What a start to the season. The Premier League return saw Brentford hit the ground running. A 2-1 defeat of Crystal Palace at the Gtech, a first triumph over The Eagles at this level in 7 (seven) attempts saw the bogey team well and truly blown away. It felt close at times but the final score is the only one that really counts. This, no matter how frustrated the visitors may feel about the decision making from the officials.
We’ll get to that, of course, but first the elephant in the room. Ivan Toney. Rumours had been circulating about a big money bid from the Middle East having been made and sure enough, when the teams were announced the England international was missing. Thomas Frank would confirm afterwards he had been left out due to ‘transfer interest’ but in truth, it was no different to last season when he was missing until January.
The Bees adapted then and were well prepped to do the same this time around. Wissa playing up top, ably supported by Schade and Mbeumo out wide. The later, in particular, putting a shift and a half down the right. The Bees once again showing that their game was all about the sum of their parts rather than being focussed on an individual.
At times, Kris Ajer and Nathan Collins pushing a line higher than Simon Cowell’s waistband. At others, the intricate short-sharp pass and move football from the Bees a thing of beauty to behold. One nutmeg from Mathias Jensen on Will Hughes causing gasps of delight from all over the stadium.
To be fair, it was Palace who came out of the blocks flying. Brentford on the back foot and forced to absorb. Thomas picking a bold team with two centre backs and Ajer on the left but the additional player in a more attacking area making little early impact.
Tyrick Mitchel really should have done better for the visitors with one early opportunity. Eze’s free kick, awarded when Wissa was forced to take one for the team, flashed just wide. His next dead ball effort finding the back of the nest but referee Sam Barrott spotted a foul on Nathan Collins as the ball was played in and blew his whistle early.
It was an audacious attempt with Flekken well off his line and beaten at the near-post by the element of surprise. An inexplicable pause for a VAR check that could have done precisely nothing (given the ref had already called a halt before the ball crossed the line) eventually saw play resume.
The man in the middle admitting afterwards that he had, perhaps, blown too early. And? It happens. The more pertinent question should probably why the free kick even awarded in the first place? Had it counted we’d have been irate but it didn’t. Instead, it was the wake-up call needed and with it the switch was flicked from ‘defence’ to ‘attack’.
An end to end move involving a good half dozen or so Bees culminated in the ultimate of rewards. A Bryan Mbeumo goal. Palace not able to get close to a touch as Flekken played it out to his defence and the ball was worked up field in a series of rapier like incisions.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Gooooaaaaallll.
Bryan with the calmest of finishes, receiving the ball from Wissa out wide and cutting in to the box. It was crying out for the return but instead he switched foot and curled it past two defenders and goalkeeper Henderson onto the post into the far-side of the net.
Ajer almost doubling the lead soon after whilst Schade also had a great chance late on. A move that came through Jensen and Norgaard seeing the mirror image of Bryan’s but, alas, this time the ball drifted just wide of the far post.
Still, one up at half-time not to be sniffed at. Palace back out all guns blazing and starting the second period like they did the first. Collins with an early block was the warning. Adam Wharton’s effort from the resulting corner would probably have been on target, but for Roerslev deflecting it wide.
It didn’t take long for the scores to be levelled up. Munoz’s header across the face of goal falling coming between Pinnock and Flekken. With the pair on top of each other the attempted clearance was steered in to the back of the net .
1-1 and Brentford in that familiar position of seeing a lead, lost. Not this time around though. Edouard’s ‘goal’ for Palace soon after being correctly ruled out for offside saw another of those momentum shifts back in favour of The Bees .
The pressure built. The passing started up again. The arrival of KLP and, in particular, Damsgaard freshening things up to the extent that within two minutes of the change, Brentford were once more ahead.
The Dane finding space and a ball in to the box for Collins. The centre-back running and firing goalwards, only for Henderson to claw it away. Fortunately, Wissa was there to receive the ball straight to his feet, yards out. No mistake made as the ball was played straight back past the ‘keeper. 2-1 Bees. The lead restored and victory in sight.
There was still time for heart in mouth (it’s Brentford, innit) but Flekken’s late reaction save from Eze’s deflected effort as close as the visitors came. The points secured and all that was left to do was celebrate once again with that now locked in double of the Quo / Freed From Desire.
2-1 Brentford the final score. Three points on the board and Bees up to sixth in the fledgling table. Post-match talking points very much centred on Toney’s absence and the ref’s decision making but for me, Clive, the absolute focus should have been on what was an all-round team performance from The Bees.
Which brings us quite neatly to the player ratings. Once more, we’ll be undertaking a game by game review of Brentford’s ‘top five’ performers. Five points for star player, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game-by-game to find an overall winner.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 1 (vs Crystal Palace)
1st (Star player: 5 points) – Nathan Collins
Was he in defence or attack? His stats at the back only underlining how vital he was to keeping the Palace hoardes at bay as they began each half with wave after wave of pressure.
9 Duels Won. 8 Recoveries. 7 Clearances.1 Shot on Target. Top of the Brentford tackle count and 90% pass completion.
Not bad for a player who had more than his fair share of the game up the other end, too. What’s he doing up there?, the question asked on more than one occasion. Setting up the winner being that most delightful of answers.
Well played Nathan. A behemoth at the back.
2nd (4 points) – Bryan Mbeumo
Was tireless in his efforts. Marauding down the right and working, especially with Roerslev on the overlap and Wissa in the middle, to find a way to the heart of the Eagle’s nest.
The goal was a ridiculously good team effort. The culmination of a flowing move but all credit to Bryan for having the confidence to take it on with clear sight of goal perhaps obscured. We all know his love-hate relationship with the Gtech posts – perhaps this was the one to see that jinx laid to rest. Let’s hope so.
One second half ball through the heart of the visitors to release Wissa deserved more but he won’t care. The win is all that counts.
3rd (3 points) – Wissa
Ivan who now? Wissa set up the first. He scored the second. He made the absence of Ivan Toney an irrelevance.
Let’s be clear, we’d love Ivan to stay but it seems quite apparent that won’t happen. Good luck to him, genuinely. Instead, this was Wissa’s chance to really prove a point and lay down a marker to any doom-mongers. What a way to stake your claim.
No wonder Wolves are rumoured to be weighing in with a big money bid but on this showing, there’s no way Thomas will let him go.
4th (2 points) – Mathias Jensen
The heart of the midfield. The quarterback of the team. Building the play and spreading it out forward, left, right. The ball control delightful and the calmness with which he mugged off Collins an absolute joy..
Then again, this is no different to so many of his performances last time out. If Mathias can keep up his energy and impact, this really could be a huge season for him. With pace out wide – and Fabio Carvalho to come – it was vital he got off to a flier.
Thankfully, he didn’t disappoint.
5th (1 point) – Ethan Pinnock
As always when the Bees win, it’s a tough call for the final slot. For all a rusty start, I thought Mark Flekken settled in to the game really well whilst his playing out (50 passes) is clearly going to be key to how Brentford build. Kris Ajer could also have been in with a shout, as much for fitting in to that left wing back role so comfortably.
Being honest, Palace probably deserved more for their pressure and dominance. Of course that’s not how football works and so much of this was down to Ethan. When Collins wasn’t there, Pinnock was. When the visitors were pressing, this defensive dynamic duo were there to shut it down.
The o.g. was unfortunate but nothing that could be done about. Rather than it affecting his game, kudos to Ethan for picking himself and going even stronger.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Overall (after Matchweek 1)
So after game week one, the table is live. Just 37 games to go…
1st – Nathan Collins (5 points)
2nd – Bryan Mbeumo (4 points)
3rd – Mathias Jensen (3 points)
4th – Yoane Wissa (2 points)
5th – Ethan Pinnock (1 point)
