In Monday’s West London derby, Fulham substitute Harry Wilson scored twice in the closing minutes to secure a 2-1 victory over Brentford at Craven Cottage. His second goal came in their Premier League match’s seventh minute of stoppage time.
Wilson entered the game in the 82nd minute and, two minutes into extra time, levelled the score with an acrobatic flick into the far top corner. He then found the winner with a stooping effort that flew in off his shoulder, turning the game on its head.
Fulham Persistence Pays Off
After dominating opponents who appeared content to defend in numbers, Fulham earned the victory, which moved them up to ninth place with 15 points, while Brentford finished in 12th place with 13.
After Brentford was pushed back from the kickoff, Vitaly Janelt picked up the ball well outside the box and flashed a shot across goalkeeper Bernd Leno and into the net in the 24th minute, giving Brentford their first shot on goal.
The goal went against the flow of play, and the Bees instantly went back to playing defence. On the other hand, Fulham kept up their offensive, pounding the box with crosses but still failing to get their efforts on goal.
Long-Range Efforts Fail to Break Brentford Defence
Midway through the second half, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, and Kenny Tete of Fulham all attempted long-range shots, but their shots were straight at Mark Flekken, who made easy saves.
It didn’t seem like a tactical masterstroke when coach Marco Silva substituted Wilson for Reiss Nelson in the 82nd minute, but it soon turned out to be a wise choice as the home crowd’s frustration mounted.
Wilson’s First Goal: A Back-Heel Flick
Wilson equalised in the 92nd minute with a deft back-heel flick over Flekken and into the net after Adama Traore fired in yet another more hopeful-than-expected attempt after Fulham had attempted 42 crosses into the area without success.
But the 27-year-old wasn’t finished yet, and five minutes later he surprised the home crowd by diverting the ball into the net off his shoulder and scoring an unlikely winner.
Post-Match Reflections
Wilson’s late heroics were a welcome boost for Wales, as the midfielder has only made six substitute appearances this season.
Coming on and scoring the 2 goals to win the game was an incredible feeling. We pinned them in the entire time, so we deserved it, he said to Sky Sports.
I simply assisted the first one onto the back post, but the second one was luckier – I was attempting to head it into the opposite corner, but it struck my shoulder and entered.
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