If this season's Brentford side have flattered to deceive so far this season, then this was very much the Brentford of old.
Winless since August and 15th in the league when they kicked off, they made Vincent Kompany’s newly-promoted Burnley look destined for a return to the Championship. There is a heck of a lot of football still to play this season, but the Clarets had an odd relationship with defending here: as something they viewed as entirely optional.
Spare a thought for Burnley’s travelling supporters, who were treated to their seventh defeat in nine games this term, having braved the bedlam that Storm Babet has left in its wake across the country.
Brentford’s eventual 3-0 victory was totally deserved and was, by a great margin, the best performance of the season so far from Thomas Frank’s side.
Yet Bees fans must have feared this could turn into one of those days, after their opening goal was bafflingly disallowed. Another week, another clear and obvious VAR error.
Neal Maupay thought he had scored his first goal since re-signing for Brentford as Nathan Collins headed the ball across goal for him, but the linesman flagged Collins offside from Bryan Mbeumo’s free-kick.
Replays clearly showed Collins was onside and the only Brentford player offside was Kristoffer Ajer behind him. Rather than overturn the decision and allow the goal, VAR deemed Ajer to have interfered with play and so kept the goal chalked off. Ajer was nowhere near the ball. It was a blatant error, and one that is difficult not to judge as Stockley Park revisionism.
Brentford were utterly dominant in a first half that did not paint Burnley in much glory. And Frank’s side finally scored a goal that counted when Maupay broke open the defence for Mbeumo to square into Yoane Wissa’s path.
Credit must go to Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, who did well to keep the deficit to just 1-0 in a first half that really was one-way traffic.
Frank was apoplectic midway through the second half when Burnley played on despite Mbeumo having gone down injured. But Frank apologised to fourth official Darren England for his choice words just two minutes later, after Mbeumo — back up and playing on — curled a stunning shot into the top corner to put daylight between Brentford and the visitors.
A bad day for Burnley then only got worse. Substitute Luca Koleosho missed an absolute sitter, before Connor Roberts was sent off for picking up a second yellow by tugging Wissa’s shirt.
VAR can only intervene with dismissals when they are straight reds, but it was apt that ‘VAR CHECKING RED CARD’ flashed up on the big screen despite this being a double yellow card. Another wretched afternoon for VAR. An excellent afternoon for Brentford.
And as the rain cascaded down at the Gtech Community Stadium, Bees sub Saman Ghoddos took the ball down on his chest and scored a late screamer to make it 3-0 and a rout. Was this the afternoon when Brentford, after a slow start to the campaign, finally jolted into motion?
