Brentford head in to Saturday evening’s game at Newcastle United with the 1-0 win at Aston Villa still a major topic of conversation.
Not so much from Keith Andrews’ side, where the philosophy of boxing things off, whether they win, lose, or draw, is one which still remains prevalent. Rather, the incessant post-match whining from Villa fans about ‘the goal that wasn’t’ has been like the worst sort of earworm.
A constant, droning whinge that hasn’t stopped all week. This, despite the Bees posting a conclusive video to show the ball had gone out of play by about a yard in the build-up to Tammy Abraham thinking he’d equalised Dango Ouattara’s stunning first-half goal.
That only set them off again, but it hasn’t changed a result, which saw Brentford carve out a victory that was about as resilient as they come.
As much because the climb to seventh in the Premier League table was one achieved with 10 men for over an hour of play. Kevin Schade’s red card never really in doubt after connecting with Matty Cash, but the Villa man beyond making a meal of it with the reaction. It made the victory all the sweeter, but means that Keith will be forced into a change at St. James’ Park.
All being well, Mikkel Damsgaard is fit again after being rested for the game at Villa Park. The way he went off against Forest looked extremely worrying, but his appearance with the coaching staff on Sunday brought much relief.
The Dane, last season’s player of the year, is really getting back into his groove, and Keith’s finding a way to include him alongside the three-man midfield of Jensen, Janelt, and Yarmoliuk has coincided with his side becoming one of the top flight’s form teams. 16 points from the last eight games is a record bettered only by Arsenal on 17.
He really is the key to unlocking miserly defences, and we all saw what happened (or, rather, didn’t) when he was forced off early trying to combat Sean Dyche’s brutalism.
Assuming he’s available, Dango Ouattara and Igor Thiago will make up the attacking trio. The tactics likely to be similar to those employed by Manchester City during that one-sided League Cup semi-final (5-1 the final aggregate score) and simply play through the midfield. We know how devastating the ‘bisecting pass and high-speed run’ can be – Harry Maguire is still turning around trying to catch Thiago – and the Brazilian will be as keen as anybody to try and catch up with Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League goalscorer’s chart.
If nothing else, the fans will be desperate to see him prove a point over the ex. We all know about the rat’s summer shenanigans to force a move away from TW8. The crocodile tears. The most insincere post-departure comments. The subsequent realisation from the Magpies as to just how reliant on Bryan Mbeumo he actually was, rather than being a free-scoring striker in his own right. Whatever. Good luck to him. I’m sure he still sleeps comfortably on a big pile of money.
With Thiago, the Bees have a player who has been scoring for fun. Playing for sheer joy. Breaking records without even realising he is doing it. Embraces the ‘no dickheads’ policy in more ways than could ever have been imagined. Honestly, there’s as much pleasure in seeing his reaction to winning and scoring as there is the ball hitting the back of the net. I suspect it will be double if he does it this Saturday.
No doubt Wissa will have his own points to prove. If Thiago has hit the ground running in fitting into his team, then the opposite would seem true for his predecessor. Getting a first Premier League goal would probably be a relief for a player who is joining the ranks of those discovering that the grass isn’t always greener outside of TW8. Even if the dollar is. That injury soon after joining, and the lack of goals since showing things aren’t exactly ten times better.
If Newcastle are to get anything out of this one, and don’t forget they haven’t won in the league since January 7th, when Leeds United fell apart. Again, then it will likely be without Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes. The former going off with a hamstring in the trashing at the Ethiad, whilst the latter, their leading scorer, is also unlikely.
Even without two players who would feature alongside the aforementioned Cash in football’s all-time sh*thousery starting XI, Eddie Howe has enough talent as this disposal to pick a formidable line-up.
Let’s not forget the strength they have, even if it is easy to go shopping when backed by the infinite wealth of a petrostate sportwashing vehicle. Hooray for human rights, they cried as the Magpies bought another player. That’s their bed to lie in and their conscience to grapple with. One which despite the money, still sees them sitting in the bottom half of the table.
That said, it has always been a tricky place for Brentford to visit. The North-East rather than Saudi Arabia. Recent results haven’t been the most inspiring, although we all know history counts for naff all. If ever there was a time to get a win under the belt, then it is now. The one thing you can be sure of, statistically at least, is that there will be goals.
There’s been an average of over four in games between the two sides since The Bees reached the top flight. The nine fixtures played at this level have seen a staggering 37 scored. The reverse at the Gtech earlier in the campaign seeing Brentford run out 3-1 winners. Harvey Barnes giving the visitors the lead and then spoiling tactics engaged to a level not seen since the visit(s) of Brice Samba. Thankfully, the Bees stuck to the task, kept going, and eventually won out significant winners. The lumbering Dan Burn compounding the misery with his own red card.
That was then. This is now. All form is reset, and we go into this one knowing that whatever has happened in the past, the future is not yet written. Here’s hoping that come 5:30pm, it is a happy one. This should be an absolutely cracking encounter between two teams who will be voraciously seeking victory. Perhaps, for different reasons, but both will be bang up to try and secure all three points.
Bring it on…
