Brentford extended their unbeaten home record this season with a resilient 3-2 comeback win over Bournemouth, who continue to struggle on the road with only one away victory so far.The last time Bournemouth beat Brentford in London was under managers Martin Allen and Sean O’Driscoll, but the Cherries came out determined to break their 19-year drought. Early pressure saw Antoine Semenyo test Mark Flekken with a low drive, followed by Marcos Senesi missing a golden chance from close range off a Ryan Christie cross. Brentford’s defense eventually cracked as a poor backpass from Sepp van den Berg allowed Evanilson to pounce, rounding Flekken with ease and tapping into an open net.Despite a slow start, Brentford found their rhythm, and just minutes after Vitaly Janelt’s first attempt, they capitalized on a Mathias Jensen long throw. Bournemouth’s failure to clear led to Yoane Wissa rising to head the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga, leveling the score just before halftime.The second half opened with more drama. Only two minutes after the restart, Bournemouth regained the lead through a well-executed corner routine, with Lewis Cook setting up Justin Kluivert, who smashed his shot into the net. Brentford immediately answered, though, as Mikkel Damsgaard slotted his shot between Kepa and the near post. Brentford then surged ahead just before the hour mark when Janelt cleverly dummied a pass and played in Wissa, who coolly lifted the ball over Kepa to secure his second goal of the match.Brentford had seen leads slip away in previous games this season, including a late collapse against Fulham, but they maintained control this time around. Bryan Mbeumo had a chance to extend Brentford’s lead, only to fire over from 12 yards, but his miss went unpunished as the Bees held firm to climb above Bournemouth in the standings. The Cherries, who have only one away win this season, remain inconsistent away from home, in contrast to their impressive record at the Vitality Stadium, where they’ve managed victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers secured their first Premier League win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Southampton at Molineux, ending their long winless run in the league that stretched back to April. Goals in each half lifted Wolves above their fellow relegation contenders and provided a much-needed morale boost.With both teams struggling near the bottom of the table, this early-season clash had the feel of a relegation six-pointer. Gary O’Neil’s Wolves came out aggressively, and their intensity paid off just two minutes in. Matheus Cunha carried the ball from the halfway line, slicing through Southampton’s defense before threading a pass to Pablo Sarabia, who calmly rounded the goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the open net.1 minute, 48 seconds…Pablo Sarabia’s opener against Southampton was Wolves’ earliest ever Premier League goal. Saints haven’t won any of their last 19 PL games after conceding first. pic.twitter.com/exvjEof2Re— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) November 9, 2024 Southampton responded well to the early setback and thought they had equalized in the 11th minute when Ryan Manning rifled the ball home after a goalmouth scramble. However, VAR ruled out the goal, citing a foul by Mateus Fernandes on Nélson Semedo. Despite the early lead, Wolves’ fans grew anxious as their team began to drop back, allowing Southampton more of the ball and putting pressure on their own defense.At the start of the second half, Wolves’ Mario Lemina made an immediate impact by setting up Cunha, who unleashed a stunning 25-yard strike that flew past Aaron Ramsdale, doubling Wolves’ lead. Southampton, struggling to find momentum, rarely troubled José Sá, as Wolves put on a solid defensive display, with Craig Dawson excelling at the back.MATHEUS CUNHA, ON FIRE IN 2024 🥶 pic.twitter.com/sukpDIyakN— Brasil Football 🇧🇷 (@BrasilEdition) November 9, 2024 Ultimately, Wolves saw out the game comfortably, as Southampton’s lackluster second-half effort left Russell Martin’s team anchored at the bottom of the table. This long-awaited win at Molineux eases the pressure on O’Neil, giving his side a lift heading into the international break and silencing speculation about his job security—at least for now.Meanwhile, Fulham delivered a commanding performance to claim a 2-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace, extending their unbeaten run in head-to-heads to six matches. The win also thwarted Palace’s hopes of back-to-back London derby victories for the first time since April 2017.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Crystal Palace, who had managed just one win from their previous ten games (four draws, five losses), started tentatively, allowing Fulham to take control early on. Reiss Nelson, retaining his spot after an impressive outing against Brentford, tested the waters with some early shots, and Emile Smith Rowe looked poised to score, only to be blocked by a last-ditch challenge from Maxence Lacroix.Palace began finding their rhythm as the first half progressed. Marc Guéhi headed wide, and a Jean-Philippe Mateta attempt was cleared off the line by former Palace defender Joachim Andersen, with Alex Iwobi also trying his luck with a half-volley on the other end. But just before the halftime whistle, a costly mistake from Lacroix allowed Fulham to capitalize. Smith Rowe combined with Raúl Jiménez and fired low past Dean Henderson, putting Fulham in control.Injuries limited Palace’s options from the bench, forcing both sides to resume the second half with the same line-ups. Palace’s Daniel Muñoz took on a more advanced role, while Justin Devenny, making his Premier League debut, delivered dangerous set-pieces. One such delivery led to a swift Fulham counter, culminating in Iwobi setting up Smith Rowe, whose finish was disallowed by VAR for offside. Moments later, Henderson denied Andreas Pereira at close range, but Fulham remained firmly in control.Despite keeping just one clean sheet in their previous six away matches, Fulham’s defense held strong. After Daichi Kamada was sent off for a reckless foul on Kenny Tete, Fulham faced just 14 minutes of regulation time to see out the game. Under increased pressure, Palace conceded a second goal as Harry Wilson — who had come off the bench to score on Monday — finished a slick breakaway with a low shot. Though he later found the net again, his second goal was disallowed due to handball.The loss leaves Palace precariously close to the relegation zone, just a point above it, with only one win after 11 league games. Fulham, however, climb to sixth in the standings, building on last week’s dramatic victory over Brentford and pulling level on points with Chelsea, Arsenal, and Aston Villa in a promising start to the season.ENGLAND PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 11SaturdayBrentford – Bournemouth 3-2 (1-1)/Wissa 27, 58, Damsgaard 50 – Evanilson 17, Kluivert 49/Crystal Palace – Fulham 0-2 (0-1)/Smith Rowe 45+2, Wilson 83/West Ham – Everton 0-0Wolverhampton – Southampton 2-0 (1-0)/Sarrabia 2, Cunha 51/20:30: (4.40) Brighton (4.10) Man.City (1.80)23:00: (1.48) Liverpool (5.00) Aston Villa (6.50)Sunday17:00: (1.42) Man.Utd. (5.00) Leicester (8.00)17:00: (2.75) Nott.Forest (3.20) Newcastle (2.65)17:00: (1.27) Tottenham (6.25) Ipswich (9.50)19:30: (2.85) Chelsea (3.50) Arsenal (2.55)***odds are subject to change***
