Nick gives us his best 5 Bees from their win over Bournemouth & we see the updated points totals for his top 5 over the season after Matchweek 19.
Brentford moved up to eighth in the Premier League table, the European places within sniffing distance, following Saturday evening’s 2-0 defeat of Bournemouth at the Gtech.
In truth, it wasn’t the most scintillating of games but all that Bees’ fans will care about is another clean sheet and another notch in the W column.
Besides, after taking 7 (seven) points from 9 against Manchester City, Spurs and Liverpool in our last three games this one always had the feel of a colossal potato skin. Brentford can beat the title contenders (and also Liverpool) but could they do it on a blustery evening against a Bournemouth side who had taken the grand total of nil points over the same period?
It was a question that became all the more pertinent when the team was revealed. No recognised left back and only four players you would deem natural defenders. Our customary three centre back system dispensed with (despite Zanka and Mads Bech on the bench), Mads Roerslev swapped out for Kris Ajer with Ethan Pinnock partnering Ben Mee in the middle and Vitaly on the other flank.
A tactical change that had Bees’ fans praying Rico’s absence was to be explained by nothing more than the rumoured tweak doing the rounds.
Besides, we had a good referee for this one. Jarrod Gillett was our man in the middle. He’s best remembered for taking charge of Bournemouth’s visit for the second leg of the Championship play-off final. He had a fine game that afternoon, much like Brentford of course. An aggregate position of 0-2 down eventually seeing the Bees run out 3-2 winners. Mr. Gillet getting all the big calls right that time, including a straight red for special agent Mepham.
That was then. This was now. None of us in the stadium can pretend it was vintage Brentford by any stretch of the imagination. The plethora of attacking options available to us nullified by a resolute Bournemouth defence. When we did threaten, they’d take it in turn to collapse with a ‘head injury’ that forced Gillet to stop play.
Their manhandling of the Bees, especially the returning Ivan Toney, likewise ignored throughout the game except once when, with half-time beckoning, Marcos Senesi was adjured to have brought down the free scoring front man in the box.
From where we sat, it looked nailed on at first glance. Later viewings clearly showed the Cherries’ defender wrestling our man to the ground, although how much choice he had in the matter is one for the VAR team. Still, in these situations I’ll revert to our head coach. Thomas Frank explaing afterwards that: “I understand that penalties are debatable. I think the defining thing for me is that the left arm from Senesi showed it was definitely a penalty”.
Regardless of the debate, Ivan did what Ivan does. Again. His 9th Premier League penalty ending up in the same place as the previous eight – the back of the net.
Pressure off. Half-time here. The second period seeing Brentford with more of the ball but still struggling to find our usual cutting edge. A plethora of crosses failing to overly trouble the visitors and, evntually, it took something truly special to wrap up the win. Josh Dasilva playing the ball to Mathias Jensen, the Danish midfielder taking one touch before leathering it home from just inside the penalty box. It was a wonderful finish and the springboard from which the supporters would later launch into yet another rendition of Freed From Desire at full time. This one perhaps all the sweeter given how Brentford had kept their nerve despite the 12 men in front of them. Presumably the referee’s observer will have a very full notebook to hand in on Monday morning.
So not a classic but it was a win. Another win. The table doesn’t lie and nor does the scoreline. The history books will show that Brentford triumphed, again, and that’ll do for me. Instead, rather than focus on the game let’s look at our own team. The season long quest to find our overall top performer aswell as the game-by-game top five. This time around, the choice is – for me – glaringly obvious…
Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 19 (vs Bournemouth)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Mathias Jensen
“Who is this fleet footed number 8 with the ball tied to his foot by a piece of string?” That was the message I wanted to send to another member of our WhatsApp group, and sometime critic of the Great Dane, half-way through the opening period as he advanced forward on yet another mazy run. Jensen, not Justin.
Alas, fat-fingers got in the way and meant that by the time the much-delayed message was ready for sending, Ivan Toney was doing his thing from the spot.
For those of us who refused to jump on last season’s Lemming express and join the social media critics, it was yet another example of our man at his very best. For others, perhaps a realisation as to how wrong they had got it but the one thing we can all agree on is that Mathias was wonderful on Saturday.
Yes, of course there was the goal but his ability going forward, his control of the ball and that knack of making it seem as though it is stuck to his foot were all demonstrated by the bucketload. Had he been allowed to actually deliver a corner into the box rather than having to take them short (don’t; it never works) the game could well have been out of sight long before it eventually was.
2nd (4 points) – Josh Dasilva
Never stopped working. Never stopped challenging. Ran his heart out. The ball through to find Mathias was perfect but there was so much more to Josh than one assist.
It was one of those performances that made you wonder what might have happened last season had injury not kept him out for such a huge part of the campaign. Josh left the Championship as a player very much on fire and is certainly finding his feet at this next level in some style.
3rd (3 points) – Ethan Pinnock
At times, it almost feels a case of being able to use copy/paste when talking about Ethan. A huge presence at the back and nothing seems to get past him. Calm. Collected. No panic. Heading clear time after team whilst even found the confidence to go on one surging run through the middle in the first half that brought gaps of incredulation from our block. He just didn’t stop going.
The visit of Bournemouth was yet another game where everything that came to him was dispensed with authority. Every threat of our opponents making headway snuffed out as easily as a candle in the wind. Despite the blowy conditions in TW8 he made sure he was under everything and that it was played forward with ease.
4th (2 points) – Vitaly Janelt
He comes from Ger-ma-ny. And now, he is, a… err, left back. Whatever surprise there may have been when we first saw the teamsheet was soon dismissed following a solid, unflustered game from Vitaly.
He may not have Rico’s pace but he played a different style of wing back. An unflappable presence when on the back foot. Building through the middle rather than scorching down the flank when going forward.
People may point to the fact we were playing relegation-haunted Bournemouth but you can only beat the team in front of you. Vitaly had a great game in an unfamiliar position.
5th (1 point) – Mads Roerslev
I was very close to awarding this to Ivan, given both his opening goal and the ‘sh*thousery’ with opposition ‘keeper Neto following our second. However, the final berth has to go to Mads, somebody very much becoming one of our ‘unsung heroes’. His twenty-minute cameo in place of Kris Ajer injected both quality and assurance into a defence which, if we’re being honest, had seen the player he replaced drifting out of position time and again.
We talked about confidence and calm when looking at Ethan. It was much the same with Mads. Making tackles, closing down his man, pinging it around his own box with impunity and breaking at speed when the chance presented itself. Very much calmed any nerves that may have been appearing with the Bees still leading by that solitary goal when he entered the field of play. Only his second ‘top five’ point of the season yet deserves so much more.
Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 19)
All of which means that with Ivan Toney and Ben Mee failing to trouble our scorers, there is no advance at the top. However, a star player award for Mathias means he is now level with David Raya and just a single point behind third placed Rico Henry.
Now bring on Leeds next Sunday.
1st – Ivan Toney (36 points)
2nd – Ben Mee (34 points)
3rd – Rico Henry (27 points)
T4th – David Raya, Mathias Jensen (26 points)
Follow Nick on Twitter @NickBruzon
2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 19 by Nick Bruzon
