2020 EFL Championship play-off final
 Wembley Stadium in London hosted the final. | |||||||
| Event | 2019–20 EFL Championship | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| After extra time | |||||||
| Date | 4 August 2020 | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Joe Bryan | ||||||
| Referee | Martin Atkinson | ||||||
| Attendance | 0[a] | ||||||
The 2020 EFL Championship play-off final was an association football match which was played on 4 August 2020 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Brentford and Fulham, a West London derby. The match was to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, to the FA Premier League. The top two teams of the 2019–20 EFL Championship season gained automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the clubs placed from third to sixth place in the table took part in play-off semi-finals; Brentford ended the season in third position while Fulham finished fourth. The winners of these semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2020–21 season in the Premier League. Cardiff City and Swansea City were the losing semi-finalists.
Fulham had been relegated to the Championship the previous season while Brentford had not played at the highest level of English league football for 73 years. The 2020 final was played behind closed doors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom which had delayed the conclusion of the regular league season by more than three months. Refereed by Martin Atkinson, the game was goalless after 90 minutes, sending it into extra time. Fulham's Joe Bryan scored the opening goal in the 105th minute with a long-range free kick and doubled the lead twelve minutes later after build-up play with the league top scorer Aleksandar Mitrović who had come on as a substitute. Henrik Dalsgaard scored an injury-time consolation goal for Brentford as the match ended 2–1 to Fulham, seeing them return to the Premier League on their first attempt.
Route to the final
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leeds United | 46 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 77 | 35 | +42 | 93 |
| 2 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 77 | 45 | +32 | 83 |
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 80 | 38 | +42 | 81 |
| 4 | Fulham | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 64 | 48 | +16 | 81 |
| 5 | Cardiff City | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 68 | 58 | +10 | 73 |
| 6 | Swansea City | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 62 | 53 | +9 | 70 |
Brentford finished the regular
Fulham finished the regular season with a streak of seven games unbeaten which started with a 2–1 away win against
Brentford went on an eight-game win streak towards the end of the season, starting with a 5–0 home win against Sheffield Wednesday on 7 March and ending with a 1–0 home win against
| Brentford | Round | Fulham | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Legs | Semi-finals | Opponent | Result | Legs |
| Swansea City | 3–2 | 0–1 away; 3–1 home | Cardiff City | 3–2 | 2–0 away; 1–2 home | |
Match
Background
Fulham had last taken part in a play-off final when they beat Aston Villa in the 2018 final and spent one season in the Premier League before being relegated.[9][10] Brentford had failed to win in three play-off final attempts: they lost the 1997 Football League Second Division play-off final 1–0 against Crewe Alexandra, were defeated 2–0 in the 2002 Football League Second Division play-off final by Stoke City, and lost to Yeovil Town in the 2013 Football League One play-off final 2–1. They had also lost in five play-off semi-finals.[11] Brentford had not played in the top flight of English football for 73 years, having been relegated to the second tier in their 1946–47 season.[12][13] Fulham lost both West London derbies played between the clubs during the regular season, suffering a 1–0 defeat at Griffin Park in December 2019, and losing 2–0 at Craven Cottage the following June.[3] Brentford's Watkins and Fulham's Mitrović tied for the distinction as Championship top scorers with 26 goals each.[14] According to bookmakers, Brentford went into the final as favourites.[15][16] The match was broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HD.[17]
The referee for the match was
First half
After the teams had taken a knee in honour of the Black Lives Matter movement, Fulham kicked off the match behind closed doors. After two minutes, a Brentford free kick enabled Henrik Dalsgaard to shoot but his strike was blocked. Three minutes later, a Fulham break saw Decordova-Reid pass to Onomah whose low shot was saved by David Raya in the Brentford goal. On seven minutes, Michael Hector fouled Saïd Benrahma on the edge of the Fulham penalty area, but the resulting free kick was eventually gathered by Marek Rodák. In the 14th minute, a cross from Kebano was deflected out for a corner which was cleared by Pontus Jansson. Four minutes later, Raya made a one-handed save to deny Onomah from opening the scoring for Fulham. On 20 minutes, Decordova-Reid's shot was deflected out for a corner, and six minutes later the game was paused for a drinks break. In the 29th minute, Harrison Reed was shown the first yellow card of the game after a foul on Christian Nørgaard.[19] Odoi's 41st minute shot was blocked before Raya caught a Fulham cross three minutes later, and the half ended goalless.[20]
Second half
No changes to either side were made during the interval and Brentford kicked the second half off. A minute in, Brentford's Henry pulled down Decordova-Reid, conceding a free kick which Kebano struck into the side netting.[20] In the 53rd minute, Benrahma made a run into the penalty area and his cross was blocked, with appeals for a free kick denied. Brentford then began to exert some pressure with chances falling to Mathias Jensen and Mbeumo but without scoring. In the 58th minute, Decordova-Reid's shot went outside of the right-hand post of Brentford's goal. Two minutes later, Mbeumo was replaced by Marcondes in the first substitution of the game. Midway through the second half, a long ball from Fulham's Jensen was headed behind by Odoi, and Ethan Pinnock's header from the ensuing corner was cleared behind by Joe Bryan. From the set piece, Cairney became the second player to be booked, after a foul on Benrahma. Marcondes' strike from the free kick went high over the bar, and the second half drinks break was taken shortly after. In the 70th minute, Watkins received a pass from Jensen and struck a shot from the edge of the box toward the top corner which was tipped over by Rodák.[21] Fulham made their first substitution of the game in the 81st minute with Knockaert coming on to replace Kebano. Dalsgaard's shot in the 83rd minute went over the Fulham crossbar and a minute later, Brentford made their second change, with Sergi Canós replacing Dasilva. Onomah then struck a shot over the Brentford bar before Jensen was shown a yellow card for a foul on Knockaert. In the final minute of regular time, Benrahma's free kick was off-target and in injury time, Mitrović came on to replace Decordova-Reid for Fulham as the game went into extra time having ended goalless.[22]
Extra time
No changes were made to either side between the end of regular time and the start of extra time. Two minutes into the first half, Canós crossed for Watkins whose shot went wide of the Fulham post. On four minutes, Kamara's shot from distance was comfortably saved by Raya in the Brentford goal. In the sixth minute, Henry's cross was struck by Jansen but deflected away.[22] Hector then became the third Fulham player to be booked after a foul on Nørgaard and four minutes later Knockaert was shown the yellow card after he bought Henry down. A minute before half-time, Nørgaard was booked for a foul and Mitrović received a yellow card for a foul on Marcondes. In the last minute of the first half of extra time, the deadlock was broken: Bryan saw the Brentford goalkeeper Raya was off his goal-line so struck a 40-yard (37 m) free kick over him into the net, and the half ended 1–0 to Fulham. During the half-time period, Halil Dervişoğlu and Tariqe Fosu came on for Brentford, replacing Jensen and Henry, while Fulham's Ivan Cavaleiro was brought on in place of Kamara. Two minutes into the second period of extra time, Dervişoğlu's attempt to score from a Canós cross was saved by Rodák. With nine minutes of the second half remaining, further substitutions were made: Fulham's Christie and Maxime Le Marchand coming on to replace Onomah and Odoi. A foul by Fulham's Christie resulted in a Benrahma free kick which struck the defensive wall, followed by Nørgaard's cross being smothered by Rodák. In the 117th minute of the match, Pinnock's volley was caught by Rodák and two minutes later Bryan doubled his and Fulham's tally, scoring following a one-two with Mitrović. Brentford's Dalsgaard then headed Canós' cross over the Fulham bar.[23] Four minutes of injury time were indicated and two minutes in, Fulham's Cavaleiro was booked for a foul on Fosu before Dalsgaard scored for Brentford from a Nørgaard header from 8 yards (7.3 m) with less than a minute remaining; Rodák became the seventh Fulham player to be booked for subsequent time-wasting and the match ended 2–1 to Fulham, securing their promotion back to the Premier League on their first attempt.[24][25]
Details
        Brentford
|
   Fulham
|
| Brentford | Fulham | |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 49% | 51% |
| Goals scored | 1 | 2 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 6 |
| Shots off target | 12 | 8 |
| Fouls committed | 11 | 14 |
| Corner kicks | 4 | 4 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 7 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Post-match
Fulham's goalscorer and man of the match Bryan noted: "I think I read somewhere we were supposed to be scared of them. We took it to them, we scored twice, they made it hard for us but they're a good team and they've been playing really well."[24][27] His captain, Cairney, suggested: "It shows the spirit in the dressing room, not many teams bounce back up ... Brentford are a great side, a pleasure to watch and these were the two best sides in the Championship play-off final."[24] The Fulham manager Scott Parker reflected upon his time at the club having been appointed midway through their previous season which had ended in relegation from the Premier League: "We've done what we've done tonight, but there's still improvement, and that's what makes me so proud and happy. For all of the good players and everything you see, what makes me so happy I see a group of players who only a year ago were struggling psychologically, didn't have a mindset or mentality."[24][25] Brentford's head coach Thomas Frank was generous in defeat: "First I would like to say congratulations to Fulham, Scott Parker, his coaching staff and everyone involved."[24] He also commented on Brentford's improved form, having ended the previous season in 11th place in the league: "We have gone from a mid-table club to a team who, in the league table, was the third-best team."[24][28]
Losing the final meant that Brentford set a record for the most unsuccessful play-off campaigns in English Football League play-off history with nine.[11] Brentford's Watkins was named Championship Player of the Year.[29]
Notes
- ^ a b The final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
References
- ^ a b c "League Championship end of season table for 2019–20 season". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Championship season set to restart on 20 June as coronavirus lockdown eases". BBC Sport. 31 May 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Fulham football club match record: 2020". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (27 July 2020). "Cardiff City 0–2 Fulham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Williams, Adam (30 July 2020). "Fulham 1–2 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Brentford football club match record: 2020". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Vincent, Gareth. "Swansea City 1–0 Brentford". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Stevens, Rob (29 July 2020). "Brentford 3–1 Swansea City". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ Smee, Gary (14 May 2018). "Fulham 2–0 Derby County". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ Bradshaw, Joe (2 April 2019). "Watford 4–1 Fulham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (7 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (8 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Wolves slip up at home: Brentford's fate sealed". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 10 May 1947. p. 18. Retrieved 28 August 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Championship Top Scorers". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Childs, Daniel (4 August 2020). "Brentford vs Fulham predictions and odds: Championship play-off final preview and tips". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Brentford v Fulham Betting Tips: Can the Bees hold their nerve to seal promotion?". Coral. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ Williams, Marc (4 August 2020). "Brentford vs Fulham live stream: How to watch, TV channel, radio coverage and kick-off time for Championship play-off final". Talksport. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Referee appointments: Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final". English Football League. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (6 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ a b Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (5 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (4 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ a b Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (3 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (2 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Newsum, Matt (4 August 2020). "Relive how Fulham reached the Premier League (1 of 8)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ a b c Stevens, Rob (4 August 2020). "Brentford 1–2 Fulham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ "Next up: Fulham". Brentford F.C. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Report: Bryan brilliance secures promotion for Fulham". English Football League. 4 August 2020. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ "League Championship table at close of 2018–19 season". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ Welton, Blake (28 August 2020). "Ollie Watkins and Jude Bellingham pick up EFL 2019/20 awards". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.