Ivan Toney prolonged his sizzling streak because the Brentford striker’s fifteenth Premier League aim this season helped clinch a 3-2 win over west London rivals Fulham on Monday.
Toney has proven no indicators of being distracted since he was charged with 262 breaches, courting again to 2017, of the Football Association’s playing legal guidelines.
The 26-year-old lately criticised the FA in an Instagram put up over what he alleges are lapses of confidentiality as he prepares to argue his case.
But Toney has saved his deal with the pitch, and his penalty on the Community Stadium made it eight objectives in his final 10 video games.
Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Tottenham’s Harry Kane have scored greater than Toney’s tally within the league this time period.
Toney’s fifteenth aim put Brentford again in entrance after Fulham’s Manor Solomon had cancelled out Ethan Pinnock’s opener.
Mathias Jensen netted late on, and Carlos Vinicius’s stoppage-time strike was no comfort for Fulham as Brentford prolonged their unbeaten league run to 12 matches.
Brentford, undefeated within the league in 2023, sits ninth, only one level behind seventh-placed Fulham within the race to qualify for European competitors.
Toney has scored 27 of his 28 profession spot-kicks, along with his solely miss coming whereas enjoying for Peterborough in 2018.
“Ivan is the best penalty taker in the world for a few reasons, his strategy, he practices it and he is very cool,” Brentford boss Thomas Frank stated.
“He is a special footballer. His character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team.
“His link-up play and the way he sees his team-mates in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-around player.”
Given the genteel west London districts that Brentford and Fulham name dwelling, their encounters won’t ever rank amongst soccer’s most explosive derbies.
Before 2014, the neighbours had by no means even met above the third tier of English soccer.
But after a long time within the shadow of native rivals Chelsea, each golf equipment are having fun with a golden interval and have climbed above the spluttering Blues this season.
Brentford rapidly appeared extra prone to end as west London’s preeminent membership this time period as they laid siege to the Fulham aim.
Brentford blitz
Brentford’s early blitz paid off within the sixth minute as Pinnock’s strike from the sting of the world took a depraved deflection off Tim Ream and fizzed previous the wrong-footed Bernd Leno.
Despite being battered for the opening half an hour, Fulham equalised within the thirty ninth minute.
Andreas Pereira’s free-kick smacked down off the bar, and Solomon alertly headed into the empty web from shut vary.
It was the fifth aim in his final 5 video games for the Fulham winger, who signed on mortgage from Shakhtar Donetsk final yr.
Solomon is the primary Israeli to attain in 4 consecutive Premier League appearances.
That milestone grew to become only a footnote when Brentford regained the lead within the 53rd minute.
Jensen’s lengthy throw wasn’t cleared by Fulham and Issa Diop’s raised boot caught Christian Norgaard, conceding a penalty that Toney transformed with the minimal run-up and most composure.
Jensen ensured Brentford’s enterprising show would earn three factors within the eighty fifth minute when the Dane turned in Kevin Schade’s cross from close-range.
Vinicius flicked dwelling after David Raya spilt Pereira’s shot, however it was too late for a Fulham escape act.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com