Nick give us his best five Bees from their Matchweek 27 draw against Leicester and we see his updated points tallies in the race to be crowned Player of the Season.
A 1-1 draw at home to Leicester City a result which saw Brentford end the day level on points with sixth placed Liverpool.
Only goal difference keeping The Bees out of the European places as everything now pauses for the international break
The good news being it’s another point on the board. Another game unbeaten in a run which has only seen one reverse out of the last 15 games played. An impressive enough record at any level, let alone the Premier League.
Yet, at the same time, we walked out of this one almost feeling as though the game had ended in defeat.
It is, perhaps, as symptomatic as anything as to just how strong Brentford have become at home. How normal an occurrence the full time ‘Freed from desire’ now is. A celebratory soundtrack that has been hard-wired into our consciousness, such is the regularity with which we hear it.
Instead, a flat second half which culminated in Shandon Baptiste seeing red for a second yellow card after only being on the pitch for 15 minutes left everyone feeling a bit ’meh’. Had that early bath gone to the ever gobby James Maddison then perhaps it would have been a different story. Everyone’s favourite pantomime villain living up to type and thriving off the attention he gets from the opposition support.
Last season he got the winner. This around time it was an early yellow followed by the killer through ball for Harvey Barnes to equalise 7 (seven) minutes into the second half.
From that point on the game was dead. Leicester City resolute in both their defence and ability to run down the clock with every contact, no matter how faint, seeing an injury induced stoppage.
The Bees were perhaps suffering from the effects of four games in a twelve day period. Wednesday night’s heroics at Southampton perhaps proving to be as exhausting for the players as this one was for the fans.
It had all started so brightly, too. Brentford kicking the wrong way in the opening period (something at first attributed to ‘dirty tricks’ but perhaps our own choice given the low sun in the second half) came out fast.
Chance followed chance with the Bees dominating possession and having five shots before the Foxes could get going themselves.
Yet, as we always say, coming close and dominating play count for naff all if you can’t get it in the back of the net. Fortunately, that man Mathias Jensen was there in the box to do the business once more.
Half an hour in and a short corner worked (not a typo). The ball finding Rico Henry whose delicate chip over the defence sprung the offside trap, fell beautifully to Bryan and he played it back for our Great Dane to do the rest. One deflection? Two flections? Possibly. They all count though and the net result was Iversen in goal beaten and Brentford ahead.
The goal had been due but as half time arrived, there was a niggling feeling that realistically it could have been more. Perhaps should have been. The Bees unable to convert opportunity into result and a tough 45 minutes ahead of us. Sure enough, it proved to be true.
That we’re disappointed in not being beaten. In another point on the board. In anther season of Premier League football coming our way (at the very least) perhaps shows the great strides that this team continue to make.
Leicester City being very much a bogey side and another chance for us to inflict a first defeat in 70 (seventy) years will now have to wait until next campaign. Assuming they stay up, of course. Brendan Rodgers’ side play a certain style of football and whilst it’s not for me, they play it well. At least, on Saturday they did.
Ultimately, for all that Brentford started this one brightly we ended it very much on the back foot and hanging on. The International break not coming soon enough and hopefully providing some respite for tired legs. At least, for those not selected – more to come there in a moment.
Leicester City will, likewise, have ended this one feeling somewhat hard done by in not cooping all three points. They certainly ended this one way brighter than we did but will have to be content with the draw.
All in all, a not very satisfying afternoon for anybody but another point on the board from a game that will live short in the memory. When David Raya’s dribble up pitch was the main highlight from the second half, it perhaps tells us all we need to know.
Instead, we move on to the main reason for being here. Namely, the season long quest to find our overall top performer aswell as the game by game top five. Potential candidates being a lot thinner on the ground than last time out and as much because it all felt so middle of the road. However, we do have names on the board and they begin with…
Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 27 (vs Leicester)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Mathias Jensen
Yes, there were the skills. Was that a Rabona I saw? Yes, there is the drive. The midfield running. The trickery. As seems to be par for the course most games, Mathias is bossing the show in the middle.
Saturday was yet anther example of just how valuable he has become to Brentford. Of how comfortable he now seems in this team and, more importantly, how essential he is to it. Against dogged opposition he was the main outlet of creativity through the centre of the park.
Yet what is becoming equally prolific is his appearance on the score sheet. This was Mathias’ fourth in the last five home games and whilst there may have been a few deflections en route, you can’t win the lottery without buying a ticket. Or whatever the phrase is.
He was there in the box again and when the chance came, he hit it first time to break Leicester hearts. Whatever protests Maddiosn and his team mates had about potential offside, the goal was all about the timing.
2nd (4 points) – Rico Henry
OK. The elephant in the room. England selection.
It’s great that Ivan Toney has been recalled to the squad (surely, this time around, he’ll get some actual minutes on the pitch) but what the heck does Rico Henry have to do in order to warrant his own calling? What issue does Gareth Southgate have? How is it possible for one man to be so continually overlooked – to the extent of the World Cup seeing players forced out of position to fill a berth?
The Leicester City game showed, once more, how valuable he is to this team.
If Mathias is doing it through the middle then Rico is causing merry hell down that left flank. I lost track of the times he’d win the ball then run with it, release a team mate before continuing his own sortie into the opposition box. One early ball almost brought about an opener from Bryan.
He also created the move which saw Ivan come close before it was, undoubtedly, Rico’s deftness of touch that was the true catalyst for the goal we did score.
He can tackle a bit, too. As we saw again on Saturday. Gareth, get out of that horribly comfortable rut you are in and cast the selection net a little wider. Left-sided defenders who can terrorise the opposition when on the front foot are a commodity as rare as hen’s teeth. England are crying out for one and Rico is the answer.
3rd (3 points) – Aaron Hickey
Steve Clarke, at least, has no reticence in his squad selection. Whilst we may struggle to understand Rico’s omission, on the other flank Aaron Hickey is a shoe in for Scotland. He had, of course, already been picked in their latest squad but the Leicester game will have only enhanced his reputation further.
Like Rico, his game was full of running. Of neatly threaded pases. Brentford building down the other side through his own speed and skill with the ball at his feet.
More impressive this time around was his tackling, in my opinion. Aaron really does look so solid on his feet. So comfortable when the opposition are coming at him.
His other key attribute being the ability to play it out of defence. He looked so comfortable in breaking up play and then taking it forward. Ridiculously so. Once again, there was no evidence of the word ‘hoof’ being in his vocabulary.
4th (2 points) – Christian Norgaard
On a day that saw Brentford playing brightly but lacking the offensive quality that Thomas Frank would talk about at full time, it was perhaps more important than even ever that we didn’t give our opponents anything.
Christian had one of the games where, once again, that philosophy was integral to his own approach. He didn’t hold back in the midfield battle, even after picking up a yellow card for one robust challenge.
If Mathias was taking if forward through the central areas, Norgaard was there time and again to stop Leicester doing the same to us. More and more we are seeing just how much he was missed at the start of the campaign – Saturday was one of those games for sure.
5th (1 point) – Ben Mee
Follows up his star player award at Southampton with another point on the board. His heading ability and impenetrability at the back is now par for the course but it was once again his attacking dimension that stood out for me.
The goal ultimately came from his robbing Maddison in the Leicester half. Then running at the opposition and threading it through for Ivan whose attempt was deflected for a corner from which we scored. It was the quality of the pass, and not the first time that afternoon, that looked so effortless.
Is it unconscious bias in assuming a tall centre-back doesn’t have the ability to play a ball so delicately? If so, then keep on proving us wrong Ben.
Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 27)
All of which means that as we prepare to down domestic tolls before the trip to Brighton in April, Ben Mee closes the gap on Ivan Toney even tighter. Likewise, he must be looking over his shoulder at third-placed Mathias and Rico as the battle for the top position is looking like going all the way to the line.
1st – Ivan Toney (48 points)
2nd – Ben Mee (46 points)
T3rd – Rico Henry (43 points)
T3rd – Mathias Jensen (43 points)
5th – Ethan Pinnock (36 points)
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2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 27 by Nick Bruzon
