A 1-1 draw for Brentford at Wolves brought the club’s fourth season in the Premier League to a close with another top ten finish.
Dreams of Europe may be over, for now, but waking up the morning after the night before there is a huge amount of pride about how things have gone this campaign. The Bees’ fifth highest finish of all time (three of which came during the 1930s). Mbeumo and Wissa both finishing in the top six league goalscorers. Some huge results over the course of a campaign that saw the team equal their goal scoring record at this level.
Even to be in contention for a place in Europe is a huge feather in the cap. It didn’t work out this time but to run things so close should be a source of immense fulfilment to everybody involved with the club.
In truth, despite the outward optimism, in our heart of hearts things felt dead and buried once Crystal Palace lifted the FA Cup last weekend. A feeling not helped by the subsequent home reverse for Thomas Frank’s team (move along, nothing to see here). Somehow, though, going in to this final round of fixtures the chance was still on. Albeit hanging by a thread.
Yet when we reached half-time at Molineux, it was still all heading the right way. Incredibly. Bryan Mbeumo’s goal – his twentieth of the season – meant that Brentford were doing their part. Elsewhere, ‘other results’ were indeed going the right way. Spurs leading Brighton 1-0 at home. Aston Villa 0-0 with Manchester United. Forest and Chelsea level but everybody knowing that just one goal at the City Ground would be sufficient to align the stars in the right order.
Football. It’s a constant tug-of-war between joy and despair.
Who knows what was said up and down the land at half-time? The mother of all collective reprimands delivered? Within six minutes Chelsea were ahead and Brighton were level. Villa, with no luck going their way but hanging on with ten men after goalkeeper Emi Martinez had been sent off and then Morgan Rogers seeing a goal denied by referee Thomas Bramall.
United would eventually go on to win that one – Christian Eriksen delivering the final blow late on – but by that stage it was already game over in the race for Europe. Marshall Munetsi levelling up for Wolves on 75 with an absolute howitzer of a shot that Mark Flekken had no chance of stopping. It was one of ‘those’. He caught it about as sweetly as it is possible to strike a ball and as the net rippled, that was it.
1-1 it stayed. Even if the Bees had won, Brighton’s eventual 4-1 trouncing of Spurs meaning it was The Seagulls who kept that all important eighth place in the table. Bournemouth leapfrogging Brentford with their own defeat of Leicester City but in terms of the European battle, none of it mattered. None of it.
The most important fixture for anybody in with a sniff ultimately failed to deliver. Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Forest meaning they qualified for The Champions’ League and thus only the top seven in the Prem reached Europe, by virtue of Palace’s trophy success. All the permutations and possibility turning to nothing more than nullified potential.
Would Brentford have been ready for a battle on two fronts next time around? Putting to one side the absolute excitement that would have come playing in Europe, the practical side of things suggests it may have come too early. The squad perhaps not big enough for the rigours of an extra midweek tournament.
First world problems. A challenge for another day. One that no doubt Phil Giles, Matthew Benham and Thomas Frank are already three steps ahead of everybody else in looking towards. We’re masters of it. Don’t forget that every Brentford ‘heartache’ in recent years has been overcome shortly after.
That Doncaster penalty thing. Championship play-off frustration against Middlesbrough and then at an empty Wembley. Missing out on the chance to relegate Leeds United.
Eventually, all of that came right. Anybody lamenting the situation just try and have a little patience, yeah.
Until then, the finale of our game by game search for the top five players of the season. As always, five points being awarded for star player, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game-by-game to see who fills the places best behind this season’s winner Mikkel Damsgaard after game 38.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 38 (vs Wolves)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Bryan Mbeumo
What a season he has had. What a way to end it.
Got the goal that put Brentford in dreamland when he swept home Norgaard’s ball in to the box from eight-yards out. It was a fine run and finish to a move he had been involved in during the build up.
It was as much his interplay with Wissa in this one that stood out. The two of them once more in harmony as a series of passes and through balls did everything but get both players to twenty for the season.
If rumour is to be believed and this does prove to be his final game for Brentford, Bryan can at least bow out in style.
2nd (4 points) – Mikkel Damsgaard
Players’ player of the year. Supporters’ player of the year. Our own overall winner by a country mile and star player in just about a quarter of all league games.
It would be fair to say that this has been Damsgaard’s year. Bryan and Wissa may have got the headlines but it is the Dane who has been pulling the strings. The power behind the throne and pretty much the first name on the teamsheet.
The game at Wolves saw him show once again why everybody in TW8 rates him so highly. Laser guided boots that could thread the eye of a needle. Precision of passing and pace to die for. He had a great game to finish what has been a most incredible campaign.
Here’s to the next one.
3rd (3 points) – Christian Norgaard
Possibly the best news of the season – Rico Henry’s return to action aside – was the captain finally signing his contract extension.
If Damsgaard is overlooked by the mainstream media then Norgaard is practically invisible. Long may that last. He got the assist in this one. Had at least two (that I can remember) convincing efforts at goal in one of his typical box-to-box performances.
He and Yehor using the holding roles to break up play and then break forward has been another addition to an already potent means of building up opportunity. We saw it all again on Sunday when the captain seemed to be everywhere.
4th (2 points) – Yehor Yarmoliuk
We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again. Very much one of the breakout stars of 204/25.
We end the campaign with the midfield trio of Norgaard, Damsgaard and Yarmoliuk firmly nailed on as first choice. Who’d have thought Jensen and Janelt (admittedly injured but now with the mother of all competition to regain a place) would have been dislodged so comprehensively when we opened up proceeding s back in August?
That’s no disrespect to either player but simply to acknowledge how well those coming in have done. This was another example – Yehor was everywhere. Putting the boot in. Covering the yards. Making the passes.
Great work that man.
5th (1 point) – Mark Flekken
Tough calls as always. Nathan Collins, KLP and Kevin Schade all in with a chance but in the end it has to be Mark.
Fine saves from Cunha and Semedo in particular keeping The Bees in it. Powerless to stop Munetsi’s missile. Solid as a rock otherwise.
If this season has been about Damsgaard’s genesis and Yarmoliuk’s breakthrough then let’s doff a huge cap towards Mark. Nobody, the player included, would pretend it had been the easiest start to his Brentford career. The challenges of settling in to a new team and filling David Raya’s gloves proved tricky, at first, but talk about a renaissance.
We’ve been blessed over the years from Bentley to Raya. Bayes to Szczesny. Now Mark’s name is up there with Brentford’s best.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Overall (after Matchweek 38)
All of which means that the final table is confirmed. We already knew Damsgaard was the overall winner but he is joined on the podium by Christian Norgaard and Keane Lewis-Potter. Congratulations to all and here’s to next season.
1st – Mikkel Damsgaard (99 points)
2nd – Christian Norgaard (66 points)
3rd – Keane Lewis-Potter (65 points)
4th – Bryan Mbeumo (62 points)
5th – Mark Flekken (61 points)
