It’s raining goals at the Gtech. A 4-1 walloping of Leicester City saw Brentford continue a fine run of home form that has seen 19 points earned out of a possible 21. This, a sequence which has seen them find the back of the net 16 times in the last 4 of those games alone.
A slightly rejigged line up – Kevin Schade starting in lieu of the benched Vitaly Janelt – repaid Thomas Frank’s faith in an ultra-aggressive set up. A scintillating display of attacking football was one in which, if we are being truly honest, could once again have finished with a 7 (seven) goal bracketing inflicted on the visitors.
Hey. Let’s not be greedy. This was still about as exciting as it gets with Brentford ending the game sat just three points off of second placed Arsenal in the Premier League table. Not a typo. At least, that was, until The Gunners decimated West Ham at the 2012 Olympic Stadium later in the evening.
Still, for the now the focus is all about Brentford rather than other results. The positivity coursing through the team a joy to behold as The Bees went for it from the off. Kevin Schade with the best of the early opportunities. Fantastic delivery from KLP. An equally delicious header from the German yet a save to match from Hermansen in nets for The Foxes. Football at its very best – all round – and surely a sign of things to come?
The Bees were well on top. Probing. Pushing. Asking the questions but then caught with a sucker punch from a team whose performance was completely in keeping with their position just above the relegation trapdoor.
Jamie Vardy evading Pinnock on the left and wriggling clear. His pass into the danger zone providing the simplest of opportunities for Facundo Buonanotte in front of goal. Twenty minutes in and 1-0 Leicester. A goal very much against the run of play with the Bees close to 75% possession at that point but we all know the well-worn adage about holding on to the ball and finding the back of the actual net.
It was to prove nothing but a false dawn for the visitors. If there was any frustration for Brentford it didn’t show. Quite the opposite – perhaps a kick up the backside they needed. Within five minutes they were level. Damsgaard with the proverbial slide rule delivery on to Schade who played it across the box. His ball over evading four defenders to find Wissa unmarked.
Like the visitors’ opening goal, all the hard work done in the build-up and with Wissa arriving at speed from behind that line of blue shirts to meet it, there was no mistake made. The calmest of touches to sidefoot it low but firm in to the back of the net
On they pressed. KLP, Wissa and Mbeumo combining at speed to set up Schade. The provider turning poacher to give Brentford the lead. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up in little more than eight minutes. The touch from Wissa in particular was exquisite. Schade totally unmarked and firing home on the diagonal from ten yards out.
The Foxes torn apart again and the watching Ruud Van Nistelrooy probably more aware than ever of the massive job ahead of him in restoring form after the debacle of the Steve Cooper’s brief tenure.
Just ahead of half-time, Schade got his second. Another of those wonderful Damsgaard passes opening up space from nowhere. The German running on to the ball, meeting it at the corner of the six yard box and firing in to the far side of the net for 3-1 Brentford. A first half that was about as satisfying as it is possible to imagine. Only the substitution of Mathias Jensen moments earlier causing any real concern. With the midweek trip to Aston Villa ahead of us, let’s hope that was nothing more than precautionary
The second period began with Bees once more in the ascendency. Picking up where they left off. Nathan Collins the one to open up the Leicester defence this time around. His pass through to Schade sublime. Eluding Wout Faes – albeit probably the first time all afternoon a Leicester defender had got even half-way close to him – the lure of the hat-trick was to hard to resist. The player so confident that the goal in front of him must have looked the size of a house. The Gtech exploding as the net rippled for 4-1.
No mistakes made. Hat-trick Schade. An eventual standing ovation as the obligatory substitutions were made. The visitors never in with even half a chance of getting back in to it. Igor Thiago coming on for his home debut. Fabio Carvalho testing Hermansen from the edge of the box. The Bees rampant. Anybody who had been thinking they need to get out of this club perhaps reconsidering their views at a rate of knots.
Instead, Brentford continue their climb up the table. Games at Aston Villa (Wednesday) then home to Newcastle United on Saturday, sure to provide a barometer of just how far this team can go. By this time next week we’ll be at the 15 game mark – 40% of the season gone in real terms. Carry on like this and who knows what we could be dreaming of…?
Until then, time for the regular look our the top five performers. As always, five points being awarded for star player, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game-by-game to find an overall winner for the season.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 13 (vs Leicester)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Kevin Schade
It couldn’t be anybody else. Schade so far out in front for this week’s star player that he already had the award in his backpocket by half-time. He really was ‘that’ good on Saturday
Let’s be honest, there were some heads turned when he started on field rather than on the bench. Moreso in place of Vitaly. That’s why Thomas is the head coach and we’re, err, not… Talk about picking up the gauntlet laid down and running with it.
The early opportunity (and kudos for the world class save that spared Leicester going behind even earlier) setting the tone. A voracious appetite for goals was soon sated. His pass across to Wissa inch perfect.
His first actual goal as much down to the space he carved for himself as the quality of the finish. His second, a tight finish under pressure. The third, the mark of a man so much on fire as to make Wissa appear lukewarm.
We’ve all known there is a player bursting to get out. My word, talk about the moment this caterpillar became the most majestic of butterflies.
2nd (4 points) – Mikkel Damsgaard
Oh wow. Brentford were at their most breathtakingly fluid and it was as much down to our current leader in the overall all star player chart.
Damsgaard, yet again, at his mercurial best. It was without a doubt the absolute laser guided precision of his pass that allowed Kevin Schade to tee up Wissa for the equaliser. Likewise, with Brentford’s third where one could almost see the dotted lines left by the ball as it once again found the German with an almost magnetic attraction.
Yet it was as much his work alongside KLP foraging forward down the left that seemed to suggest a goal or opportunity could come at any moment. Once the pair of them got their positioning right – in truth, I felt they sat a little too flat to each other in that opening quarter hour – things stepped up into overdrive.
Mikkel may even have ended up with a goal for his troubles. His header over perhaps one that, on reflection, he might have expected to hit the target with. Nobody cares though. Nobody should. It was another imperious display
3rd (3 points) – Keane Lewis-Potter
We’ve accidentally found one of the best left-sided wing backs in the country. Every game KLP seems to get better. This was yet another of those.
He was everywhere. Tackling back when Leicester did get up in the general vicinity of the Brentford penalty box. Charging forward when they didn’t. Which was most of the game.
He just looks so comfortable running with the ball. In taking on his man. Or men. In playing balls in to the zone of scoreability. His role in our second not to be underestimated by any stretch. Like Mikkel with the opener, it won’t be recorded as an form of assist but it was absolutely crucial.
Another stormer from KLP.
4th (2 points) – Wissa
Made the equaliser looks ridiculously simple. It wasn’t. We’ve all seen those scuffed, bobble or Barbet’d high in to the stands. Yet rather than leather it, the ball was met with the most deft of cushioned side foots to go low and true into the back of the net for 1-1.
We’ve already mentioned his pass to Bryan to cue up the second but it’s one of those (see also: Nathan Collins) that perhaps looks even better upon repeat viewing than it did in the stadium.
Watching Sunday morning’s rerun on MOTD, even Mrs Bruzon noted, “Oooh – lovely touch from Wissa there” as the interplay with Nathan Collins was to provide Schade with his match ball scooping opportunity.
Yet in truth this was just one of many lovely little moments from a player who, like the three ahead of him in today’s pecking order, never stopped.
5th (1 point) – Nathan Collins
I love Nathan’s approach. Centre-backs aren’t supposed to break forward. Aren’t supposed to be able to play delightful through balls. Aren’t supposed to be able to mix brains with brawn.
The days of a cultured hoof upfield are long gone. That ball through to Schade, spine-tinglingly good and the perfect demonstration of our approach. With The Bees playing this wonderful brand of fast-paced give-and-go passing football, Nathan as much as anybody exemplifies what we are all about.
Certainly, on performances such as this one.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Overall (after Matchweek 13)
All of which means that heading up to Villa Park Mikkel Damsgaard extends his lead at the top of the Star Payer table. However, in a significant move KLP moves up in to second place from Mark Flekken, Nathan Collins and then Bryan Mbeumo.
There are plenty of games to go but these five are starting to break clear from the chasing pack, of which Christian Norgaard and Yoanne Wissa are the next closest.
1st – Mikkel Damsgaard (37 points)
2nd – Keane Lewis-Potter (26 points)
3rd – Mark Flekken (25 points)
4th – Nathan Collins (25 points)
5th – Bryan Mbeumo (21 points)
