Another game with Manchester United, another emphatic win for Brentford. If only we could play them every week. Here are Nick Bruzon's player ratings!
This time around, the Bees running out 3-1 winners. It could, probably should, have been more. Collins and van den Berg drawing fine saves from this week’s United goalkeeper (checks notes) Altay Bayindir in the first half. The Dutchman was also wondering how he didn’t put one away from close in during the second period. As a fellow North stand observer opined, ‘His individual xG must be through the roof”.
Yet when Brentford did find the net, the goals were an utter joy to behold. Igor Thiago is getting things underway on 8 minutes. Jordan Henderson with another 3 Wood of a long pass. For a moment, it was like the Ryder Cup but without the obnoxious supporters. Harry Maguire stepping up at so completely the wrong moment that Thiago looked 100 yards offside.
Instead, he’d timed his run to perfection – breaking forward at the exact moment Maguire started to run in the opposite direction. The trap not so much sprung as served gift-wrapped on a silver platter.
It still needed a clever touch to bring the ball under control before he absolutely leathered it past Bayindir. The goalkeeper had no chance and the Bees were in front.
In 20 minutes, it was 2-0. Thiago’s second sandwiched the two opportunities for the Brentford centre-backs. Another long ball – this time Yarmoliuk – finding Schade. His effort was only parried by Bayindir and Thiago drifting away from the United defenders to bury the loose ball. The Gtech is going nuts. Brentford doubling the lead. Keith Andrews is reaping the benefits of finally letting his team off the leash and setting them up to play attacking football.
We had a sense it would be coming. The team reveals an hour before kick-off, about as subtle as a brick to the face. The line-up ‘graphic’ eschews the usual 11-man top-to-bottom line-up with a horizontal formation to really over-emphasise that we were setting up as a 4-3-3. It is what every observer had been crying out for, and the reward was delivered in style. Surprise changes in personnel, too, with Aaron Hickey making a start on the left.
Yes, there was the reliance on long passes and set pieces that Keith is so fond of, but, equally, the first time we’ve seen Brentford play with genuine intensity in his tenure. We’d seen these 20-minute purple patches under Thomas Frank so often, and here it was again. What a response. Fair play to Keith – he got it bang on this time!
Six minutes later, United halved the deficit. Šeško bundling home at the third attempt after two fine saves from Kelleher had seen the ball stay out. In truth, the move stemmed from his decision to punch rather than catch when under so much pressure from Mbeumo that one wondered if the eventual goal would even stand. Certainly, the Brentford players berated the officials about what they saw going on but referee Craig Pawson waved it all away.
2-1 it stayed. Half-time was a mix of excitement and confusion as supporters got involved in a massive online game of digital penalties. It worked, somehow. Stuart Wakeford is holding it all together before the teams came back out for round 2.
Brentford still on top. 2-1 up but not able to extend the lead any further. United on the ropes but still in there.
Then, with 20 minutes remaining, the moment of the game. Bryan Mbeumo breaking clear and pulled back by Nathan Collins. A penalty awarded. An interminable wait to see if The Bees’ skipper would face further sanction. Thankfully, that fate was eventually nullified as VAR deemed Mbeumo had not been in control of the ball. The delay was further heightened by Keith Andrews displaying Maupay levels of sh*thousery in then making two substitutions.
Up stepped Bruno Fernandes. Eventually. Down went Kelleher to his left. Glove met ball. A magnificent save to push it clear before the ball was played out to safety. United players static – nobody coming close to even thinking about poking home the loose ball. It was match-defining.
The Red Devils’ inadequacies, laid even further bare for all to see. Ruben Amorim channelling the spirit of ten Hag in his touchline anonymity. Brentford only able to play who they were up against yet making it look so, so easy.
Given Fernandes’ previous penalty miss this season, I had wondered if Mbeumo would be given the ball. He had a perfect record for Brentford from the spot and knows every inch of the Gtech. Perhaps it was deemed that that the familiarity of technique would assist us as much as them. Perhaps it was more a rat desperately sniffing out the chance of a goal.
Frankly, who cares? Kudos to Kelleher as the score stayed at 2-1. From there, it really was game over. A procession of subs seeing the somewhat baffling Jensen for Thiago rewarded in the finest of styles. The Dane wrapping things up in time added on with a most incredible of goals. Yarmoliuk, the architect. The Bees breaking fast. Jensen picking the ball up, waltzing towards the edge of the box and with the crowd exhorting him to “Shooooot” (plus ça change) he did.
Wow. Just wow! If Thiago had leathered it for the opener, this was a thumped howitzer wrapped up in a trace bullet of a piledriver. I don’t think I’ve seen a ball hit like that in a long time.
His look back to the bench said it all. The fans exploding in delirium. The game now, officially put to bed.
3-1 Brentford. United left still searching for successive premier league wins under Ruben Amorim. The chants of ‘sacked in the morning’ inevitable. Will they come true?
Bryan Mbeumo, who had received a wonderful welcome and warm applause from (most) Brentford support being asked what the score was. That’s fair game. As were the reminders that he should have stayed at a big club.
For United fans, there would have been a lot of soul-searching on the drive back to the home counties. For Bees support, the only real option was to head down the pub and relive the fun.
Now – the challenge that always comes with a dominant display. 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 ends up the eventual winner after game 38.
1st (5 points) Igor Thiago -The latest to step up to the challenge of leading the Brentford attack and what a way to do it.
He’s now got four from six games in the Premier League this season. Only Erling Haaland ahead of him. This brace just about perfect. The technique and the finish for the first. The goal poaching skills for the second. His strength and stature a real problem for a half-baked defence.
The Brazilian and the team working each other out. This was the reward. Would have loved for him to complete the hat-trick but nobody can be unhappy about him being allowed to leave the field of play for a well-deserved round of applause.
Quite spectacular.
2nd (4 points) Yehor Yarmoliuk -Another start-to-finish performance from Yehor. He’s just too good and too energetic to even contemplate taking off.
It was another game where he came away with everybody talking about him on the way out. He was everywhere. Bossing the midfield. Taking advantage of the gaping holes. Playing and driving us forward.
Outpassed everybody on the pitch. Even Damsgaard and Henderson (48 plays 30 and 43 respectively) To do that you must be doing something very special and Yehor nailed it on Saturday.
3rd (3 points) Jordan Henderson -What a signing. I still can’t believe Brentford were as shrewd and perceptive enough as they have been in picking him up on a free. Hats off to Phil Giles and co.
It was another master class of inch-perfect passing and midfield control from the England captain. He really was magnificent. Again.
I’ll be honest, there was still a little sadness about seeing Christian Norgaard finally pull on an Arsenal shirt for their League Cup tie in the week. Equally, you know that he’ll get a Bryan-like reception when he does come back with the Gunners (unlike Newcastle and their snake).
Yet if we are being equally honest, seeing Jordan playing like this is just wonderful. He’s still on fire and proving age is just a number. Dragging everybody along with him for the ride. A captain in everything but title.
4th (2 points) Caoimhin Kelleher – Oh, yes. No doubting he had the key role at the key point in the game.
Had the penalty gone in, 2-2 would have made it an awkward final twenty minutes. Instead, a scoreline that reflected the team’s performance was maintained. Equally though, we saw him gravitating more and more towards catching. Looking solid and confident when he did it, too.
It wasn’t just the penalty. Almost every time the ball came near or at him, he looked solid as. Gathering or smothering and definitely looking more comfortable without three centre-backs getting in his, and each other’s way.
5th (2 points) Michael Kayode, No Vitaly – whose cameo from the bench was awesome. No Kevin Schade- who ran his socks off. Instead, Michael gets the final spot.
I thought he was excellent, again. Everybody will note Jordan’s pass for the first goal – rightly so – but it was Kayode bullying Cunha that caused United to lose control when they were advancing on us and set up the skipper.
Like Igor, he is as much about strength but his speed and ball control on the break are what sets him apart. It’s no wonder the excellent Aaron Hickey (another contender for this final spot) has no chance of getting the right flank back as it stands.
Then there’s the throw ins. You may have heard mention of these in recent weeks but when you have that sort of long delivery, causing that sort of mayhem in the box, then why not?
All of which means that after Round 6 of fixtures, the current top five is
- 1st Michael Kayode – 15 points
- 2nd Yehor Yarmoliuk – 12 points
- 3rd Jordan Henderson -11 points
- 3rd= Mikkel Damsgaard – 11 points
- 5th Igor Thiago 9 points
