Premier League campaigns for Brentford are like the 65 bus. You wait absolutely ages for one and then three come along all at once.
The 2023-34 season finally got under way for The Bees on Sunday. Another season amongst football’s elite. Another season that saw our opening home fixture played against former League champions. Having beaten Arsenal 2-0 first time out and then trashed Manchester United 4-0 last year, there would have been no surprises had we made it a most welcome of hat-tricks at this level.
Instead, the teams had to be a content with a 2-2 draw and the points shared.
A Brentford line up that saw three of our most prolific faces, including 2022-23’s star man Ben Mee, missing for a variety of reasons may well feel that victory got away from us. That on the balance of play we deserved a win. True, but that’s not how football works. As we have said many, many times games are won by scoring goals rather than relying on possession or the arbitrary decisions of the ref.
Something that was particularly telling on Sunday where Robert Jones denied The Bees two late penalties after very strong shouts for fouls on the electric Kevin Schade. We can debate these all we like but, equally, had Bryan Mbeumo or Mikkel Damsgaard taken their chances either side of half-time then we’d be telling a totally different story. The Bees would, surely, have run away with it. That’s not to criticise either player. Far from it. Bryan was superb in an end to end first half. Damsgaard had only just been subbed on for Mathias Jensen.
Even Mr Jones did well in an opening period that saw an interminable amount of time added on (11 minutes). The combination of double VAR review and the new rules about timewasting / dissent being applied to the letter of the law. These included a whole series of yellow cards for the visitors – the one shown to James Maddison earning one of the largest cheers of the afternoon and another chorus of “Maddison, you a can’t” (or something like that). The downside being it dragged the opening period out to a point where everyone felt at a loss of what to do and, of course, Spurs used the time to equalise. Emerson Royal lashing home from distance to see his shot beat Flekken just inside the post.
Prior to this, Spurs had opened the scoring with just 11 minutes gone. That man Maddison (who else) floating in a peach of a free kick that Cristian Romero buried with his head from close range. An interminable wait for VAR revealed he had remained onside, just, but close enough is good enough and the goal stood. Urrgh.
Yet if any heads were to drop it was from the visitors. Brentford came back flying. Pushing. Driving. The returning Christian Norgaard like a rock in midfield and Mathias Jensen looking to drive through the high pressing Tottenham line. Ange Postecoglou very much favouring a less-cautious approach than his predecessor but it was Jensen who was key to bringing things level. Son’s foul on the Danish maestro deemed sufficient to warrant a penalty kick from which Bryan Mbeumo made no mistake. Vicario in nets for Tottenham earning a yellow card for his own prevarication.
The Gtech erupted – as much Peter Gilham on the p.a. as the home support – and Brentford pushed on. Rico Henry on fire down the left providing the most wonderful of assists to set up Wissa shortly after. It was a delivery to match that of Maddison’s earlier on, yet one which was made in infinitely trickier circumstances. Running at pace, having to beat a man, cut in and get it over rather than having the luxury of being able to pick your spot, unimpeded, from a deadball situation. No matter, the result was the same – the ball in the back of the net. Goaaaaaaalllll. Wissssssaaaa. Brentford 2-1 up and dominant. Surely there was only one team in it from here? Surely….?
Alas, not. The combination of that equaliser on 45+5 and then Bryan steering just over from close range saw half-time reached over an hour after our scheduled kick-off time with the fans feeling slightly frustrated. A mood of what might have been not lifted by the fan v fan quiz that was then played out for those not visiting the bars behind the stands. It was a moment crying out for the return of Centre Circle Challenge rather than the ‘possession’ game.
With the second half finally able to start, the Bees had their momentum destroyed by the almost immediate substitution of Matthias Jensen. All being well that’s precautionary rather than anything more sinister but it set the tone for what followed. Which was not much.
The aforementioned chances aside, Brentford offered little in the final third. Neither did we give Spurs any real sniff and on those few instances they broke through a back line superbly marshalled by Ethan Pinnock (with bonus point to Zanka for his late cameo) there were the big hands of Mark Flekken. It will take some time for us all to get used to the absence of David Raya but our new number one has already shown his prowess in a one on one scenario. Likewise, his distribution which, when it worked, was lovely. When it worked. One second half ball out to Bryan showed what he will bring to the team.
The referee not helping matters by backing himself into a corner after that flurry of early yellows. He had nowhere left to go from a disciplinary perspective, beyond issuing second yellow, red, and so football returned to the levels we’d seen last campaign. A side containing Maddison and Richarilison is only the loan signing of Neal Maupay away from the holy trinity of sh*thousery and Spurs played those rules to the extreme.
So, it ended with a 2-2 draw. Brentford sitting 7th in the nascent table and most people happy with a point. On another day we might have won. We’ve seen the team robbed in the past, too. Take the draw and move on to next weekend at Craven Cottage.
Until then, we have the regular post-match look at the top five performers from every Brentford game as well as continuing our season long quest to declare The Bees’ overall top performer. Five points being awarded for every ‘star player’ award, four for second place, three for third etc and then the totals counted up over the course of the 38 Premier League games played.
As a reminder, last season’s final five were scored and sorted as follows. With all players still part of the Brentford squad, competition could be even fiercer this time around
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)
That was then. This is now. Without further ado let’s crack on and for this first game of the season, I can’t see any other candidate beyond one man.
Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 1 (vs Tottenham)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Rico Henry
Utterly superb. Caused merry hell down that left flank, the first half especially, picking straight up where he ended last season. It was his ball over to Bryan that was directly responsible for the penalty being awarded. Less than ten minutes later he got the official ‘assist’ as he picked out Wissa from the same position.
Then, with half-time approaching the best of the lot. His cross delivered from virtually the same spot directly to Bryan. How it didn’t go in we’ll never know – Bob Taylor at Huddersfield levels of ‘and Brentford must score’ – but this moment was all about the delivery and that was first class.
One sometimes forgets Rico is officially deemed a defender, such is the high line he pushes from his wing back position. Likewise, that he is still only 26 years old. You don’t want to read it week in week out and I don’t want to keep saying it so let’s get this out here now – Gareth Southgate, just pick him for England. Please drop whatever blinkers you have. On this showing he’s the best in the country.
2nd (4 points) – Ethan Pinnock
Last season Brentford had the luxury of a consistent centre-back set up, whether we played as a two or a three. This time around, Pontus has returned to Sweden whilst Ben Mee picked up an injury against Lille so sat this one out.
Ethan was the only of what we’d call the ‘regulars’ (although I suspect Nathan Collins is going to become a very familiar face) and he was brilliant. The second half in particular, with Brentford forced more on to the back foot, he was there time and again to act as that last man standing. That player to stick out yet another telescopic leg to clear a ball in to the danger zone. To rise above the crowd and head it to safety.
Had we chosen to utilise his talents at the back post when trying to send in dead balls then Brentford may well have been celebrating all three points. Instead, Ethan did all his work at the back but he did it as calmly as ever.
3rd (3 points) – Bryan Mbeumo
I thought Bryan had a fantastic game. He ran riot down the flanks and, if anything, seems to have filled out even more over the summer. Arms, legs and buttocks of iron.
His touch to Mathias earned the penalty kick. His presence of mind was key to scoring it. The protests form Spurs, after an already long VAR review, designed only to put him off his stride. Instead, he approached the ball in that laconic style. Legs windmilling in seeming slo-mo. A giraffe amongst men. The finish, devastating, as the ball was placed into the bottom corner with laser like precision.
Now it’s true that he could have had a second but let’s be kind and say that the bounce didn’t quite sit right. Besides, he still had to get away from his man and work the position. Something he did all game long, whether the ball was at his feet or he was simply dragging Spurs out of position around behind him.
4th (2 points) – Mathias Jensen
When Mathias left the pitch four minutes into the second half, one of our best chances to win the game went with him. That’s not to show any disrespect to either his replacement or those still standing, but simply reflective of how well he was playing with the ball at his feet. How well he was carving out opportunity and directing the ball around.
Had he stayed on for longer I have no doubt that power trio of Jensen, Rico and Bryan would have continued to work the ball forward and the result may well have been a different one.
5th (1 point) – Yoanne Wissa
I did thing about Mark Flekken for this final berth but in a game where everybody was talking about a high-profile striker being absent, The Bees had already well adjusted to a similar situation. Plus, we have the advantage of knowing that unlike Harry Kane, ours will return.
Until he does, Wissa will remain on fire. As was shown on Sunday. His finish may not have been the most clinical but he was the right man in the right position at the right time. Thankfully for Brentford, he hit the ball in the right place and the hapless Vicario was left no chance.
All of which means that the race to find our overall star performer for 2023-24 has begun. Now bring on Fulham…
Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 1)
1st – Rico Henry (5 points)
2nd – Ethan Pinnock (4 points)
3rd – Bryan Mbeumo (3 points)
4th – Mathias Jensen (2 points)
5th – Yoanne Wissa (1 points)
