Bryan Mbeumo scored twice as Brentford secured the derby day bragging rights with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage. 

Yoane Wissa capitalised on an Issa Diop mistake to give Brentford the lead late in the first half. He was involved again just past the hour, winning the penalty which saw Mbeumo make it two. 

Fulham captain Tim Ream was sent off in that incident and the Bees netted a third against the 10 men in stoppage-time when Mbeumo finished off a flowing counter attack in front of the jubilant away fans. 

One change and a switch of system for west London derby

Brentford made one change from the opening weekend draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur with Kevin Schade replacing Kristoffer Ajer.

That alteration also meant a switch in formation with Thomas Frank’s side reverting to four at the back; Schade playing on the left of a front three. 

Marco Silva made a pair of changes from Fulham’s opening-day win at Everton.

Tom Cairney and Willian dropped to the bench with Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Andreas Pereira coming in.

There was no place in the squad for last season’s top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic amid continued interest from Saudi Arabia. 

Brentford: Flekken; Hickey (Roerslev 78), Collins, Pinnock, Henry; Norgaard (Damsgaard 79), Janelt, Jensen; Mbeumo, Schade (Lewis-Potter 71), Wissa (Dasilva 79, Ajer 89)

Subs not used: Strakosha, Zanka, Onyeka, Yarmoliuk

Fulham: Leno; Tete (Muniz 86), Diop, Ream (sent off 63), Robinson; Reed (Bassey 67), Lukic; Wilson, Pereira (Willian 68), De Cordova-Reid (Palhinha 67); Jimenez (Traore 86)

Subs not used: Rodak, Mbabu, Cairney, Vinicius

Attendance: 24,236

Wissa’s composed finish puts Brentford in front

In the build-up to the game, Frank spoke about trying to take the early initiative and the Bees were successful in playing the game at their pace early on. 

With Mathias Jensen dictating play in the middle, Brentford had plenty of possession and the afternoon’s first chance which Wissa volleyed wide at the back post from a deep Mbeumo free-kick. 

Fulham were gifted their first sight of goal when Mark Flekken was dispossessed by Raul Jimenez – the resulting corner dropped to Diop eight yards out but he hammered high into the stand. 

Andreas Pereira’s long-range effort ended up in the same part of the Putney End moments later but the majority of the chances were falling Brentford’s way. 

Jensen continued to be the main creator in the middle with his delicious reverse pass just running away from Mbeumo as he looked to apply the finish. The Danish midfielder then spotted Leno off his line from a free-kick, shooting just wide from all of 40 yards.

Set-pieces were proving profitable for the Bees with Jensen’s delivery, both with his feet and his arms, proving difficult for Fulham to deal with. Wissa flicked a looping header into the arms of Leno from a Christian Norgaard knock-down before Ream positioned himself well to clear as Ethan Pinnock helped on a long throw into the six-yard box. 

Brentford’s clearest sight of the opening 30 minutes fell to Wissa – the striker’s low shot easily claimed by Leno after a loose ball had fallen his way on the edge of the box.

Frank’s side hadn’t been asked to do too much defending in the opening 45 minutes but the impressive Nathan Collins was required to make a crucial last-ditch challenge as a loose ball looked set to drop to Jimenez six yards out. 

At the other end, Antonee Robinson needed his own heroics to hook the ball off the line when Wissa bundled Mbeumo’s low cross towards goal.

Just as it looked like the two sides would head in level, a disastrous Diop error gave Brentford their opener. After a long spell of possession in their own half, Diop got a pass across the back to Ream completely wrong and presented it straight to Wissa. There was still plenty for the striker to do but he kept his calm to round Leno, spot the open side of the goal and roll home from 15 yards.

Mbeumo penalty compounds Fulham misery following Ream dismissal

Fulham pressed for a leveller after the break and came closest through Bobby De Cordova-Reid, his dipping shot from Andreas Pereira’s lay-off beat Flekken only to flick the bar on its way behind. 

Leno made an excellent back-peddling save to tip Jensen’s looping volley over as the sides traded chances during a lively opening 15 minutes to the half.

Flekken was required to hold Harry Wilson’s curling effort and Reed diverted Wissa’s hooked effort behind before the game’s defining moment came just past the hour. 

Wissa found himself in acres of space at the back post waiting for a loose ball to drop to him with only Leno to beat. However, he didn’t have a chance to net his second of the afternoon as Ream bundled through the back of him before he had a chance to shoot. Referee Darren Bond was in no doubt it was a penalty and went on to show Ream his second yellow card of the afternoon.

As he did last week against Tottenham, Mbeumo took responsibility from 12 yards, finding the back of the net via the inside of the upright. 

With their numerical advantage and two goals to the good, Brentford put together long spells of possession in the final 25 minutes, not giving Fulham any hope of a comeback. 

Wissa couldn’t bundle home a third from a corner and Willian shot a yard over from a free-kick as the game wound down towards a conclusion. 

There would be one more moment for the travelling Bees to celebrate in stoppage-time as Mbeumo put the icing on the win at the end of a clinical counter.

Ajer began the charge from deep inside his own half and exchanged passes with Henry on the right before cutting back from the byline for an unmarked Mbeumo to tap home his third goal of the campaign. 

That was the signal for a mass exodus from the home fans who almost conceded a fourth in the dying moments - Keane Lewis-Potter unable to beat Leno from close range.

The afternoon’s final action saw Flekken make a sprawling save to deny Wilson, securing his first clean sheet in Bees colours to go alongside the three goals and three points. 

Frank delighted with derby victory

Thomas Frank believes that Brentford were good value for their victory at Craven Cottage.

“Maybe I’ll have a glass of red later,” he said. “It’s always easier off the back of a 3-0 win, and we need to enjoy it.

“Of course, we should celebrate today and be happy because everyone works so hard at the club – players and staff.”

Wissa: This is just the start

Brentford forward Yoane Wissa was delighted to score in back-to-back Premier League games - but insists that this is just the start of his goalscoring exploits.

"I’ll enjoy things day by day," he said. "I'll enjoy this tonight and tomorrow, then I’ll get back to try and score next week.

“If you want to score, you have to miss. You have to accept that. Before I scored my goal, I missed a chance but I know I have to keep looking forward."