Seagulls
A South Coast spectacular – six objectives, with the Bees by no means behind – augured effectively for the stays of the eight-day fixture jam that might see them climb near the Premier League’s high half-dozen. The Brighton expertise on the primary day of the month proved but once more that Brentford can stay with the most effective – no April Fools they.
Objectives from Pontus Jansson, to whom we pay a fond farewell as he quickly returns to his beloved Malmo, Ivan Toney and Ethan Pinnock appeared prone to be sufficient to seize the three factors on the Amex Stadium; till Alexis Mac Allister snatched a last-minute penalty to even the rating, that’s.
And, sadly, it was a prelude to 2 disappointing encounters towards division high-flyers, every of which noticed odd-goal defeats for Brentford and extreme dents in goals of European soccer subsequent season.
Previous Trafford
Having seen off Manchester United 4-0, a memorable drubbing on the Gtech Stadium within the second match of this time period, Brentford will need to have hoped to return from Previous Trafford with one thing apart from Eccles cake for his or her hassle. In that case, they reckoned with out Marcus Rashford, introduced in from the wing to steer the United assault. He sparkled, beating David Raya with a crisp half-volley after 27 minutes, whereas Brentford struggled to compete critically for a lot of the sport and departed following a 1-0 defeat.
‘Not too dangerous,’ stated my mate Charlie. ‘We win 4-1 on combination.’ Good gag, however no factors on this event.
Magpies
Simply three days later, it was Newcastle United’s flip to offer stylish opposition, on this case on the Gtech. Newcastle had walloped Brentford 5-1 at residence final October, so there was no room for combination jokes now. As an alternative, the Bees began at a panoramic tempo and would possibly effectively have been greater than a purpose to the nice come half-time however for a pesky VAR determination – an Ivan Toney close-in ‘rating’, dominated out for offside – after which an exciting Kevin Schade run that noticed him unceremoniously clattered inside the world, just for Toney’s weak penalty to be saved simply by keeper Nick Pope.
It needed to occur at some point
Sure, that’s no mistake. Let me repeat – Toney, penalty king of the Premier League, failed to attain from the spot for the primary time in dwelling reminiscence. Nonetheless, with a purpose up and Thomas Frank’s shuffled workforce, with Schade changing Bryan Mbeumo, wanting good, so what was there to fret about?
What’s extra, when referee bowed to stress from the house facet and the urging by VAR to lope from the pitch to look at – a number of instances, judging by the point he took – the video replay of Rico Henry apparently being upended, Toney remembered methods to take the resultant penalty. Lifeless-eyed Dick handsomely beat Pope for tempo and course to place the Bees in entrance.
The sooner alternative by Zanka of the ominously injured skipper Pontus Jansson on the quarter-hour – hopefully not a recurrence of the hamstring drawback that sidelined him lately – was not cheering, however certainly not upsetting sufficient for the transformation of the workforce’s efficiency for the primary twenty minutes after the interval.
With the introduction by Eddie Howe of livewires Callum Wilson and Anthony Gordon, Newcastle had been rejuvenated. Brentford additionally appeared like a unique workforce, however not in a great way. So when after 54 minutes Raya someway managed to scramble a Joelinton cross behind him and over the road, it got here as no shock.
Neither did a second purpose, regardless that its high quality was far superior. Wilson offered the help for Alex Isaz to drill an unstoppable shot from exterior the field after which Wilson poached a 3rd, just for VAR to rule it out for handball by the striker.
Shortly afterwards a bemused Brentford resumed full participation within the sport, which assured further frisson to what was already a high-tension encounter. Brighton, occupying a top-six place or thereabouts for a lot of the season, are a powerful facet, with a number of tall and muscular fellows – the type of companions which may turn out to be useful on Saturday nights on the door of an unsavoury boozer.
Toney, Schade – a fast-learning winger solely barely slower than a greyhound – harried the opposition, even these measuring upwards of six-foot-six, however even with Frank pitching Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa into the motion, Brighton coasted residence. To the house crowd’s irritation, there was time-wasting in fact, to the extent that Head Coach Howe substituted considered one of his earlier substitutes, Gordon, who from the look on his face didn’t respect the quantity of treasured time being taken as he trudged from the pitch.
When the mud had settled after the weekend, the Bees had slipped from seventh to ninth within the League desk, kindly helped by below-par performances from nearest rivals Fulham and Chelsea. No disaster to this point, however by then Aston Villa had appeared from nowhere to occupy sixth spot and rank alongside Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester Metropolis within the Premier League elite the Bees should meet earlier than season’s finish.
Wolves
Bearing this in thoughts, little doubt, Brentford headed for the Midlands to tackle Wolverhampton Wanderers, on paper a comparatively simple ask in comparison with going through these luminaries. However Wolves have lately turned their season round, distancing themselves from the relegation field within the course of and shifting easily upwards.
As if Brentford wanted extra sobering information, having discovered that skipper Pontus Jansson was to depart the membership on the finish of the season, Wolves’ effervescence from the kick-off signalled an outfit simply dealt a Get-out-of-jail card and, although not fairly monopolising the play, proved to be a handful for the guests’ defence.
David Raya was busy from the off, whereas Matthias Jensen collected a yellow card early on and his meticulous work in midfield quickly earned patches of booing and accusations of being boring. Wolves contributed some fluid soccer and Diego Costa, recruited from retirement solely final September by the striker-bereft membership, appeared a relentless hazard.
Costa hadn’t scored a Premier League purpose for nearly six years however, aided by a slice of excellent fortune, managed to take action after 27 minutes. Working with the ball into the penalty space, he was robbed by Christian Nørgaard’s finely judged sort out, just for the ball to rebound from the ahead’s chest and proceed unmolested into the purpose.
Thomas Frank indulged in his acquainted substitution shuffle after the break however for as soon as the magic wouldn’t work. And a second purpose, scored by Wolves’ personal sub, Hwang Hee-chan, halfway by means of the half following a defensive muddle, wrapped up an unsatisfactory day for the Bees. It may have been worse, stated my mate Charlie, and certainly it quickly grew to become so, what with Aston Villa, the brand new children on the championship-chasing block, handsomely beating Newcastle 3-0.
Aston Villa
There ain’t no justice: after a dismal run of three consecutive defeats, the Bees discovered the shape that served them so effectively earlier within the season and right here deserved victory over a Villa facet that displayed a lot of the standard that had seen them leapfrog up the Premier League desk when no one was wanting.
Luckily, Ollie Watkins, beforehand of this parish, was shackled by a decided defence that rationed him to at least one solitary golden probability that wickedly swerved huge. On the different finish, Toney and Schade each appeared sharp and Mbeumo was giving the guests no finish of hassle.
Stamford Bridge
Disgrace on the a whole lot of Chelsea followers who abandoned the stadium when their workforce fell behind but once more, this time with an personal purpose.
With due to Mark Fuller- obfcp.co.uk
And by the point Bryan Mbeumo raced away from the house facet’s defence to hit a candy shot that was barely diverted previous keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, sealing Brentford’s victory 12 minutes from the tip of regular time, the trickle had turn out to be a flood.
With due to Mark Fuller- obfcp.co.uk
At instances the fickle Chelsea supporters booed interim supervisor Frank Lampard as the house facet dominated possession however not often appeared like getting on the scoresheet. Lampard’s report since taking cost has been dismal: 5 losses and just one purpose scored. The workforce’s efficiency was equally so, enabling Brentford to observe up with out discomfort final yr’s 4-1 victory on this fixture.
Lampard tinkered along with his workforce within the second half, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mykhailo Mudryk bringing some life up entrance and in midfield. It was not sufficient to discourage a Brentford facet that defended resolutely to justify a beginning line-up tinkered with by Thomas Frank.
Three consecutive video games and not using a win had seen the Bees slip away from the coveted high seven within the desk, however Cesar Azpilicueta’s purpose – getting in the way in which of a strong Mathias Jorgensen shot to deflect it residence – after which Mbeumo’s clincher, which likely lifted his spirits enormously after struggling a purpose drought, meant they climbed again to ninth.
5 video games stay by which to make sure a spot within the desk that displays their excellent season, beginning with immediately again at residence with a well-recognized rival as Steve Cooper tastes the GTech environment!
Invoice Hagerty is Chairman emeritus, British Journalism Evaluate and a Director, London Press Membership
