Bees beat Fulham to reach quarter-finals
Said Benrahma’s brace and a goal from Marcus Forss sent Brentford into the League Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
Less than two months since the sides met in the Championship play-off final at Wembley, Fulham became the third consecutive Premier League outfit that the Bees have sent out of the EFL Cup this season.
It was the visitors who started on the front foot at the Brentford Community Stadium though, as Neeskens Kebano rattled the post with a free-kick in the opening 10 minutes, and Anthony Knockaert almost capitalised on an error from keeper David Raya.
Brentford began to grow into the game with Benrahma proving a threat on the break on his first start of the season.
Josh Dasilva flashed a shot wide from the edge of the box midway through the first half, before Forss slammed home a pull-back from Saman Ghoddos to put the Bees ahead going into the break.
Fulham almost brought themselves level shortly after the restart but a spectacular save from Raya kept out a Kebano half-volley, following a well-worked move with Stefan Johansen and debutant Ademola Lookman down the left.
But Benrahma doubled the lead on the hour mark, poking in Ethan Pinnock’s header across goal under Marek Rodak.
The Algerian then brilliantly span Michael Hector with a nutmeg and made sure of the victory with a superb curling strike into the bottom corner, putting the Bees into the last eight and reclaiming the local bragging rights.
Brentford: Raya, Fosu, Pinnock, Sorensen, Thompson, Dasilva (Norgaard 69), Jensen, Marcondes, Forss, Benrahma (Stevens 79), Ghoddos (Canos 69).
Fulham: Rodak, Aina (Odoi 69), Hector, Le Marchand, Robinson, Seri, Johansen, Onomah (Lookman 46), Knockaert (Mitrovic 69), Kebano, Kamara.
