Brentford finally have a first away win of the season as they brushed aside a Southampton team which is on course to become the worst in Premier League history.
A new manager but the same old story for sorry Saints who remain on six points, five short of the 11 which Derby managed in the 2007/8 season. This is the third home game out of their last four in which they have conceded five goals.
‘Can we play you every week?’ was the chant ringing out from the away end with the travelling Bees hardly being able to believe how easily they had come away with the points.
New Saints manager Ivan Juric called it an ‘extremely bad day, a really really bad game.’
He added: ‘It was such a difference between the two teams. Everyone is frustrated: the players, me, my wife! Today it is like when someone kicks you head.’
Brentford were superior in every department but Bryan Mbeumo, with two goals and two assists, was particularly lethal.
Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Kean Lewis-Potter and Kevin Schade were on target as Brentford put five past Southampton
Mbeumo was twice on target and teed up Lewis-Potter for the fourth goal in a star display
Southampton have changed their manager but it’s the same old story after another defeat
Thomas Frank said: ‘The away win is nice so you guys don’t have to ask about it anymore but if we look at the performance, I think it’s one of my biggest moments with this Brentford side in the Premier League.
‘We were in complete control and dominance, in 90+ minutes. We gave nothing away, scored five goals and we could have scored more.’
They had to wait until only the sixth minute to take the lead. Mikkel Damsgaard capitalised on a poor touch from Joe Aribo and slid the ball into the left channel for Kevin Schade to delicately touch it beyond Aaron Ramsdale.
That early goal extinguished any semblance of an atmosphere inside St Mary’s which has been witness to just four home points this season. The Bees should have been further ahead before Southampton finally conjured up an attack in the 38th minute. It ended with Paul Onuachu heading tamely at goal, and Tyler Dibling fired into the side netting shortly afterwards.
It was Brentford who remined in control after the break and Sepp van den Berg headed in Jensen’s corner from an unmarked position eight yards out before VAR ruled the goal out for Wissa fouling Jan Bednarek as the ball came over.
That reprieve momentarily galvanised Southampton who began to pour forward in search of an equaliser. They were almost caught out when Schade flicked on a long clearance to Wissa who wastefully shot over when clean through on goal.
But the Bees soon had a second to end any hopes of a comeback. It was simple in the making, a long clearance from goalkeeper Mark Flekken making its way to Wissa who cleverly played in Bryan Mbuemo to crash into the roof of the net on the overlap.
Seven minutes later, Mbuemo had his second and Brentford their third when Lesley Ugochukwu was adjudged to have pushed van den Berg at the back post. Mbuemo expertly converted to Ramsdale’s left.
Schade opened the scoring with just six minutes on the clock as the Bees made a fast start
After Mbeumo’s double Lewis-Potter finished across Ramsdale’s goal as the Bees finished strong
Wissa made it fiive in the 94th minute tapping home at the back post to continue the punishment
Aaron Ramsdale was forced to pick the ball out of his net five times on a miserable afternoon
Southampton’s heads had well and truly gone and Keane Lewis-Potter ought to have made it four but shot wastefully wide following a brilliant touch from Mbuemo.
In the 92nd minute he was given an almost identical chance to do so and this time he took it, scoring across Ramsdale into the far corner.
Incredibly, there was still time for Southampton to implode even further as Yukinari Sugawara gifted the ball to Wissa in the 94th minute and he took full advantage to score. It is the third time Southampton have conceded five at home this season.
Just like Russell Martin’s teams before him, Juric’s Saints were jeered off the field by those who were still there at full-time, as more misery engulfed St Mary’s.
