A 2-0 reverse at Crystal Palace a result which there can be few complaints about after The Bees had their wings clipped by Oliver Glasner’s Eagles. Here are our player ratings
For Keith Andrews, it’s a case of having to go back to the drawing board after a fourth away loss in five Premier League games this season. Only the win at West Ham breaking a sequence which will get no easier in the coming weeks, but, in truth, Brentford never seemed at the races in this one.
Despite the return of Yehor Yarmoliuk after his early exit in the defeat of Liverpool and that more positive-looking formation of two centre-backs rather than the three, the Bees struggled to get into the game. The home side was in charge from the off and despite ending the game with 64.3% possession, Brentford found it nigh on impossible to make inroads against a well-disciplined outfit with chances at an absolute premium.
A first-half free kick from the heart of Saunders territory, which Damsgaard really could have done way better with, Kris Ajer’s soft second-half header straight at Dean Henderson in the nets, and one curling effort from substitute Reiss Nelson pretty much all the Bees had to show for a torrid afternoon in the rain. That later effort forcing a fine save from the Palace’s keeper, but in truth, it felt like the sort of game where Brentford could still be playing now and would still have struggled to score.
The home side too well set up. Too intense. A yard faster. The Bees wasting passes and lacking any creativity. Efforts to get into the game stifled, and really struggling formation-wise. Only the triple-substitution of KLP, Janelt, and Jensen on 68, followed by Nelson for the final fifteen, sparking any sort of life. Carvalho was given the customary last five-minute slot that he’s shared with Jensen this season, but at that point, it was far too little, far too late.
That it had taken until the aforementioned header from Ajer to register an effort on target, summing up Brentford’s afternoon. Keith Andrews must have been pulling his copious amounts of hair out, given the way he had seen chances created on our last few road trips.
By the time the Norwegian had guided the ball to the goalkeeper, it was already 2-0. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s opener on the half-hour making Brentford’s task all the harder. It was one made nigh on impossible just five minutes in to the second period when – irony of ironies – the Bees were undone by a long throw in to the box and Nathan Collins somehow guided it past his own ‘keeper to double the home side’s lead.
Kelleher powerless to do anything. As he had been with the first, which one has to admire for the technique, if nothing else. The quintessential example of a ‘looping header’. The ball in from Jefferson Lerma was delivered to Mateta with all the finesse of Royal Mail. If only he’d then followed their lead and dumped it on the doorstep rather than his team-mate’s head.
Mateta guiding it home perfectly. The Bees’ defence affording him so much space they may as well have left him a card saying “Sorry – we’re out at the moment,” but he still caught it magnificently. Credit to that man, albeit through clenched teeth.
On the plus side, it could have been 3-0. Moments after his o.g., Collins lost the ball to Sarr, who broke clear. He should have buried it, but instead found the inside of the post, and the ball was eventually cleared to safety. That would definitely have been game over. At least, this way, there was still hope. No matter how forlorn it eventually became.
Look, there’s no way to dress this up. Palace played better and deserved it. Brentford had the proverbial bad day at the office and lacked cohesion. The Bees’ faithful at least having the moral victory of being able to make a noise without recourse to either a drum or a megaphone. Aww, bless. More ulcers than ultras – certainly as irritating.
There are only so many ways to say it, so instead let’s cut to the chase and look at our top five in our usual game-by-game search for the top five players of the season. As always, five points being awarded for the star player, four for second place, three for third, etc, with the totals added up game-by-game to see who ends up the eventual winner after game 38.
1st (5 points) Reiss Nelson: Hot on the heels of his performance in the cup at Grimsby, he picked up where he left off once released from the bench. The loanee has come in from Arsenal, laden with promise and potential, but has not really had the chance to show it, so far. However, with too many players not able to get into the game, he did everything possible to make his own mark and turn things around.
He came closest to halving the deficit, and had he been allowed longer on the pitch, things might have turned out differently. Alas, that wasn’t the case, but he was very much the strongest performer – even in this relatively brief period on the pitch – on an all-round below par afternoon for The Bees.
2nd (4 points) Mathias Jensen: Like Reiss, he wasn’t on for long, yet still comes in at the business end of the top five – in my opinion. Mathias at least made an impression on an otherwise flat-looking team when he came off the bench.
One ball played over across the box to Yarmoliuk, who was somehow unmarked in the middle, deserved way better but turned to nothing. One of our few chances one but at least an opportunity created.
I know he has his detractors, but I thought he looked good compared to his teammates and should have been on earlier. Should have been given more opportunity on an afternoon where creativity was at a premium. At least he did what he could in the time afforded.
3rd (3 points) Jordan Henderson: Mr Consistent. Had plenty of ball – only the centre-backs played more passes (which perhaps tells you everything about the Bees on Saturday), but whoever he found, the team struggled.
That’s not Jordan’s fault per se, and he did his best. Vied with Danmsgaard on free kick duties, and his own effort went closer.
4th (2 points) Mikkel Damsgaard: He tried. He still looked the most dangerous of the ‘flair players’. Nice overlaps with Kayode and the most crosses in of any Brentford player. In truth, though, there’s not much else to say. It really was a 6-7 afternoon for just about everybody.
5th (1 point) Sepp van den Berg: With the skipper having an off-ish afternoon by his own standards, Sepp remained strong at the back. There was nothing he could have done to prevent either goal, and he was as reliable as we could have hoped.
All of which means that heading into the game with Newcastle United, the current top five sees Michael Kayode remain top despite his first non-appearance of the campaign.
It was a disappointing afternoon, but if the visit of The Magpies next time out and a potential return for our former favourite doesn’t get the blood pumping, nothing.
- 1st Michael Kayode – 27 points
- 2nd Jordan Henderson – 20 points
- 3rd= Yehor Yarmoliuk – 17 points
- 3rd= Mikkel Damsgaard – 17 points
- 5th Igor Thiago – 13 points
