Nick Bruzon gives us his five best Brentford players from their Matchweek 25 match against Everton as The Bees suffered a narrow defeat.
There was a feeling of inevitability about this one prior to kick-off that, in the end, sadly transpired to be correct. A sixth sense preceding a fifth Premier League defeat of the season as Brentford went down 1-0 at at Everton.
Then again, that could just be the natural pessimism of us football fans.
The longer a run goes on (and let’s not forget that the Bees had not lost a Premier league game in 12. The last defeat coming in that ill-fated trip to Aston Villa back in October 2022) the wobblier it feels. The more chance that the dam will eventually burst.
Each game another piece placed atop an ever higher Jenga tower and, finally, at Goodison Park there was Sean Dyche to send it crashing to the floor. A red faced general bellowing orders from the touchline with ever increasing ferocity as his team and the home crowd reacted in kind.
Fair play to Everton. They came out of the traps flying and had the lead with little over 30 seconds on the clock. Dwight McNeil leathering the ball from one corner of the box into the far corner of the net. David Raya powerless and whilst Aaron Hickey may have got to it, everybody had already stood off in the build up, allowing the Everton man a clear chance. My word, he took it well though with the ‘keeper left stretching at thin air as the ball whistled past.
Unbeatable Brentford suddenly looking very fragile. Monday night’s man of the match Mikkel Damsgaard an isolated figure out on the wing rather than the puppet master he had been against Fulham. Everton sweeping forward and putting the Bees under more and more pressure.
Michael Keane came close with a header. Amadou Onana had a glorious opportunity. With the goal beckoning he somehow conspired to fire over after a nasty cross had been parried clear by Raya but fell kindly for the Everton man. It should have been 2 but wasn’t.
Demarai Gray eventually doubling the lead for the hosts just before half-time before seeing his effort, which had been guided home with the arm(s), ruled out by VAR. Whilst the correct call it was very much a let off for Brentford. Had it stood, the game would have been out of sight.
Instead, there was hope.
From a first half which had seen opportunity limited to a shot from Bryan and a header from Ivan that deserved better, such was the build up play down the right before Norgaard eventually picked the time to swing in a peach of a cross, the Bees were now a different beast. Whatever Thomas said at half-time clearly working.
Rico Henry’s header somehow kept out from close range. Pickford spread himself but didn’t know too much about it beyond that.
Kevin Schade, and Wissa, running through the midfield with abandon. Bryan delivering a corner on to Ethan and whilst he steered it goalwards, there was McNeil to clear from the line.
Even David Raya came up with injury time running out and, for a moment, had the Bees’ fans gasping in anticipation. He met a corner with his head, directed it goalwards and for the briefest of moments the net was rippling. Or so it seemed. Alas, the ball went just wide with the goalkeeper-come-striker oh so close to what would have been the most incredible of finishes.
That was it. An unlucky 13th as the run comes to an end but, as most were saying after the game, what matters more is how we now react on Wednesday night for the trip to Southampton. This one was always going to be tough with a relegation threatened team suddenly taking on the desperate air of a caged animal backed into a corner and fighting for it’s life.
They did a grand job of it, too. However, it’s been done and consigned to history. Onwards and upwards has to be our own aspiration. Starting with the trip to the Saint Mary’s and a rematch with Rasmus Andersen…
For now, we need to look at the season long quest to find our overall top performer aswell as the game by game top five.
The way Brentford played, this one’s going to be tough. Almost the reverse of Fulham where we tripping over ourselves to fill the top five. This time around, pickings are much slimmer after what was a tough, tough afternoon. Thank goodness there was no Match of the Day to chew over this one. However, we do have a five and this time around our star player is…
Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 25 (vs Everton)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) Bryan Mbeumo
Up until the arrival of Wissa and Schade, Bryan seemed to be our only chance of anything happening.
Never stoped running. Never stopped trying. Was the only player who looked as though he had any creative ability to find a way through a resolute Everton side hellbent on survival. The only player wanting to take on the hosts or deliver a ball in for his team mates
Well played Bryan. Whilst the majority took a good 45 minutes to get going, he was on it from the start. A one-man mission to run at the opposition and carve them open. On another day he’d have had more reward for his endeavour. At very least, an ‘assist’ for his ball through to Ethan although he can still bask in the somewhat dubious consolation of receivng our star player award for his troubles.
2nd (4 points) – Rico Henry
Like Bryan, he ran his socks off. Haring up and down the flank from that defensive berth whilst, of course, came so close to restoring parity early into the second half.
Had Rico found the back of the net, and let’s be clear that he connected with Vitaly’s cross beautifully, then I suspect there would have only been one winer from that point. Alas, Pickford’s meaty thigh got in the way and his net remained untouched.
Gareth Southgate was watching on and, one suspects, given both players performance they’ll be in serious consideration for his next squad announcement. Rico is well overdue a call to the England set up and on this showing, it is surely just a matter of time now.
3rd (3 points) – Ethan Pinnock
Anyone watching the highlights could be forgiven for thinking Ethan’s contributions were limited to almost scoring and clearing the ball into Demarai Gray’s arms before VAR delivered justice. Yet, as ever, watching for the full 90 minutes showed just how important his contribution was.
The first half especially where the Bees remained under the cosh for huge swathes of the game. As part of a centre-back pairing rather than trio, his attention was even more important than ever and, as ever, he was underneath everything.
We talk about Rico as a potential defensive option for England but could Ethan be on that list too? It was another defensive performance in awful conditions against dogged opponents that has done his reputation no harm.
4th (2 point) – David Raya
Had ‘that’ goal gone in it would have been up there with the most incredible moments of Brentford’s entire Premier league history. Not least because yours truly had predicted this happening in the build up to the game.
Yet, like Ben and Ethan, David had kept us in the game long before that. First half saves from Alex Iwobi and Demari Gray, amongst others, helped keep the scoreline close. Even the chance that fell to Onana happened because David had whipped a nasty looking cross out from under the feet of the lurking Gray.
The second half was much more in Brentford’s favour but, again, when needed David was there. One of the few to be on it for the full 90. Then again, such was the pressure we were put under he had no real choice.
5th (1 point) – Ben Mee
An almost inevitable selection for Ben. It was the sort of game, with the midfield largely absent, that invited trouble. Invited Everton to hoy it forward.
Whilst, personally speaking, I thought Ethan out performed him on this occasion, they really are a wonderful partnership. Ben was just as involved and showed all the benefits of his experience at this level. Without him, it could well have been more. His former manager may have had the upper hand this time around, but it wasn’t through lack of effort.
Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 25)
All of which means that heading into the midweek trip to Southampton, Ben Mee pulls a point back on leader Ivan Toney whilst Rico Henry overtakes Mathias Jensen to breath right down his neck. David Raya closes on the Dane with Ethan Pinnock now just two points off the top five.
1st – Ivan Toney (45 points)
2nd – Ben Mee (40 points)
3rd – Rico Henry (39 points)
4th – Mathias Jensen (38 points)
5th – David Raya (34 points)
Follow Nick on Twitter @NickBruzon
2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 25 by Nick Bruzon
