After they scored, we didn't lose the confidence and the trust in ourselves, we kept pushing them back, and we created enough to not be losing at half-time.

"I told the players this is football, it can happen, but we have to keep pushing, working hard and playing our way.

"It was late, it should've been much before, but that's football."

Brentford, meanwhile, have now dropped a league-high 14 points from winning positions in the Premier League as they suffered a fifth consecutive away defeat in the competition.

In fact, they are the first side in the competition's history to score the first goal in four consecutive away games and lose all four.

They had defended resolutely until their late lapse in concentration, and even had a chance to win it, only for Bernd Leno's impressive save to keep out Fabio Carvalho in the 95th minute.

Thomas Frank, though, admitted he was not yet ready to take the positives from the performance after the disappointment of their late defeat.

"It was tough. It is emotionally very tough right now," Frank told Sky Sports.

"When you are leading in the 92nd minute, and you lose, it is tough. I don't think we hit our highest level. I think on the day Fulham were better.

"There was a lot of good defending and effort, and I thought that would have given us the win. We could have won it with the chance for Fabio Carvalho and then we lost.

"When we look at the game back, and we are more cool-headed, we will probably be very happy with the defensive standard. I thought there were unbelievable blocks, and recovery runs and all that we did well. On the ball, we didn't do enough."

The mutual respect shared between the dugouts in west London belies the desire both managers feel to deliver a “special” derby win in west London as Brentford visit Fulham on Monday night.

It is a derby unlikely to disappoint with Brentford’s affinity for goals setting up a potential thriller. There have been a league-high 36 goals scored in Brentford’s nine league matches, while three of the last five league meetings between these two sides have finished 3-2.

Both clubs have established themselves in the English top flight over the past few seasons, with their managers also securing stable tenures, leading to a shared admiration in west London.

Though, with just one point separating the sides in ninth and tenth, both Thomas Frank and Marco Silva will be just as intent on delivering a memorable result for their fans under the lights on Monday.

“A London derby, local derby, is always more special, probably more intense, and it’s always a tough game. Away or at home against them, it’s always a tough game, like it’s always the same for them to play against us,” said Fulham’s Silva.

“We want to give a great feeling to our fans, that is to win a local derby. We know what we are going to face, we know that it’s a little bit more special to the fans, and what we want to give what they deserve from the Monday Night Football.”

Silva can see parallels between his own journey in west London and that of Brentford, who have fared well despite facing their first season without former talisman Ivan Toney.

“You can compare the same story to us as well, losing important players, selling important players, [but] being able to rebuild again,” he explained.

“There are similar things between both sides in that aspect, to sometimes sell their best players and to go again, to try to rebuild, to try to put some young players and fresh players inside. [Frank] is a top person, his job speaks for itself.”

While their similarity in mindset might lead to a shared story, it also means both are just as determined to deliver the three points to their borough of west London.

“In recent years, it has been very tight between the two teams - we have had some fantastic games against each other,” added Frank.

“Now, we're going to play Monday night, under the floodlights, Craven Cottage - a historic stadium - we're bringing 3,000 fans, and we'll do everything we can for them to get the win. I'm really looking forward to it."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Andreas Pereira

Only Bukayo Saka (27) has created more chances in the Premier League this season than Fulham’s Andreas Pereira (26), although none of those chances have been converted by his teammates yet.

He’s set up 11 different players, with only Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski creating a chance for more different team-mates (12).

Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo has netted eight goals in the Premier League this season, with only Erling Haaland scoring more (11). He has scored 11 goals in his last 13 London derbies, including two goals at Craven Cottage in a 3-0 win last campaign.

He has been integral to Brentford’s attacking efforts, having taken the most shots (16) and provided the joint-most key passes (17) in the squad.

MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN

Fulham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League London derbies (W2 D3), last having a longer unbeaten run against fellow sides from the capital during the 2006-07 season (seven in a row).

They will also be looking to punish the Bees' leaky defence. Brentford have conceded 18 goals in their opening nine Premier League games this season, their most after nine league matches since 1961-62 (19). It’s the first time they haven’t kept a clean sheet at this stage since 2015-16.

Only West Ham (275) have seen more shots in the league than Brentford’s nine games this term (268). The Bees have faced 56 more shots than they’ve had themselves (106 for, 162 against), the third-worst differential behind only Leicester City (-81) and Southampton (-67).

That being said, Brentford have still managed to secure wins despite such a worrying defensive record. While they have shipped eight goals in their last three Premier League games, they have won both of the matches in which they’ve conceded three goals in that time.

Brentford have only lost one of their last 11 away league games against Fulham (W5 D5), failing to score just once at Craven Cottage in that run.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 46%

Draw – 24.3%

Brentford – 29.7%

Michael Keane believes Everton have made themselves hard to beat and is looking forward to testing that theory against Fulham in the Premier League.

The Toffees started the season with a run of four consecutive losses, but have since turned things around, going unbeaten in their last four in the top-flight.

Their 2-0 victory over struggling Ipswich Town last weekend helped move them five points clear of the relegation zone in the early standings.

And Keane is delighted with the uptick in their form as they look to extend that run at Goodison Park on Saturday.

"We've become hard to play against," Keane told evertontv.

"Obviously, against Newcastle, it wasn't our best performance but we grinded it out by doing all the ugly things really well and [last week], I think we played a lot better than we did and we got a deserved win.

"To have four games unbeaten now, it gives you that momentum and that confidence going into the next games."

Meanwhile, Fulham have suffered back-to-back losses against Manchester City and Aston Villa in recent weeks, following a five-match unbeaten streak in the league.

Marco Silva is looking to get back to winning ways against his former club and has won his last two away games against Everton in the Premier League.

However, the Cottagers went down to 10 men against Villa, having given up their lead, and Silva was left bemused by the decision that will leave him without Joachim Andersen for the trip to Merseyside.

"[Villa was] not the best performance from us," Silva said.

"But we're all confused [about the red card], we all don't understand, even for you, for fans for staff, managers and players, we're all confused because when things happen, we try to understand why and respect."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton – Dwight McNeil

Dwight McNeil has been involved in six goals in his last six Premier League appearances (three goals, three assists) for Everton.

He is only the third Toffees player with three goals and three assists in the opening eight games of a season, after Francis Jeffers in 1999-00 and James Rodriguez in 2020-21.

Fulham – Raul Jimenez

Raul Jimenez has scored or assisted in each of his last five Premier League appearances for Fulham (four goals, one assist).

No Cottagers player has done so in six games in a row, while only three players have scored or assisted in six in a row aged 33 or older: Gus Poyet aged 34 in 2001, Dennis Bergkamp aged 35 in 2004, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic aged 35 in 2017.

MATCH PREDICTION: EVERTON WIN

Since losing their first four Premier League matches this season, Everton are unbeaten in four games (W2 D2). Only once have the Toffees gone five unbeaten under Sean Dyche, doing so in April and May this year.

And their record in October is impressive - Everton have kept six clean sheets in their last seven such Premier League games (W4 D2 L1), including both games this season. Since 2022-23, the Toffees have averaged 0.75 points per game in August and September (P20 W3 D6 L11) compared to 1.55 points per game in October (W5 D2 L4).

Since Dyche's first Premier League games in charge of Everton, only Arsenal (33) have scored more goals via set pieces (excl. pens) than the Toffees (27).

However, Everton were unbeaten in their first 27 home league games against Fulham between 1949 and 2018 (W23 D4), winning each of the last 22 of those. Since then, they have lost their last three at home to the Cottagers.

In fact, Fulham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games against the Toffees (W3 D2), keeping four clean sheets in the process. All three of those wins in that run have come at Goodison Park.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Everton – 40.9%

Draw – 26.7%

Fulham – 32.4%

Marco Silva is hoping Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to champions Manchester City will give his players “courage” against Aston Villa upon their return to Premier League action.

The Cottagers went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side before the international break but were made to rue missed opportunities during the contest, with Adama Traore the most notable for squandering some gilt-edged chances at the Etihad.

However, Silva is confident his team can take encouragement from their display as they aim to maintain their unbeaten record at Craven Cottage this season.

“To see City finish with three central defenders with five at the back shows that we were creating problems for them, not just in transition,” Silva said.

“It gives us courage. We know what we are capable of doing, and it gives us the confidence to keep going in the direction that we want to go in, and to stick with our philosophy as a team.

“Looking at the chances that we did create throughout the game and comparing with City, we deserved more. But that’s football.”

Unai Emery, meanwhile, insisted his Aston Villa side will be raring to go when they return to domestic action after their stalemate with Manchester United last time out.

It was the Villans’ first goalless draw at Villa Park in the Premier League since May 2021, while the expected goals (xG) total between the two sides was just 1.05 – the lowest in a top-flight match so far this season.

With the international break allowing Villa to recuperate after a busy September schedule that saw them start their Champions League campaign with two wins, returning players will be a welcome addition, the Spaniard believes.

“It’s a nice moment to rest. This week we are going to work and recover some players. We are going to add [Boubacar] Kamara and [Tyrone] Mings, which is very good news. Hopefully some injured players can come back for the next match against Fulham,” Emery said.

“We will need players. Today we were more or less with some players out and we needed fresh players with good legs in the second half to help get our objective in this match.

“The players were really focusing on this match and gave their best. I’m happy because we are feeling strong here with our supporters and keeping a good position in the league and Champions League targeting our objectives. We are going to try to get there.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Andreas Pereira

No player has played more passes (including crosses) into the opposition box than Fulham’s Pereira in the Premier League this season (64), with the Brazilian also creating the most chances from set plays (16).

Pereira has also created 23 chances overall this term (level with Cole Palmer and Dwight McNeil), a total only bettered by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (27) in the Premier League so far.

Aston Villa – Jhon Duran

After netting in midweek while on international duty with Colombia, Duran will be hoping to continue his remarkable scoring streak at Craven Cottage.

Duran has four goals in just 184 minutes of action in the Premier League this season, averaging a goal every 46 minutes so far. This is the best minutes-per-goal ratio of anyone to feature for at least 90 minutes this term.

MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN

Fulham are unbeaten in their three Premier League home games so far this season (W2 D1). They last had a longer run without defeat at Craven Cottage from the start of a campaign in 2011-12 (four).

The Cottagers lost this exact fixture 2-1 in February last season, though they have never lost consecutive home league games against Aston Villa before.

However, they face an uphill task against Emery’s men, who are unbeaten in their last five league games (W3 D2), though their 0-0 draw with United last time out was their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches.

Visits to London have proven fruitful for the Villans in recent years. They have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games in the capital (W8 D3). Their eight wins in this time (all under Emery) are as many as they’d managed in their previous 48 top-flight games in London.

Villa have also won five of their last six Premier League games against Fulham (L1), including the last three in a row. It’s more wins than they’d managed in their previous 19 against the Cottagers in the top-flight (W4 D10 L5), while they’ve never won four in a row against them in their league history.

No team has scored more goals from crosses than Aston Villa in the Premier League this season (five). No player has scored more such goals than Ollie Watkins (two), while Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans have two such assists each – only Saka (four) has more.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 40.5%

Draw – 25.5%

Aston Villa – 34%

Fulham boss Marco Silva is delighted to see Raul Jimenez back to his best, after his 50th Premier League goal gave them all three points against Nottingham Forest.

The Mexican has struggled for regular goals since a serious head injury he suffered playing for Wolves against Arsenal in November 2020.

But Jimenez, who joined Fulham in July 2023, has started this season superbly and has now scored three goals in three successive matches, and he proved the difference against Forest with a well-dispatched penalty.

Silva told BBC Sport: “It's great to see him back at that level again after that bad incident when he was at Wolves. It was tough for him to come back.

"In an important moment of his career, when he was struggling for goals, we showed trust in him, and believed in him. He got used to scoring before the incident but we trusted him.

“From the first moment at this club he showed his hard work and his quality. It's nice to see him score and be decisive for us."

Silva also revealed that Jimenez had apologised for taking the ball off designated penalty taker Andreas Pereira prior to scoring from the spot.

He told Premier League Productions: “Pereira was the penalty taker for the moment. It is not Andreas' fault but it is clearly the fault of Raul.

"It is already decided. It is already sorted. It is not going to happen again. Has Raul apologised? Yes. He had to because he knows the rules and how important discipline is in our squad."

Jimenez is now just four goals away from Javier Hernandez's record as the most prolific Mexican player in Premier League history.

He said: "Yes, why not break records and set new ones. He [Hernandez] was a very good player in English football and now it's my time and I want to keep scoring.

“The most important thing is the three points. It's early in the season, and we have a long way to go, but being there is good for us. We want to make history for Fulham and know we can achieve more."

Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted his side were not at their best, though they still had chances to get back into the match, as they fell to their first defeat of the season.

“Not the best game from us,” Nuno said to BBC Sport. “But we still created near the end and had opportunities to score, we have to bounce back in the next one.

“I’m disappointed for the fans – we are sad, but we have to go again.”

Nuno refused to be drawn on the penalty decision, with VAR intervening after an infringement between Murillo and Pereira, replays showing the defender scraped his studs along the latter’s calf.

He said: “If we start speaking about the referees, I don’t know if it’s the best thing. I hope they improve. I don’t want to go much further than that.”

Eddie Howe insisted he is enjoying the selection headache his Newcastle players have presented him after coming from behind against Wolves last time out.

Two goals in five minutes from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes moved the Magpies up to third in the early-season standings as they aim to return to the Champions League this season.

With Newcastle struggling with injuries for much of last season, Howe said that despite the difficulty of the decisions he has to make every week, it is part of being a head coach in the Premier League.

"Those are the headaches you want. Leaving Harvey out and other players in this game was very, very difficult but it what you're paid to do,” Howe said.

“All you want then is when the player enters the pitch to try and prove that he should try and start the next game.

"The fixture list is never easy, every game in the Premier League is always difficult. Four points from Wolves and Bournemouth is good and we go away to Fulham next."

Fulham, meanwhile, suffered a shock midweek exit in the Carabao Cup to Championship side Preston North End at Deepdale.

The Cottagers were beaten on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time, eventually being dumped out of the competition in unusual fashion, losing 16-15 after Timothy Castagne saw his penalty saved, with Ryan Ledson sending North End through.

Head coach Marco Silva was left ruing his sides missed opportunities during the encounter, and is hoping his players can find their clinical edge against the high-flying Magpies this weekend.

"I'm sure that we did enough during the 95 minutes to win the game," Silva told reporters after the 34-kick shootout.

"From the first minute, we took control of the game and I think we created enough chances... the crossbar, a lot of crosses, a lot of moments where we should've scored."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Emile Smith-Rowe

Smith Rowe has made a positive start to his Fulham career, netting his second goal involvement since his move from Arsenal with his assist for Raul Jiminez’s goal against West Ham.

The 24-year-old also boasts an impressive record against the Magpies, winning four of the five games he has played against them (L1), scoring once.

Newcastle – Harvey Barnes

Barnes has either scored (two) or assisted (one) a goal in each of his last three Premier League appearances for Newcastle.

Only in January 2021 at Leicester has he registered a goal involvement in four consecutive games in the competition before.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Newcastle have enjoyed their recent visits to Craven Cottage, winning each of their last four away league games against Fulham, having previously lost six in a row before this.

The Magpies also boast an expected goals (xG) against total of 6.5 in the Premier League this season, but have conceded just three goals, with their difference of 3.5 between goals conceded and xG against the best in the division so far.

With 10 points (W3 D1), this is Newcastle’s best start to a Premier League campaign after four games since 1995-96 under Kevin Keegan (12 points) – the Magpies haven’t gone unbeaten in their opening five top-flight matches since 2011-12 under Alan Pardew (W2 D3). 

Fulham, meanwhile, are winless in their last eight Premier League meetings with Newcastle (D2 L6), losing each of the last five in a row.

Silva’s side have also struggled on home soil, having won just one of their last six Premier League home games (D2 L3), having won four of their previous six at Craven Cottage (D1 L1).

While Opta’s data-led simulations expected a draw between the two sides, none of Fulham’s 16 Premier League home games against Newcastle have finished level, with the Cottagers winning nine and losing seven. The only exact fixture to be played more without being drawn in the competition’s history is Everton v Fulham at Goodison Park (17).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 34.7%

Draw – 25.7%

Newcastle – 39.7%

Marco Silva conceded Fulham "cannot switch off for one second" in the Premier League, after Danny Ings' last-gasp equaliser denied the Cottagers all three points against West Ham.

The hosts appeared on course to take the spoils in the London derby at Craven Cottage, where Raul Jimenez put them in front after 24 minutes.

However, the visitors snatched a dramatic equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time, when substitute Ings fired past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

And Silva acknowledged his side's brief lapse in concentration proved costly.

"It just shows that in this Premier League, you cannot switch off for one second," he told BBC Sport. "We are aware of the quick throws, and we have to keep focus and concentration.

"A big frustration for us because, before that, it was a good performance. It was clear we were the best team on the pitch. They did not have one shot [on target] in the first half.

"We should have won this game. It was not a game where West Ham pushed us back. The goal came after we switched off. It just shows you have to keep focus until the last second."

Silva also felt Fulham should have been awarded a first-half penalty when Adama Traore was challenged by Max Kilman.

"It was a clear, clear, penalty in my opinion," he added. "It's difficult to understand why it was not a penalty in that situation. I don't even want to say anything more about it."

Meanwhile, West Ham boss paid tribute to Ings, who was making only his second Premier League appearance of the season - with both coming as a late substitute.

"It was a very 'Danny Ings' goal!", Lopetegui told West Ham's official website. "He is always agile in those kinds of actions, and he took his chance very well.

"I'm really happy for him, because he hasn't played much up until now, but he is always ready to go. He is a really good example to all of his team-mates, and it's great to see his work pay off.

"As a player, it can be hard when you don't know when the coach is going to call you. The important thing is to try and always be ready, because you are going to be needed at some point.

"Scoring in the last minute today is important, because he's shown everyone that you have to believe until the end. Even though there were things we could do better today, we kept going, and we got something out of the game."

Julen Lopetegui has refused to rule out Niclas Fullkrug’s involvement when West Ham return to Premier League action against Fulham on Saturday.

Fullkrug, who was signed from Borussia Dortmund during the transfer window, picked up an injury on international duty with Germany during their 5-0 win over Hungary, a game the 31-year-old scored in.

Lopetegui has picked up one win from his first three league fixtures at the helm, but the Spaniard says his side are still in the process of becoming the team he wants them to be.

"Let's see, he has a little problem, it was a pity,” Lopetegui said on Fullkrug. “But it's true that we will evaluate him too, today. 

“Yesterday we thought he was a little bit better, today we're going to see how he is exactly and tomorrow we are going to make the last decision about him.

"It's a process, and we have had 10 days here to work with the players. Unfortunately, a lot of them weren't here, so it's not easy, but we've done what we could.

“It's a quick turnaround now to Fulham, but we're putting all our focus on our next match."

Fulham, meanwhile, entered the international break off the back of a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road, with the Cottagers sitting in 12th in the early-season table.

Marco Silva’s new-look squad showed signs during their encounter with the Tractor Boys that they are close to kicking into gear, having taken four points from their first three Premier League games.

While Silva acknowledged his players were forced to adopt a different style of play in their last fixture, he is confident they can continue their unbeaten run on home soil.

"Tough Premier League game, as always, against a side that you know are going to be really hard to play against,” Silva said. “We know it can be tough to play here because last season we played against them in a different competition with great support from the home crowd.

"We were solid in the second half, but not in the way that we like to play, not with that quality in our build up, and it was more difficult for us to create chances.

"It's a game, of course, that we wanted to win, we wanted the three points. We got one point, and we move on to prepare for the next one."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Antonee Robinson

Since the start of last season, only Kieran Trippier (10) has more assists among defenders in the Premier League than Fulham’s Robinson (eight).

All eight have come in open play, with only Mohamed Salah (13), Brennan Johnson (10), and Anthony Elanga (nine) having a better 100% open-play assist rate in the division during that time.

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

Bowen has nine Premier League goals away from home since the start of last season, with only Erling Haaland (16) and Ollie Watkins (10) netting more, while his only goal this term came away at Crystal Palace.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Fulham won both Premier League meetings with West Ham last season by an aggregate score of 7-0. They’ve not won three consecutive league games against the Hammers since between October 1965 and October 1966.

During his time in charge of the Cottagers, Everton and Watford, Silva has more Premier League wins against West Ham than any other side (P9 W6 L3), with the 17 goals his sides have scored against the Hammers in the competition also being his most.

Fulham have also lost only one of their four top-flight games that followed an international break last season (W2 D1), while West Ham lost three of their four such games in 2023-24 (W1). 

West Ham’s only win so far in the Premier League this season came away to Crystal Palace (2-0). They last won their opening two away league games of a season in 2015-16 (first three).

The Hammers have also won 16 of their 28 Premier League games against Fulham, their best win rate against any side they’ve faced at least five times in the competition (57%).

But so far this campaign, only Newcastle United (54) have faced more shots in the Premier League this season than West Ham (52), while their expected goals against total of 6.4 is also the second-highest, behind newly promoted Ipswich (6.9).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 40%

Draw – 26.2%

West Ham – 33.8%

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna believes his side have gained belief from their opening three fixtures of the season.

McKenna’s side picked up their first point of the Premier League campaign since being promoted on Saturday, drawing 1-1 at home to Fulham.

This followed losses in two tough opening matches against Liverpool and Manchester City.

Despite a total of just one point so far, McKenna believes all three matches were beneficial to help show his side how they can approach the season.

"Especially in the Liverpool game, the players came away with more confidence from it," McKenna said.

"And [against Fulham] we built on what we did against Liverpool. Our pressure was good and aggressive again.

"I think the players have come away from the first three games with more belief to be honest."

The 38-year-old was delighted with Liam Delap’s display after he got off the mark for the first time since his summer move from Manchester City.

"I enjoyed his all-round performance, each week he’s getting stronger, he’s learning and he’s got great growth to come," added McKenna.

“He’s got great potential, we have real faith in Liam and we are enjoying working with him.”

Marco Silva was slightly disappointed that his Fulham side failed to build on last week’s victory over Leicester City.

Adama Traore scored an equaliser before half-time but there was little between the teams after the break.

Silva said to BBC Sport: “It was a tough game against an aggressive side. They have great support which demanded us to win duels and beat the pressure.

"The reaction from us [after Ipswich scored] was good, we scored a good equaliser and after that we took a step forward and were completely in control.

"[Traore] created some good moments for other players, he is in good shape, helping the team and the reason why he is playing is because he can be decisive for us if he can take the right decisions.

"But the second half was a lot more difficult for us, we were not able to control the game the way we liked. We were solid, we did not give many things away but we did not create."

Jay Stansfield was on target against former club Birmingham City as Fulham swept aside their League One hosts with a comprehensive 2-0 victory in the EFL Cup second round.

Marco Silva's side fell short against Liverpool in the semi-finals of this competition last season, but made another good start to the new cup campaign on Tuesday after easing to victory at St. Andrew's.

Raul Jimenez opened the scoring with a 10th-minute penalty, awarded for handball against Alex Cochrane, before Birmingham were undone by a familiar face just four minutes later.

Striker Stansfield spent last season on loan with the Blues and, owing to that spell, refused to celebrate after profiting from Joachim Andersen's long pass before finishing with a clinical edge.

Birmingham could find no second-half response as Fulham progressed into Wednesday's third-round draw, with the Cottagers' next task a trip to Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Cup control for Cottagers

Fulham have progressed from 12 of their last 15 EFL Cup ties against sides from a lower division, including Tuesday's win and both such matches last term against East Anglian duo Norwich City and Ipswich.

This outcome was somewhat expected, considering Fulham have won their last six games in all competitions against Birmingham by an aggregate score of 16-3.

Birmingham, meanwhile, have lost at this stage in their last four attempts (2017-18, 2021-22, 2023-24 and this season).

Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi grabbed the goals to secure a 2-1 win for Fulham over Leicester City at Craven Cottage.

Iwobi’s goal 20 minutes from time on Saturday saw Marco Silva’s team clinch their first victory of the 2024-25 Premier League season.

Another former Arsenal player – Smith Rowe, a summer signing from the Gunners – opened his Fulham account when he broke the deadlock in the 18th minute.

Wout Faes headed home an equaliser before half-time, but the hosts’ dominance ultimately paid off when Iwobi raced through to finish underneath Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

Adama Traore and Iwobi had already been thwarted by the time the former set up Smith Rowe to fire firmly beyond Hermansen.

Faes scored the leveller against the run of play by rising highest to head past Bernd Leno at a corner.

But Fulham had their rewards when Antonee Robinson’s pass found Iwobi in behind the Leicester defence and he coolly squeezed the ball beyond Hermansen for the winner.

Data Debrief: Long wait over for Smith Rowe

Smith Rowe scored his first Premier League in 32 games, 857 days since netting against Chelsea in April 2022. 

Indeed, against no other team has he scored more goals (two) in the competition than against the Foxes.

Andreas Pereira created seven chances for his teammates against Leicester, no Fulham player has ever created more in a Premier League game on record (since 2003-04).

Faes has scored in two of his last three Premier League appearances, having failed to score in his first 30 in the competition beforehand.

Joachim Andersen has returned to Fulham three years after his loan spell with the club, joining from Crystal Palace in a permanent deal. 

Andersen, who made 31 appearances for the Cottagers in the 2020-21 campaign, has signed an initial five-year contract for a reported £30million transfer fee. 

The Danish international becomes Marco Silva's fifth senior signing of the transfer window ahead of their first home game of the season against Leicester City on Saturday.

Andersen helped Fulham keep nine clean sheets in his previous stint with the club, a total only bettered by the 11 he managed for Palace during the 2021-22 campaign. 

The 28-year-old was a standout performer for the Eagles last term, completing the most passes (1713) and winning the most aerial duels (91) for Oliver Glasner's side. 

“It’s really nice to be here. Feels a little bit like coming home, so it’s a good feeling," Anderson told Fulham's official website.

“Of course, I know the club, I know how Fulham are playing, I know many players, I know some staff, so I didn’t need anyone to convince me because I knew a lot of things already.

“I had some good talks with the manager. I know the playing style he likes to play, so it was just a decision I needed to make myself, with my wife and family, and see what’s the best for me, and I think this is a good step for my career.”

Steve Cooper insisted that keeping veteran striker Jamie Vardy fit throughout the season would be vital in confirming their Premier League status for another year. 

Vardy netted the Foxes' equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, scoring his ninth goal against Spurs and his 137th in the competition. 

While their talisman is coming to the end of his Leicester career and is the oldest player in the squad by five years, Cooper said his influence on the side is crucial. 

"Jamie doesn’t need any special words from me on his capabilities and impact he can have and the talent he has around the box," Cooper said. 

"Keeping him fresh for games is going to be important. He is an older player now at his age. As they get older, they understand their bodies well and know what is needed to prepare for games.

"It is important we work with him collaboratively to get him ready for games. He really enjoys the games and what it takes to get ready for games, and we have to respect that."

Fulham started the new season by falling to a late defeat at the hands of Manchester United, with new signing Joshua Zirkzee striking late for the hosts. 

It marked the Cottagers' first defeat starting a season away from home since the 2008-09 campaign, but there were positives to take for head coach Marco Silva.

Fulham registered 10 shots, with only two on target, as Silva recognised that his players must take a more precautionary approach to their first home game. 

"When I see our players with some free kicks, trying to rush all the decisions, even with the players on the grass trying to do it quickly, we should have much more balance in decisions, to have longer moments in possession," Silva said.  

"Because the pressure from Man United at that moment was not there any more. We should have longer possession to create the moments, but we started to lose the ball too quickly. 

"And then at the last minute, they scored in one moment that the game was completely broken."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Andreas Pereira

Despite losing their opening game against Manchester United, Andreas Pereira put on a strong showing against his former employers.

Pereira created more chances than any other Premier League player in the opening round of fixtures (six), while also playing the most passes into the final third (16) than any other Fulham player last Friday.

It’s the 19th time on record a Fulham player has created six or more chances in a top-flight match, with the Brazilian responsible for seven of those.

Leicester – Abdul Fatawu

Leicester enjoyed a much better result upon their return to the Premier League, with one of the standout figures from their Championship success, Abdul Fatawu, starring for the Foxes.

No Premier League player won more duels on matchday one than Fatawu (13), while he also led all Foxes players in successful dribbles (three), possession won (eight) and tackles (six).

MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN

Fulham will be hoping to return to winning ways on home soil. They have only started a season with consecutive defeats in just two of their 17 previous Premier League campaigns (2018-19 and 2020-21).

The Cottagers won both Premier League meetings with Leicester the last time the sides met in 2022-23, last winning three consecutive league games against the Foxes between 1966 and 1967.

However, Fulham haven’t won their first home match in any of their last five Premier League campaigns (D1 L4), since a 5-0 win against Norwich City in 2012-13.

For Leicester, they will be looking to carry their away form from the Championship into the Premier League.

No side in the top four tiers of English football won more away league games than Leicester last season (14). The Foxes won each of their first seven away games in the Championship last term, winning the same amount in their final 16 on the road (D3 L6).

Foxes boss Cooper, however, has lost six of his seven meetings with Fulham in all competitions, though his one and only success did come at Craven Cottage (1-0 in April 2022). He’s lost all three Premier League games against the Cottagers by an aggregate score of 10-2.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 51.5%

Draw – 24.3%

Leicester – 24.1%

Rob Edwards wants Luton Town’s players to "reward" the fans for their support throughout the season when they welcome Fulham on the final day.

The 18th-place Hatters' survival hopes are still mathematically alive, but they require an ambitious 12-goal swing to leapfrog Nottingham Forest, who are away at already relegated Burnley, in 17th.

Despite their immediate return to the Championship being all but confirmed, Luton have earned many admirers this season, scoring 50 goals along the way.

In a 20-team Premier League season, only Blackpool (55, 2010-11), Middlesbrough (51, 1996-97) and Leicester City (51, 2022-23) have netted more times during a campaign in which they were relegated. 

Edwards has urged his players to give the supporters plenty to cheer about and, regardless of the end result on Sunday, is optimistic about the club's future.

"We want to reward them with a good performance and want to win the game," he said. "I think it will be really good atmosphere. 

"Everything I have had from fans has been really positive. Everyone has been proud of players and club and what they have shown. We want to make it a really positive day with the performance as well.

"We have given everything and given a really good account of ourselves. We have shown Luton to the world in a really good light.

"I'm really proud of what we have done the past 18 months. The club is in a really healthy position. We have been saying since we arrived, this club is only going one way."

With Fulham safe in 14th and looking forward to a third successive season back in the Premier League, Cottagers boss Marco Silva also paid tribute to the spirit shown by the Hatters during their maiden campaign.

"It will be a really tough game for us," he said. “Even if they don't achieve [safety], they are going to fight to the maximum – and this reflects Rob and his staff.

"For them to fight until the end to stay up, shows how much they have improved. Their fans are proud of their team and you can see it every time they play."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Luton Town - Alfie Doughty

With 42, Doughty has created the most chances from set-plays in the Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, only West Ham's James Ward-Prowse has registered more such assists (six) than the Luton full-back (five).

Fulham - Andreas Pereira

Pereira has created 84 chances in the Premier League this season, the most by a Fulham player in a single campaign (since 2003-04). 

Meanwhile, his tally of seven assists is the highest by a Cottagers player in a single term since Simon Davies in 2007-08 (eight).

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Both sides are on winless streaks; Luton failing to win any of their last five matches, and Fulham without victory in four attempts.

The Hatters have failed to win any of their last six league games against the Cottagers (drawn two, lost four), though both those draws have come in the two most recent meetings at Kenilworth Road. 

Luton have only kept two clean sheets this season and conceded 81 goals – only letting more in during a top-flight campaign in 1982-83 (84).

While Fulham have kept two successive away clean sheets – after 12 straight games without one – they have not registered three in a row since a run of four in late 2008.

The Cottagers have not won their final league game in any of the last six seasons (drawing one, losing five), with a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in 2016-17 representing their most recent such success.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Luton Town: 33.9%
Fulham: 37.7%
Draw: 28.4%

Josko Gvardiol had no problem with Julian Alvarez taking a late penalty in Manchester City's 4-0 rout of Fulham, as he passed up the chance to score a memorable Premier League hat-trick.

Gvardiol scored in both halves as City crushed Marco Silva's men at Craven Cottage on Saturday, going top of the table ahead of Arsenal's trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

The defender slotted his finish into the bottom-left corner after exchanging passes with Kevin De Bruyne for his first, then stretched to prod Bernardo Silva's cross under Bernd Leno for his brace. 

It looked like he might get the chance to make it a treble when Alvarez won a stoppage-time penalty, and the Croatian was deep in conversation with his team-mates around the spot before the Argentine dispatched the kick.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Gvardiol revealed he did put his name forward but had no qualms with regular taker Alvarez stepping up.

"Another two goals for me and of course another clean sheet, so I'm really happy," he said.

"We discussed me taking the penalty, and of course I said I would have liked to take it, but we know who the taker is, and he takes them."

After not scoring in any of his first 32 appearances for City across all competitions, Gvardiol has now netted five goals in his last seven games for the club. 

None of his five goals have been scored with his favoured left foot, with four coming from his right and one via his head.

Asked what he put his hot streak down to, he added: "Nothing different, I think that is just normal in sports. 

"Currently I am in good form and the end of the season is coming, we have three more finals and we've got to be ready. We just need to be focused on ourselves and keep going in that way. 

Fulham only managed one shot in a flat performance, recording six touches in their opponents' area to City's 38.

Their hopes of a top-half finish are now officially over, but Silva is proud of their efforts this term, saying: "It was a successful season with the context of what happened in the summer. 

"We had to rebuild and we did it really well. We did not have the power of the other teams but it was a success. Now is the moment to sit with the board and discuss what the possibilities are. 

"If we want to take a step forward, we need to be clear and find out what the steps are in the market and go from there."