Iwobi orchestrates Fulham’s comeback masterclass to floor Brentford 3-1

Craven Cottage crackled under the floodlights as Fulham overturned an early setback to beat Brentford 3-1, powered by Alex Iwobi’s commanding display. The Nigeria international equalised and then slipped a glorious pass for Harry Wilson to put the Cottagers ahead inside two breathless minutes, before an Ethan Pinnock own goal early in the second half settled the derby.

It was a performance of control and conviction from Marco Silva’s side. They reacted to a harsh early moment—18-year-old Josh King’s blind pass punished by Mikkel Damsgaard—by rallying around the youngster, lifting the tempo, and taking the game away from their rivals. A second league win in seven days pushed Fulham up to seventh and delivered a third straight west London derby victory as the Cottage roared its approval.

An arm around a teenager, then an equaliser that calmed the Cottage

When King’s wayward ball invited Damsgaard to sweep Brentford in front, Iwobi was the first to console the academy graduate on the walk back to halfway. The message was clear: keep playing. Fulham did just that, with Iwobi and Ryan Sessegnon knitting the left flank together and forcing Caoimhin Kelleher into a spill that Rodrigo Muniz lifted over from a tight angle as the hosts turned up the pressure.

The breakthrough came eight minutes later. Sasa Lukic’s shot looped into a thicket of bodies and Iwobi, alive to the drop, took charge. He drilled low through the legs of Nathan Collins and past Kelleher, a finish that steadied both team and crowd. The celebration was brief; Fulham sensed more.

The pass that split Brentford and ignited the night

Ninety-eight seconds after the equaliser, Fulham were ahead. Collins’ scuffed header was gobbled up by Muniz, who drove forward before rolling the ball to Iwobi. Head up, weight just right, he sent a slide-rule pass between the scrambling Bees for Wilson, arriving from the right, to guide first time beyond Kelleher’s right hand. It was a move of precision and timing, the Cottage erupting as the net rippled.

Silva’s wider design underpinned the flourish. Wilson had been asked to do a disciplined job on Keane Lewis-Potter, while Iwobi dovetailed with Sessegnon on the opposite side. The balance freed Fulham to play with more adventure than in recent weeks and exposed the spaces Brentford left when transitions were quick and accurate.

Control, training-ground detail, and a composed close

The third arrived on 50 minutes and bore the imprint of repetition and pressure. Sessegnon’s fierce cross skimmed the six-yard line and a stooping Pinnock, with no time to adjust, could only deflect into his own net off his shoulders. Fulham then thought they were out of sight when Muniz lashed in a spectacular fourth, but Michael Oliver, after a VAR check, ruled it out for a trailing elbow that left Collins with a bloody mouth.

If the decision stung, Fulham didn’t blink. They managed territory and tempo, with Bernd Leno barely troubled as the minutes ebbed away. Iwobi later revealed the squad had drilled all week on defending Brentford’s long throws and reacting to second balls—work that showed in a composed final act and a derby won on both detail and daring.

Beyond the scoreline lay a reminder of identity: Silva’s team can be front‑foot and organised, expansive and responsible. Iwobi was the sharp edge, Wilson ruthless with his chance, Sessegnon a constant outlet. From the moment Fulham met adversity, they chose to play; the Cottage did the rest.

This was a win of breadth as well as points. Fulham shrugged off an early mistake, pressed home a tactical plan, and saw it out maturely—everything a home crowd wants on derby night and another stride in a promising week.

Next up comes the Carabao Cup tie with Cambridge United before a league trip to Aston Villa; momentum, for now, feels real and earned.