Brentford vs Fulham

Brentford are in scintillating form as they approach Sunday’s pivotal match at the Gtech Community Stadium, riding a six-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League, amassing 14 points and scoring an impressive 12 goals during this productive period, with their sights set on securing a European spot.

Thomas Frank’s squad clinched a fourth consecutive victory last Saturday at Portman Road, where a sharp German striker found the back of the net against a faltering Ipswich side, with Kevin Schade slotting his shot past Tractor Boys’ goalkeeper Alex Palmer to secure a vital away win for the Bees.

Having last suffered a Premier League loss at St James’ Park against Newcastle United in early April, Brentford now hold a strong eighth position, aiming to edge out Brighton & Hove Albion, Bournemouth, and Fulham for a coveted Conference League place, with 55 points from 36 matches.

Recently shortlisted for the Premier League Player of the Season, Brentford’s star Bryan Mbeumo is a prime candidate for European recognition next term, with the Cameroonian forward contributing 18 goals and seven assists in 36 top-flight outings.

Fulham, who reached the Europa League final in 2010 against Diego Forlan’s Atletico Madrid, possess European pedigree that surpasses their top-eight competitors, but the West London side are faltering in their chase for a Conference League spot, stumbling like newcomers.

The Cottagers have dropped four of their past five Premier League games ahead of their weekend journey across London to the Gtech Community Stadium, with their most recent loss coming against Everton, where Vitaliy Mykolenko, Michael Keane, and Beto scored in a 3-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.

Opening the scoring for Marco Silva’s side last weekend, Raul Jimenez is rediscovering the form he showed at Wolverhampton Wanderers, netting 11 goals in 36 Premier League appearances this season, and the Mexican’s revival will be a source of pride even if Fulham miss out on European qualification.

With just three points from their last five league encounters, Fulham have slipped to 11th in the Premier League table with only two matches remaining, aware that a victory over Brentford on Sunday is essential to keep their hopes alive for an eighth-place finish by May 25.

Despite their 11th ranking in away performance, Silva’s team remains relatively sturdy on the road, conceding just 22 goals in 18 away games, with only Arsenal (16), Brentford (21), Everton (21), and Manchester City (21) allowing fewer goals in their respective away fixtures.