Brilliant Brentford battered near neighbours Chelsea 3-0 on Friday night to surge past them and up to third in the Premier League table. Here are our top five Brentford players.
It was a quite incredible performance, the second half primarily, as Keith Andrews’ side applied the pressure bit by bit until Chelsea’s pensioners were finally sent home with tails between legs. The away support had already vanished into thin air as easily as another £50m from their club’s transfer ‘budget’ by the time Fabio Carvalho wrapped things up late on.
I don’t want to hear anybody whining about the fact that Joao Pedro was injured. So what? He’s one man in a squad that runs deeper than the Mariana Trench. Pick another one of your gazillion players. Buy another one. It’s not my fault Xabi Alonso chose to start the game with the veteran Danny Wellbeck and the even older Jordan Henderson. Players with a combined age more than three and a half times that of Brentford centre-back Jannik Schuster.
That it was Henderson responsible for giving the ball away for the move that culminated in a first goal of the season for Igor Thiago made the moment all the more pleasing for the vociferous home support. Alonso’s persisting with a player now so sedentary that even his walk off at Anfield last season was quicker.
Chuck into the mix a refereeing performance that was close to an all-time low from Andy Madley to truly appreciate how sweet this latest defeat of our West London rivals was. His turning a blind eye to Pedro ‘Pony’ Neto and Barco – a ringer for Rod or Tod Flanders, and about as effective – as they constantly ploughed through anyone in red and white was utterly baffling. To be fair, the pair of them struggled to play much actual football so I suppose heat-seeking missiles was their only alternative.
There was no irony lost in his only foul-related booking that for Mamadou Sangaré on 85 minutes. A player who had only been on the pitch a quarter-hour by the time Madley remembered he did have a yellow thing in his pocket.
Truly, he was atrocious. Thankfully, Brentford were not. Anything but. A cautious (we would also accept: cagey) first half saw little happen. Chelsea with perhaps the better opportunities, such as they were. Kelleher pulling off a fine stop from Neto and Schuster denying Rogers. That was about it. Ben Mee and Jay Tabb’s half-time interview one of the highlights. Amazing.
Then, the players re-emerged and Brentford began to turn the screw. Constantly ramping up the pressure. The West Stand in particular urging them ever onward as the Bees started to look half a yard faster. Started to find gaps. Chelsea’s bluster, huff and puff all expended. Now nothing more than a burned-out and disorganised backline desperately trying to hold back the hoards.
They failed. Miserably.
The first one came just past the hour mark. Jannik Schuster played on Damsgaard’s corner. The unmarked Jaidon Anthony could barely believe his good fortune at the space afforded in an otherwise crowded box. With the net gaping, he made no mistake. His effort firm and true. 1-0 Brentford. The noise levels peaking. Keith joining the celebrations and the place going nuts.
On went the Bees. Like-for-like subs made. Keith opting to keep on with more of the same rather than try to lock it out. Why not? This game was there for the taking. The Brentford backline remaining composed. Schuster, in particular. Ajer and KLP continuing to break forwards for fun.
Then, it came. The moment. Igor Thiago back on the score sheet.
Kevin Schade taking advantage of his former teammates’ poorly hit pass. After receiving the ball from Damsgaard in a well onside position (thanks to marking from Lacroix that was as sloppy as the ball from Henderson) he broke clear. Bearing down on goal he was home and dry. Surely?
Alas not. Honestly, he should have buried it but with Martinez parrying, it ended up being nothing more than the briefest of reprieves. There was Thiago to guide a rising ball straight back past the man in nets. A finish that was probably a lot trickier than it looked but he made it seem easy.
The lead doubled. 2-0 Brentford. Igor back on the score sheet and the fire-drill starting for the boys in blue. Their corner of the Gtech draining away as Brentford pushed up. Again.
The cheer for the return of Fabio Carvalho to Premier League action immense. Yet nothing like the one that greeted his late goal. Brentford’s third, if anybody had lost count. Just like last season, he arrived from the bench in the 88th to inflict further pain on the Stamford Bridge faithful (the couple that still remained – even those in the North Stand had long since sloped off).
Again, it was desperate marking. Schade in acres of space on the left to play the ball across the penalty box. Carvalho ghosting in on the right, completely ignored by the last tatters of the Chelsea ‘defence’. Like Anthony, no mistake made. The ball swept home. The reaction from players and head coach equal to that of the support.
3-0 Brentford. That’s how it stayed. Every goal the result of hunger, desire and seizing the moment. Chelsea with more problems than I’d care to imagine but, again, that’s their concern. You can only beat the team in front of you and the Bees did just that in some style.
Outplayed them. Outthought them. Outclassed them. Moved past them.
Now, the tricky part. Our regular top five player ratings from this one. Five points awarded for star player, four for second, three for third etc etc. The overall winner of our player-of-the season then determined after game 38 when the final tallies are confirmed.
Star player (5 points) Jannik Schuster
Isn’t Jannik quite the revelation? Three Premier League games. Three top five appearances. Two of them, star player awards.
I thought he was utterly magnificent. Every time Chelsea made it into the final third, first half-especially where the Bees’ strategy seemed as much around letting Blues wear themselves out, he was there.
As sure-footed as a mountain goat. As strong as an ox. As calm as a cucumber. Nothing getting past him. As strong a presence in the penalty box as we have had in years. Nathan Collins now with some serious hard work to do if he wants to reclaim his place. Jannik may have been bought for the future but he has propelled himself very much into the present.
One North Stand observer pinged me after the game to note: Schuster is currently the sixth-best defender in Fantasy Premier League out of 216. Selected by less than 0.1% of players.
Expect that to change…
Second (4 points) Kevin Schade
Let the revelations, of the nicest sort, continue.
Schade was once again on fire. Obviously, he won’t get ‘that’ song but with two more assists to add to his body of fine work so far this season, he needs to be immortalised in voice. This smooth operator (sorry, sorry) turning it on in style once more. The opposition left with no alternative but to scythe through him with abandon as the only way to try and stop his devastation.
When they couldn’t, he did the business. Twice.
First in making the magic for Thiago. Then in setting up that fairy-tale ending. I bet even Carvalho senior was pleased with that one.
Third (3 points) Mikkel Damsgaard
A first entry to the top five for Mikkel. I thought he may miss out on the starting XI this week given his midweek selection at Reading but here he was from the get go. Thankfully.
The only one of our midfield trio to make it in (with complete respect to the other two who both played brilliantly), you must be doing something good to deny Vitaly ‘top-five’ entry for the first time this campaign.
It was Mikkel back to his ball-playing best. Running with flair and full of precision passing. Jordan Henderson only able to look on with awe. The turns, shimmies and bamboozling were all present. The set pieces a menace and ultimately culminating in the opening goal for the Bees.
Fourth (2 points) Keane Lewis-Potter
With our top-five table starting to take shape, KLP’s presence shows just how well he has been doing this season. To wake up on Saturday morning and see his side sitting in the Champions League places, even more for him to be proud of.
Defensively strong on the back foot. Dynamic when taking the game down the other end of the pitch. From a clutch of potential candidates, he really stood out for me last night. Not for the first time.
Fifth (1 point) Kris Ajer
Like Dams, a first entry into the top five this season. I thought he and Jannik worked incredibly well together last night. Whilst it was the latter who seemed to be the one dominating their partnership, I loved the way Kris was so fluid.
One minute he was covering at left back. The next he was breaking forward on one of those box-to-box runs that seem to terrify as much as confuse the opposition. Safe in the knowledge that when he did get vertigo, there was always cover in Vitaly.
All of which means that after matchweek five, our star player table has a new leader. Take a bow, Kevin Schade. Jannik Schuster moves second whilst it remains beyond tight behind them.
International break next up and then a trip to Aston Villa…
Positions after matchweek 5
- 1st Kevin Schade 15 points
- 2nd Jannick Schuster 13 points
- 3rd Vitaly Janelt 12 points
- 4th Caoimhín Kelleher 9 points
- 5th= Mamadou Sangaré 8 points
- 5th= Keane Lewis-Potter 8 points
