After a brilliant win over Liverpool on Matchweek 18, Nick Bruzon is back with his updated player ratings as players close the gap on the leader.
Where to even start following a 3-1 destruction of Liverpool that, but for the intervention of VAR, could have seen Brentford win this one by an even broader margin?
Yoanne Wissa scored one just before HT but not before having two earlier efforts ruled out for marginal offsides. It would have been no more than one of our greatest all round team performances deserved on a night that saw the Gtech bouncing from start to finish. Ben Mee pressuring Konate into an o.g. for the opener and Bryan Mbeumo rounding things off late on to relieve any nerves that may have been felt after Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain had halved the deficit on 50.
There aren’t the superlatives to truly describe this one.
It’s been quite the 9 months for the Bees. That 4-1 annihilation of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in April has been followed up this season in some style. Our 4-0 rout of Manchester United in the first home game of the season a moment we didn’t think could be topped. I’ll see your Ronaldo’s hissy fit and raise you the 2-1 win at Manchester City in November.
Then, this happened.
The New Year starting in the best possible style with Thomas Frank out thinking and out playing Liverpool to end the night sitting 7th (seventh) in the Premier League table. Two points behind the Anfield outfit and six away from the Champions’ League places. Brentford simply irrepressible. Irresistible. Unplayable at times. An early surge from the visitors saw them twice denied by the Bees’ ‘never say die approach‘ before the home side cranked it up.
Even when the scoreline sat at 2-1 with just five minutes played in the second half, it felt totally calm. On pitch, certainly. The five- man defence holding strong. Playing it tight and then not afraid to push up when the chance presented itself. Liverpool and their galaxy of stars snuffed out at every opportunity.
As Brentford have proven time and again, you don’t need big money signings or big names to win football matches. Jamie Carragher’s post-match talk of his former club needing £200m to be able to compete only telling one part of that particular story. You can’t put a price on desire. On energy. On togetherness.
Jurgen Klopp would also talk afterwards about the Bees. About our unique brand of ‘chaos’. About how we use physicality at set pieces to ’stretch the rules’. Saucer of milk for table two? Hello Mr. Pot. How is your kettle looking today?
Three Liverpool players were booked, of whom Darwin Núñez can count himself exceedingly lucky not to receive a second. Contrast that to a solitary yellow for the Bees. Zanka picking one up very early but doing quite wonderfully to retain his composure for the rest of the game and play within the rules whilst blocking The Reds out.
That’s Mr. Klopp’s problem. His concern. If he doesn’t have the dignity to say ‘well played’ then we can’t change that. An opposition manger moaning is old news in these parts and, besides, we all saw just how good Brentford were. Whether in the stadium or watching back home on TV. Those who know, know.
It was one of those truly special nights. People used to say that Griffin Park under the lights was something special but the Gtech isn’t too shabby either. The full-time triple combo of Hey Jude, The Quo and, of course, Freed From Desire sounding louder than ever. Fans loving life, revelling in the joy of what we’d just witnessed and genuinely wondering where we go from here.
Is the top four crazy talk? Will safety suffice? On this sort of form, why not just go for it? Ivan Toney may be out injured – all being well we’ll see him back on pitch again soon – but Monday night showed anybody who thinks Brentford are a one-man team just how wrong they are.
All of which gives some incredibly tough decisions in the search for our star player and top five. Spoiler alert: there’s no Ethan Pinnock (somehow – he was immense). No Mads Roerslev. No David Raya or Vitaly Janelt. No Zanka – a player who must have Pontus Jansson wondering how on earth he gets back in to this team.
Likewise, the temptation to take the kop out option and give everybody five points has also been resisted, even if they do deserve it. Instead, the star player award goes to…
Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 18 (vs Liverpool)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Rico Henry
So many people were talking about Ivan Toney not being picked for the World Cup but, in my opinion, Rico’s omission was equally short-sighted by Gareth Southgate. Whilst Qatar has been and gone, he showed once more just how well he can play at the highest level. Against the very best players. Mo Salah barely got a look in as Rico dominated.
His energy levels continue to astound. His tackling immense. Time and again he was there for the timely intercepts. One first half challenge he had no right to get even half-way close to, let alone win, produced the move from which we would eventually score our second goal. Sorry, second ‘legitimate’ goal. He was fantastic.
2nd (4 points) – Ben Mee
We thought he’d scored the opener before replays showed that, in fact, his presence next to Ibrahima Konate had seen the Liverpool man panic into diverting past his own ‘keeper. Yet, perhaps even more important, was his own denial of Darwin Núñez early on.
With Raya rounded, it looked on paper to be the simplest of tasks to guide it in to an open goal. Somehow, there was Mee with a last gasp lunge towards the line that saw the ball scooped clear as Liverpool were already celebrating. From that moment on, the stall was set. This was going to be Brentford, and Ben’s, night
3rd (3 points) – Christian Norgaard
We’ve spoken in the last few games about how important his return has been. Last night saw yet gain how vital a cog he is in the Brentford machine.
The first half ball to open up Wissa and release Bryan was the stuff of video game football. A real standout moment in a game where, like Rico, he never stopped blocking, passing or spreading the ball around. Then again, his late ball into Bryan’s path for our third goal wasn’t too shabby either.
4th (2 points) – Yoanne Wissa
Fifteen minutes in I asked if he had even touched the ball and then, suddenly, boom. Talk about exploding in to life. He was incredible. Two predatory goals denied by VAR until, eventually, justice was done. Jensen’s quite wonderful cross headed over the line and, whilst the net didn’t ripple, it was adjudged to have crossed.
He was immense. Those seeing him as a super sub, an impact player from the bench, really having that one thrown back in their faces. You can’t replace Ivan Toney but, my word, on this showing we have somebody more than able to step up until our leading scorer returns from injury.
5th (1 point) – Bryan Mbeumo
Just about anyone could have claimed the final berth but Bryan gets it, as much for his partnership with Wissa as for the game clinching goal late on. He read Norgaard’s pass just beautifully, nipped though Konate and paid no regard to the 6ft 4 defender’s claims of being pushed to the ground. With the Frenchman flat on his backside, he guided it past Alisson in a style which the aforementioned Núñez could only dream of.
The crowd went wild. Bryan received due reward for an evening where he never stopped running and stepped even further into the limelight.
Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 18)
Despite his absence, Ivan Toney (36) still tops our game-by-game table in the quest to find a season long star player. One time leader Ben Mee (34) has closed the gap in second place whilst Rico Henry (27) has now overtaken David Raya (26). Mathias Jensen (21) remains fifth but the return from injury of Christian Norgaard could put a very interesting spin on the second half of the season as the Great Dane storms up the table.
1st – Ivan Toney (36 points)
2nd – Ben Mee (34 points)
3rd – Rico Henry (27 points)
4th – David Raya (26 points)
5th – Mathias Jensen (21 points)
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2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 18 by Nick Bruzon
