Another fine away performance from Brentford, holding Arsenal to a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon, saw the prospect of a top ten Premier league finish remain on track.
In truth, The Bees will never have had a better chance of beating Arsenal. The hosts’ focus so obviously elsewhere that they may as well have been playing with their passports tucked in to their socks. Mikel Arteta that fixated on playing away, I was half-expecting to wake up and discover that his other half had served the divorce papers with the cornflakes.
Five changes from the team that beat Real Madrid (did you hear about that? A result that has been mentioned almost as much as Newcastle United winning the League cup. Almost). Five substitutions so telegraphed and so early that subsequent injuries left them with only ten players on pitch.
And? Not my problem. They’ve enough money, resources and squad depth to have shown why they are second in the table rather than bottling out in a battle with Brentford. The Bees sensed this and with the starting XI as predicted (Janelt back in for Yarmoliuk), it was Thomas Frank’s team who made the best of the early exchanges. Who sensed that this was the perfect opportunity for another nice kick about with the boys.
Yet despite the early control, chances were few and far between with the hosts eventually finding their feet. Ajer charging upfield like an express train to get on the end of a ball from Mbeumo about as close as Brentford came. Kieran Tierney thinking he had given the home side the lead, only to be denied by VAR.
Referee Simon Hooper, who also upset home fans in that opening half by ‘only’ showing Christian Norgaard yellow card, getting both decisions correct. Not a typo.
Get on with it and stop whining. Nothing more than a robust challenge from the skipper and a goal so clearly offside that even Mrs B called it before it crossed the line.
With Flekken in nets looking strong and stopping anything that came his way – including one fine save to his left – the opening period ended 0-0 but with the thought that the Bees would eventually take advantage.
Out they came for the second half. The hosts continued to push and dominate possession but achieving little more until just after the hour mark. A Brentford corner gathered by David Raya and that quick distribution we are all so familiar with coming back to bite us on the behind.
His ball out to Declan Rice so fast that The Bees were caught napping. The Republic of Ireland and England international running full tilt through the midfield. Bearing down on goal at pace. His movement so good that Thomas Partey didn’t need to ask for it as he ran on to the inevitable pass and hit the ball past Flekken for 1-0. Arsenal ahead on the hour mark. All that solid defence undone in a rare moment of class from the home team.
The only positive being that there was still time to salvage this one. Substitutions followed shortly after with Matthias Jensen and Michael Kayode introduced. Fresh legs. Fresh ideas. Fresh Brentford.
Within five minutes it was all level. Wissa with his back to goal swivelling to bury it from close range. Nathan Collins with the assist but Kayode doing all the hard work down the right after picking it up from Bryan. A powerful surge. A delightful ball in. An inevitable outcome. Arsenal gutted – whatever title ambitions they may have been pretending to still harbour now in tatters.
They gave it one last blast. Saka with the best of the chances. Kayode denying one opportunity he had no right to get even half-way close to. A world class challenge after Flekken’s momentary lapse of reason left the goal wide open. The Bees pushing in those final few minutes but things eventually ending all square.
The Bees faithful leaving The Emirates in fine voice. Chants of ‘Second again’ reminding the home support as to how far off the very top they remain. The gulf between first and the rest remains a gaping chasm that it will take more than the odd result in Europe to cross.
Again, that’s their problem. Not Brentford’s. You can only play who is in front of you and The Bees did that just fine. Consistently strong across the entire outfield and making our customary top five and search for an overall player of the season perhaps even trickier than normal
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 after game 38.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 32 (vs Arsenal)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Michael Kayode
The Brentford transfer machine looks like it has struck again. Michael only came on for the final twenty minutes but put in a game changing performance.
The injection of power and pace down the right providing fresh options and energy to Brentford. You won’t read his name in many match reports but Michael’s was the absolute stand out contribution to Wissa’s goal. That’s before you get to his tackle down the other end to stop Arsenal restoring their lead.
It was a moment that should have him nailed in to the team for the rest of these season. Give him a prolonged run to see if he really is that good (this isn’t his first appearance in the top five from the bench) and just what he can do with a decent amount of time on the pitch.
That’s for then. For now, let’s just recognise the difference Kayode made to the team.
2nd (4 points) – Nathan Collins
Up until Michael’s arrival, it was looking like another Nathan Collins masterclass at the back.
Picking up where he left off against Chelsea the game prior, it was very much a case of ‘None shall pass’. He was ever present at the back and key to nullifying just about any threat on the Brentford goal.
Yet at the same time, he wasn’t afraid to break forward or turn menace in the opposition box. The multi-positional versatility of Brentford players – even the centre backs – gives extra threat and Nathan was no exception on Saturday.
3rd (3 points) – Yoane Wissa
Tireless from Wissa. Obviously the goal will go down as his standout contribution. Let’s all take another moment to reflect on the positioning, the turn and the accuracy required to make this look like the simplest of efforts. It wasn’t but such are the levels he and Bryan set you expect them all to go in, every time. Thankfully, this one did.
It was as much the shift that he put in though. Let’s be clear that whilst Wissa wasn’t alone in those hard yards but with Brentford well down on overall possession, he really had to work all the harder to take advantage when the opportunity to break did present itself.
4th (2 points) – Sepp van den Berg
Sepp and Nathan establishing themselves as the first choice centre back pairing has been notable on two fronts. Firstly, the seemingly unthinkable prospect of Ethan Pinnock having to be content with the substitutes’ bench.
Perhaps more importantly though, Thomas and Brentford having the confidence to play with just two rather than three in central defence. That trio across the back was the default ‘go to’ formation when playing away at the top eight but no more.
It’s a combination of many things – perhaps as much added confidence in the wing backs and the form of Christian Norgaard. However, one also has to factor just how quickly Sepp has settled in to the Brentford back line.
It was another of those games. Perhaps not quite so prolific as Nathan but equally strong and, together, they make a formidable pairing
5th (1 point) – Keane Lewis-Potter
I wanted to go Kris Ajer but on an afternoon of all round quality from The Bees, Keane just about nudges ahead.
He seemed comfortable shutting out anything that came in his direction, looked as full of energy as anybody doing those double jobs of defence and attack but on an afternoon of all round merry go round substitutes, kept going from the very start until the very end.
Oh to be young and fit.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Overall (after Matchweek 32)
All of which means that with games running out, anything less than KLP winning the last six star player awards will make Mikkel Damsgaard player of the season. It’s just a question of when rather than if.
Second place is all to play for whilst Nathan Collins is really hammering on the door for the top five, just two points off Bryan.
Next up, the visit of Brighton when it can all change again…
1st – Mikkel Damsgaard (89 points)
2nd – Keane Lewis-Potter (61 points)
3rd – Mark Flekken (55 points)
4th – Christian Norgaard (54 points)
5th – Bryan Mbeumo (52 points)
