Can we play you every week? Sunday’s season finale saw Brentford follow up that incredible Premier League win at the Ethiad back in November with yet another defeat of Manchester City.

As the curtain fell on what has been the most enjoyable ride of our lives, Bees fans celebrated in the stands. Basking in the knowledge that yet another three points had been secured. Yet another win earned over Pep Guardiola’s squad of footballing behemoths. His team may be this season’s title winners. They may have reached Saturday’s FA Cup final. They may be very realistic contenders to finally secure the Champions League a week later but still they can’t beat Brentford. Brentford. Our Brentford. City left standing at the bus stop once more as the red and white express shot past. Another three points added to Thomas Frank’s final haul.

Too right we’re going to enjoy this moment. Our own European dream may have fallen just short but to even get this close is a quite incredible achievement. In the end, our ninth place in the table saw Aston Villa take the final European spot, Spurs miss out all together and Brighton just three points ahead of us in sixth.

There can be no ifs, buts and maybes about games we might have won to take extra points that would have seen European football. We all know where our performance has perhaps been a little frustrating. Equally though, deep down most supporters are realistic enough to admit that despite the most amazing adventure it would have been, perhaps that trip would have come a season too early.

Like the thing with the penalty against Doncaster (already ten years ago). Like 2020’s extra-time defeat in the play-off final at an empty Wembley stadium. Had either gone the ‘right’ way, there is a universal feeling that it may have been just that bit too soon. That we would have struggled to cope with the aftermath.

Instead, like any one of so-many tales of woe lived through life at Griffin Park, this team comes back stronger. This team is relentless in a determination to stick with the plan and keep pushing forever upwards. Sure, there may be bumps in the road – and let’s be clear that missing out on Europe is nothing compared to those previous heartbreaks – but all we do is learn from them and, to use Harlee Dean’s second favourite phrase, “We go again”.

Sunday was next level stuff. A real statement that this team is not here to make up the numbers. That second-season syndrome is nothing more than a glib phrase invented by lazy journalists and pundits to engineer a talking point. We’re playing in a division where history, cliché, strength and reputation mean nothing. Look at us. Look at Bournemouth (twice, now). Look at Luton Town, whose own journey next season is going to be the stuff of both dreams and nightmares (primarily for The Premier League rule makers given the state of Kenilworth Road).

Then look at former champions Leicester City. Relegated. Look at Everton, who dodged a trip to the Championship on the final day of the season. Look at Leeds United, whose fate was all but assured going into game week 38 but then completely capitulated. Elland Road is now a Championship stadium where they will face the likes of Millwall, Cardiff City and some very jittery police.

We may have missed out on the opportunity to inflict a similar fate in last season’s denouement but rest assured that moment hasn’t been forgotten. Whomever was driving Big Bee Radio as the teams went off for half-time deserves a medal. There have been some interesting choices for the first track played during the interval already. Nirvana’s ‘All Apologies’ after a particularly agonising display up there, but this was next level.

As Leeds United were sliding out of the Premier League, Joy Divsion’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ coming over the p.a. system was a moment of genius to perhaps even surpass Daydream Believer after the 5-0 defeat of Birmingham City at Griffin Park.

Anyway, we digress. Massively. However, its been a season to remember for all of us. For so many reasons. Not all of them good, of course. Not all of them going the way we wanted – Christian Eriksen’s move to Manchester United one which nobody could blame him for taking but the protracted way that decision was drawn out, the hope we had that he may stay slowly ebbing away as the days turned to week, felt so unnecessary.

Instead, he made his choice and Brentford did what Brentford do. Matthias Jensen stepped up and the season began with United 4-0 down at half-time in our first game at the Gtech. From there, we’ve… well, anybody still reading knows what we have achieved. Knows who we have beaten. Knows we are the best team in West London. 7 (seven) points clear of Fulham and 15 ahead of a Chelsea side who end the campaign closer to the relegation zone than The Bees.

Now, we’ve done the double over Manchester City. Six points taken from six. This one taking until the 85th minute to secure although could have been earlier. Wissa and Ben Mee coming close in the first half. Three penalty shouts (two very strong) turned down by John Brooks, a charlatan of a referee who seemed only in favour of showing yellow cards to one team. Oh well. We still won, although I imagine Thomas Frank shared our frustration, such was the talking to he appeared to give the officials then and at full time.

So the season ends on an absolute high and only one more thing left to clear up. Our regular post-match look at the top five from this game as well as continuing our quest to declare Brentford’s overall top performer.

Coming in to this one, it was all to play for. Ivan Toney battling Ben Mee for top spot. Ethan Pinnock and Rico Henry neck and neck in the race for bronze medal. David Raya and Bryan Mbeumo competing for fifth.

If nothing else, that says so much about the strength, and consistency, in the spine of this squad. Who would take the top spot though? Well, to find out let’s look first about who scoops the awards for the City game.

Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 38 (vs Manchester City)

1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Ethan Pinnock
Thanks goodness for Matthew Benham that Ethan had just signed a contract extension coming into the game. On this performance he could easily stick an extra ‘0’ on his salary expectations.

He was absolutely magnificent. From start to finish. There’s no doubting that Brentford allowed City the lion’s share of possession and were happy to absorb then break at pace. The consequence of doing that being you are then very much playing your own third of the field but, frankly, with a defence like this it doesn’t matter.

Ethan was there again and again. Block after block. Clearance after clearance. He was under and through everything. The winning goal coming in the 85th minute and that it came from Ethan himself being the cherry on the cake. By that point I’d already decided in my head he was getting star player but the goal made that decision an even easier one.

His refusal to give up and constant focus shown during an injury time barrage from the visitors where first he, then Ben Mee, cleared from the line in a furious attempt to save our defences from being breached.

2nd (4 points) – Ben Mee
I did a count back during the week and Ben had been in our top five 21 times out of 37 games played. Make that 22 times out of 38 now. He’s just magnificent. Sunday against City was just another of those. His partnership with Ethan Pinnock has been the rock on which our season has been built and this was another example of why.

The pair of them impenetrable at the back. Normally. The pair of them getting up top for those set piece chances. Ethan scored on Sunday but it was Ben who came closest outside of that. His first half shot at goal coming oh so close and would, I think, have sent the Gtech into premature meltdown. As it was, we had to wait until the 85th but it was so worth it.

The second half saw him up top again and involved in two of the possible three penalty shouts in quick succession. Whether any were viable or not (they were) is almost secondary to the facts that once again it was Ben both causing mayhem and then showing his role as peacemaker. His experience coming to the fore to bring Wissa, who had already been shown a yellow for protesting, back down to earth. A captain in all but name.

3rd (3 points) – Rico Henry
This one was tough. It’s a hard call between Rico and Ben for second place and whilst it has gone to the centre-back, Rico had yet another of those games where his role as the outlet for pressure is probably more important than anybody else on the pitch.

If the decision to nominate Ethan was a no-brainer, this one was infinitely tougher. Rico never stopped going. His speed electric. Like that game up at the Ethiad he was still going full tilt on 90 minutes. Looking totally composed when The Bees were on the backfoot and then on fire going forwards. Again.

4th (2 points) – Bryan Mbeumo
Like Rico, he was the differentiator going forwards. Like Rico, he stayed the course for the full 90 minutes and never stopped running. It was his header from Schade’s cross that fell perfectly for Ethan to bury the goal. Whether Bryan was going for the net himself or turning provider is a question we’ll never truly know. If the former then it fell fortunately. If the later then it was up there with the best assists of the season.

5th (1 point) – Kevin Schade
Game changing. Only played for the last 20 minutes but did sufficient, along with the equally impressive Josh Dasilva, to wrestle the initiative in Brentford’s favour. Yes, he got the cross to set up the goal but it was more than this. It was as much the energy he brought to the party. The relentlessness to terrify City – and they were because all of a sudden it was us pushing up. It was them having to try and contain. To enter damage limitation mode and , eventually, the dam burst thanks to Josh, Kevin and Bryan.

2022/23 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall

All of which means that we’ve reached the end of the line. The points have been tallied and our 2022-23 star player is… Ben Mee. He takes the prize on the line and is a very deserving winner. The free transfer signing of the season and now locked in with third placed Ethan Pinnock as our absolute ‘go to’ choice of defenders. A position all the more critical given Sunday saw an emotional farewell paid to Pontus Jansson.

Ivan Toney ends the season second place. He’ll be back bigger and better next season. Rico Henry takes fourth and Bryan’s late season surge sees him nudge clear of David Raya and Mathias Jensen to earn the final spot in our table.

1st – Ben Mee (70 points)
2nd – Ivan Toney (69 points)
3rd – Ethan Pinnock (63 points)
4th – Rico Henry (58 points)
5th – Bryan Mbeumo (54 points)

Now bring on next season already. I can’t wait…

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2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Season Round-up by Nick Bruzon