Nick gives us his best Bees from their Matchweek 26 win over Southampton and updates his top 5 over the season, with players scoring points based on their performances.

A fine 2-0 win for Brentford in awful conditions at Southampton saw the Bees move up to eighth in the Premier League table. The gap to fourth placed Tottenham just 7 (seven) points and Thomas Frank’s team once more the best placed in West London. With games in hand.

The frustration of Saturday’s reverse at Everton consigned to the dustbin of history as quickly as it had happened.

We went in to this one with Thomas Frank using his press conference to note, “We need to bounce back; the best teams bounce back straight away with a top performance. That’s what I expect from the players, and what they expect from themselves”. We ended it with Ivan Toney using his own interview to comment that, “It’s a tough league but hopefully we can catch Arsenal.”

25 points to the league leaders IS tough but you can imagine Brentford giving it their all and continuing this quite wonderful run. Certainly, the confidence is high and the togetherness very much at the fore.

Just look at the way the team celebrated Wissa’s late, late goal that made this one safe. The squad coming together as one on the pitch in a manner much akin to those scenes at West Ham last season.

Moments later, they were replicated as the final whistle was met with a mix of joy at what had played out and optimism about what may still.

A hard earned win in the bag. The sort of evening where it would have been so easy to capitulate, such was the pressure the hosts put us under. Instead, we returned home with the knowledge that a heavy defeat of Leicester City at the G-tech on Saturday could see us into the top six and just four points away from the Champions League spots.

That’s to come, of course.

For now, we need to look back at a quite brilliant Brentford performance.

Relegation haunted Saints coming out of the blocks flying and subjecting the Bees to a barrage of pressure in those opening stages. The surface slick and the conditions tricky as the rain lashed across the field in biblical torrents. Yet there was no worry and no mistake from either the Brentford back four or David Raya in nets.

Early challenges from each member of that defence cutting out goal threats whilst they continued to play it out with a succession of short, sharp passes that further underlined the confidence coursing through this team. Time and again a ‘safety hoof’ upfield should surely have been the option (at least, to those of us of a nervous disposition) but instead we continued this calm, confident pass and move so beloved by Thomas.

Kevin Schade, starting his first Brentford game, providing our most obvious attacking outlet. My word, he’s fast. He’s confident. He seemed to relish running at the Southampton defence, riding challenges as easily as if they hadn’t even been made.

For all that the hosts were dominating possession, when the Bees broke it did feel as though it was only going to be a matter of time before we made serious damage.

Sure enough, after half an hour we did. Sure enough, it was Ivan Toney who broke the deadlock. A corner flicked on by Christian Norgaard and there was Ivan to apply his instinctive goal-poacher’s skill. The right man in the right place to guide it home and give is the lead. 1-0 Brentford and the Saints with nobody to blame than themselves.

Moreso in the second half as they once again came out flying. The Bees having already had to replace Vitaly Janelt through injury then making further changes. The impressive Schade replaced by Wissa on the hour. Pontus coming on later for Bryan with Jensen also making way for Damsgaard at the same point.

The Bees defending staunchly with few real moments to get out of their half. When they did, a series of perplexing decisions were given against. Ivan’s yellow card for what seemed to be on the receiving end of a clear head butt amongst those to rank alongside Southampton’s Lavia also swerving red after a studs up challenge on Norgaard. Thankfully, no harm done to the later player although the former is now walking the suspension tightrope for the next few games.

Still, any frustration was washed away as Brentford eventually scored the goal that put us all out of our agony. Squeaky bums able to relax. Ivan playing it on to Wissa who ran clear, straight down the middle and curled it low past ‘keeper Bazunu. The fans went nuts. The player celebrating in front of the travelling masses, lapping up the moment as his team mates joined him for the hugest of celebratory pile ons. Three points secured.

The exodus of home support less a fire drill and now a mass evacuation. Relegation an ever more realistic proposition for Rasmus Ankersen and his charges.

That’s their concern, of course. 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.

As with the defeat of Fulham, we’ve got more than enough quality candidates to fill those top five positions. Who to pick? Who suffers that hardest of decisions and misses out? But hey, enough about Gareth Southgate and his Thursday afternoon England squad selection. Instead, our star player…

Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 26 (vs Southampton)

1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Ben Mee
Ivan will get the headlines. Wissa gets the celebratory moment. Ben Mee gets the star player.

He was absolutely brilliant. Confidence exuding from every pore in his body. Whether header after header taking it out of our box to safety, passes played out low or even the odd saunter up field with the ball at his feet he was the dominant factor at the back.

To be fair, all four of Ethan, Rico, Aaron and Ben were magnificent but he stood out time and again. His name, ringing out with every touch, seemed to be on repeat loop.

Southampton with no way past the big man. An early challenge when a goal seem odds on, was one made with all the confidence of a man at the top of his game. For whom no opponent presents any danger.

It laid down a gauntlet that was unable to be picked up as more followed suit. Waking up on Thursday morning, having slept on my own top five picks, I see that Ivan has won the ‘official vote’. Understandably, and he will feature in ours, but for me the victory all stemmed from the defensive performance.

Ben Mee was king of the back four and, in yours truly’s opinion, scoops the star player award.

2nd (4 points) – Ethan Pinnock
If Ben was up there then Ethan was pecking right on his heels.

Another performance which showed the almost telepathic understanding between the two centre-backs. A modern day Millen and Evans. Thomas’ faith in sticking with a back four rewarded in the most wonderful style.

A series of first-half clearances and interceptions to snuff out any attacking intent set out his stall early. Any threat from Southampton nullified time and again as they had no way past.

His danger from our own set pieces equally evident with one second-half flick on, after ghosting through the Southampton defence as they took their places, almost resulting in the second goal coming much sooner than it eventually did. Instead, the referee spotted something in the ensuing scramble from his flick on, although still no idea what it was.

So, no goal and no assist for Ethan but, once again, another clean sheet. Another performance that underlined his credentials as the silent but deadly rock at the heart of our defence.

Could his name be alongside Ivan and Rico on Gareth’s squad sheet this Thursday? On this performance, you never know.

3rd (3 points) – Ivan Toney
Now it gets even tougher.

Ivan scoops my third place but already the list of candidates is way more than the remaining spots. However, for all our defensive brilliance goals are ultimately what win games.

Ivan got the first – showing his natural striker’s instinct, whilst set up the second for Wissa with a ball through that any of the midfield would have been proud of. The timing to release his man just exquisite. Not for the first time.

He also set up Bryan for an early chance that, on another day, may have gone in whilst continued to pull a shift on defensive duties. Truly, he was everywhere although enjoy magnificent Ivan whilst you can. Of course, one more yellow card in the next 7 (seven) games means a two game suspension will kick in.

4th (2 points) – Christian Norgaard
How can he only be fourth placed?

He was brilliant in that defensive midfield position. Time after time he broke up play before it even got to Ethan and Ben. My own notes simply say ‘outmuscled Southampton’ and, to be fair, that’s exactly what he did.

One of those games where so many strong performances contributed to a win that could otherwise have slipped through the fingers as the game progressed. An inevitable building of pressure yet it was soaked up time and again, with Christian that permanent shield in front of the defence.

Honestly, words can’t say how good he was. A mere two points feeling like the most brutal criticism of a player who gave his all to stopping the opposition and then turn defence into attack.

His nod through to Ivan for the opener straight off the training ground and played to perfection. The rest of his game, equally good.

5th (1 point) – Aaron Hickey
Oh, dear. Who or how to fill this last spot? David Raya looked effortlessly comfortable in brutal conditions. Kevin Schade had a wonderful hour on his debut. Rico Henry also laid down an early marker in breaking up play which he continued to match all game.

However, for me I thought Aaron was equally good as any of those.

Like Ben, he cut out a couple of very dangerous looking threats early on. The first, coming just two minutes into the game. His second half clearance providing another moment where we may have been brought back to level pegging had it not been made. How vital might that prove to be in the longer term?

All of the above named would have been deserving of a slot but this comes down to personal opinion and, in mine, Aaron just edges fifth place. Well played. Well played everyone.

Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 26)

All of which means that, as we prepare to welcome Leicester City on Saturday, Ben Mee once again closes the gap on Ivan Toney. Although he missed out this time, Rico Henry stays third ahead of Mathias Jensen but the big change sees a new name in the top five. Ethan Pinnock’s four points see his consistency rewarded as he leapfrogs David Raya by two.

1st – Ivan Toney (48 points)
2nd – Ben Mee (45 points)
3rd – Rico Henry (39 points)
4th – Mathias Jensen (38 points)
5th – Ethan Pinnock (36 points)

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2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 26 by Nick Bruzon