Brentford and Aston Villa shared the spoils in a quite incredible 3-3 draw on Saturday afternoon. The Bees, who went 2-0 down just 33 seconds into the second half, turned things around in 9 remarkable minutes to come oh so close to achieving what many people thought impossible. Namely, a win in the blue away shirt.

The castle badge branded kit, as gorgeous as it is unlucky and seemingly the only thing more jinxed than the Gtech posts, almost saw the albatross set free. Almost, that is, until who else but Ollie Watkins managed to save some face for a team who at one point looked like they were going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The sense of relief from the home faithful was palpable after a game that the home side dominated (a brutal 70% possession) but where Brentford impressed when allowed to break forward. This, despite Ivan Toney starting on the bench as a result of an apparent muscle injury.

Whether this was true or Thomas looking to make some sort of point we’ll never know, but in the head-to-head battle against fellow Euro 24 contender Watkins, he’d have been itching to score. You could see how keyed up Ivan was, given the contretemps at full-time with Nathan Collins. The centre-back declining the opportunity to hoist one last, death or glory ball into the box where our England man was expecting it.

Don’t let that moment define the game though. I’d rather have a player with a fraction of Ivan’s passion, self-belief and determination than somebody going through the motions. Besides, Brentford were quite beautiful when allowed to break. A team in unison rather than a support act to one player.

Mbeumo, starting his first game in what feels like an eternity, looking like he’d never been away. Sergio Reguilon, also restored to the first XI, having the game of his life and intrinsic to just about everything.

He wasn’t alone. The Bees, perhaps caught cold straight after the restart when Morgan Rogers made it 2-0 following Ollie’s opener in a balanced first-half, kicked back. Zanka slipping his man to fire home Damsgaard’s cross via his own standing leg just shy of the hour mark. It was goal-packed full of Hoffmanesque precision but they all count.

Better was to come. Two minutes late Bryan slipped his man to hook home Sergio Reguilón’s cross. The scores levelled in little more than 100 seconds and the Villa defence once again playing ‘After you, Claude’.

Hey, if you are going to do it once and then twice, why not a third time? Just nine minutes after being 2-0 down, Brentford had stormed into a 3-2 lead. Wissa following the trend and slipping his man to receive another Reguilón cross from such distance, such a margin of safety, that it was impossible to miss. He didn’t. The game transformed. Bees fans screaming with joy from the ramparts of the castle (badge). The celebrations from the players and the coaching staff a thing of beauty. The moment coming…

And then it didn’t. Of course it was Ollie Watkins to level things up. Outjumping Zanka. Heading it past Flekken. The Brentford defence, shorn of Reguilón just minutes earlier, breached once more. The scores once more level as the final ten minutes played out. Then a further 7(seven) minutes of time added on. All of it unable to produce anything more. A point apiece and Brentford now three games unbeaten heading into the visit of basement boys Sheffield United at the weekend. A game that may well see the holy trinity of Toney, Wissa and Mbeumo finally able to start. Our very own TMW, if you will.

All that’s to come but for now, our game by game top five. As always, we give five points for first, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game by game to find an overall winner after game 38.

2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 32 (vs Aston Villa)

1st (Star player: 5 points) – Sergio Reguilón

My. Word. Sergio was very much king of the castle on this showing. He was on it from the off, creating Brentford’s very first chance just minutes into the game, latching on to a ball from Bryan before Bailey intervened. He didn’t let up.

All three goals came because of him. The latter two, direct assists. The opener as a result of his interplay with Damsgaard who then fed it through for Zanka. The second, his keeping the ball live on the touchline before guiding it through to Bryan. The third almost carbon copy – at least in the precision of the delivery form the left flank.

Anybody doubting his determination or ability after the game at Burnley need only look to the quite wonderful charging down of a first-half free-kick after Watkins had been ‘fouled’ to see what he brings. How hard he pushed.

An absolutely barnstorming performance from Sergio

2nd (4 points) – Mikkel Damsgaard

This was Damsgaard with the switch set to ‘’baller’ rather than ‘lightweight’. He has his critics, that’s for sure, whilst many of us remember how out of his depth he looked at Villa Park last season. Then again, most of the team did that day.

This was poles apart. The record books will show his ‘assist’ for the opener as the sole contribution but anybody who watched the full 90 minutes will have seen just how involved in our team he was.

Freeing the ball to release the front men. Dribbling it out of defence. Charging in with tackles and blocks Less puff pastry and more brick wall.

His best performance of the season. More of this at the weekend will do very nicely, thank you.

3rd (3 points) – Bryan Mbeumo

How good was it to see Bryan starting a game? His three appearances from the bench had reminded us what he brings. Finally getting just shy of the full 90 confirmed just how badly he has been missed.

Of course, there was the goal. An exquisite finish that owed as much to the positioning as the ability to raise his leg for one of Sergio’s teasing balls in.

Yet it was more his running on the through ball or playing it himself that suddenly made Brentford feel as though we had additional attacking strings to our bow. Those muscular legs pumping like a generator. The energy coursing through him and the team.

But for the machinations of referee Mr. Salisbury, he may well have scored even sooner. Damsgaard freeing the Cameroon international as half-time beckoned before the man-in the middle chose to blow up for the break rather than allow the move to play out. Go figure.

4th (2 points) – Kris Ajer

Perhaps, like our fifth choice, a controversial selection given the involvement (or lack of) in the goals ‘against’. Again though, it’s one of those where seeing the whole game rather than potted highlights can highlight two different sides of a player.

Looking back to my notes from Saturday afternoon, the first half-especially seems full of the phrase: ‘Ajer’. ‘Ajer’. ‘Ajer’. Occasionally punctuated by, ‘Ajer block’.

With Brentford once again content to invite their opponents on, much as with Brighton midweek, defensive solidity was key to keeping us alive as long as we did. Kris was key to this.

5th (1 point) – Zanka

Some games are defined by moments. Whilst, on reflection, Zanka may feel that the simple act of jumping may have prevented Villa’s third goal, there can be no doubting that it was his contribution that meant we at least picked up a point. Without his goal – something Sunday’s MOTD team would describe as neither textbook nor intentional – we’d have ended up much like Alexander Armstrong. Pointless.

Let them sneer. Who cares? Zanka’s strike put the cat amongst the pigeons. Inspired the Villa defence to go awol. Brought Brentford kicking and screaming back into the game. For that alone, he gains cult status and the final point in today’s top five.

2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 32)

All of which means that we have a change in our top two. Bryan Mbeumo nudging into the silver medal position with only six games remaining. With Ethan Pinnock slated for an imminent return, anything could happen when the Blades come to town…

1st – Christian Norgaard (43 points)
2nd – Ethan Pinnock (37 points)
3rd – Bryan Mbeumo (35 points)
4th – Mathias Jensen, Vitaly Janelt, Mark Flekken, Keane Lewis-Potter (28 points)

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