Thomas Frank on Ivan Toney: “I think you can see that his link-up play is so good, he can read the game very well,” he sdays. “His technical ability to either flick or hold or set the ball is very good.
“I always say that if you want to create a top scorer then they need to be technically very good, so the way he can connect with the ball – left-foot, right-foot, the free-kick against Leeds, the chip – he’s so good technically. He’s just got that character about him as well.
“He’s one of the big leaders we have without a doubt. I have four captains and Ivan is a big driver also on the pitch. He puts big demands to himself and his teammates but in that perfect balance where he’s very competitive but with a big smile. Of course there’s a lot of banter and joking but he also cares about his teammates.”
Thomas Frank speaks: “It was a beautiful ugly win,” says Brentford’s manager. “Sometimes you have to dig in. I think we’ve done very well this season and I think in spells tonight we did very well, especially between the two penalty boxes. When we’re a little bit out of synch and missing a few players through injuriy, you need to do the basics right: win the 50-50 balls, run more than them and we need to win the set=piece battles. Those are the key things for us.”
Roberto De Zerbi speaks: “I think to win the games you have to score,” says Brighton’s manager in an interview with Sky Sports. “We have shot on the goals 21 times but we have not found the goals. We lost the second ball too many times, but I think we played a good game but if you want to win you have to score. We have had a lot of potential chances but we have not found the last pass or made mistakes with the crosses.”
Joel Veltman speaks: ““We didn’t play bad even though we lost 2-0,” says the Brighton defender who gave away a daft penalty to gift Brentford their second goal. “Details. Their keeper had an amazing day. Sometimes you have to accept that. They scored twice. That was the difference. We knew it would be a more fighting game than nice football here. We fought well. Our fighting spirit was there. We could do more with second balls. A draw [would have been] fair.”
Match report: Brentford 2-0 Brighton
Premier League: “If Gareth Southgate needed any more persuasion that Ivan Toney is worth a place in England’s World Cup squad then surely this performance seals it,” writes Ed Aarons from the Gtech Community Stadium.
Toney on penalties: ““I don’t even know where I’m going until I kick the ball,” he says. Goalkeepers try to give the talk and get in my head but I just walk away and think of different things, like being on the beach with a cocktail. [I don’t look at the ball because] the ball doesn’t move and neither does the goal so I just walk up to it, nice and composed and stroke it into the other side of the goal.”
Ivan Toney speaks: “I enjoy playing with these boys because we put in a great shift,” he tells Sky Sports. “We work hard off the ball and you’ve seen today that we fully deserve the three points.” He goes on to describe his flawless penalty technique – a short walk-up, eyes front at all times – by saying “I don’t know where I’m going to put it”.
Updated
Full time: Brentford 2-0 Brighton
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeep! It’s all over and despite having been dominated in almost every department – possession, shots on target and corners – Brentford have bossed Brighton in the only department that matters: goals scored. Ivan Toney bagged a brace to move his up to eighth in the table, one point behind the team they’ve just beaten.
Updated
90+4 min: Brighton continueto huff and puff but Brentford’s goal is not for blowing down.
90+3 min: Toney gets a yellow card, Brighton take a quick free-kick and Caicedo rolls the ball wide of the far post.
90+2 min: Shandon Baptiste gets booked for a lunge on Moises Caicedo.
90+1 min: Lallana flicks a header goalwards but David Raya, who is looking unbeatable this evening, catches comfortably.
90 min: Brentford almost go three up, with Roerslev having a shot deflected towards goal only for Toney to fail to get the decisive touch.
88 min: Brentford substitution: Rico Henry has been replaced by Iran international Samon Ghoddos.
86 min: March’s inswinger is punched clear by David Raya. Moments later, the goalkeeper is called into action again, saving at full stretch from a Lewis Dunk header from two yards out. Dunk was offside but the goalkeeper didn’t know that. And again, it was a shocking miss from a Brighton player who didn’t know he was offside either.
Updated
84 min: Kristoffer Ajer puts the ball out for a corner as Mac Allister drills the ball into the Brentford penalty area.
83 min: Brighton seem to have been reduced to long range potshots which aren’t troubling Brentford in the slightest. They can block or save those all night.
82 min: Welbeck miscontrols the ball as he tries to take down a cross in the Brentford penalty area and another half-decent Brighton chance goes a begging.
81 min: Brentford double-substitution: Josh Dasilva and Sergi Canos on for Mathias Jensen and Bryan Mbeumo, both of whom have played well. Mbeumo, in particular, has been excellent.
79 min: A low, long-range effort from Mac Allister is comfortably saved by David Raya. Brighton are running out of ideas.
77 min: Mitoma wins yet another corner for Brighton, which Solly March trots across to take. His delivery is cleared at the near post.
75 min: Into the final 15 minutes we go with Brighton needing two goals to rescue something from this match. They’ve played well enough and created quite a few chances but one suspects they could plug away until midnight without putting one past David Raya.
Updated
72 min: Brighton double-substitution: Adam Lallana and Deniz Undav on for Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard.
72 min: Brentford double-susbtitution: Shandon Baptiste and Mads Roerslev on for Frank Onyeka and Yoane Wissa. Brentford switch to a back five.
67 min: David Raya saves brilliantly, denying Solly March with a leg as the Brighton right wing-back looked a certainty to score at the far post after connecting from a Mitoma cross. It’s a fine save but how on earth did March miss?!?!?!? The ball was on a plate for him about two yards out. Textbook Brighton.
65 min: A long-range effort from Alexis Mac Allister is deflected, but not so much that it troubles David Raya unduly.
GOAL! Brentford 2-0 Brighton (Toney 64pen)
Brentford stretch their lead! Ivan Toney spanks home the 20th penalty of his career to maintain his 100% record from the spot.
Updated
Penalty for Brentford!
62 min: A long throw-in from Jensen, deep in Brighton territory. The visitors fail to clear and Joel Veltman fouls Toney before the striker can turn and shoot. Penalty!!!
Updated
59 min: Brentford corner. Mbeumo and Jensen stand over the ball and it’s the Dane who arrows it towards the near post. Brighton clear.
57 min: From the right touchline, Kristoffer Ajer swings a curling cross into the corridor of uncertainty between Dunk and Robert Sanchez. The defender loses track of the flight of the ball but his goalkeeper is on hand to prevent Ivan Toney from pouncing to take advantage. Close but no cigar for the Brentford striker.
Updated
54 min: Mitoma wins another corner for Brighton. Gross sends the ball to the edge of the six-yard box and it’s half-cleared. Brighton work the ball wide and David Raya gathers the subsequent cross at his far post. Can I shock you here? Brighton are looking very toothless.
52 min: Joel Veltman leaves one in on Toney and Brentford win a free-kick wide on the left. Mbeumo’s cross is steered over the bar by Ben Mee, who was also leaning backwards and had little or no say in his header’s final destination.
49 min: Mitoma wins a corner for Brighton, the ball going out of play off Rico Henry as he tried to cross. The inswinger into a crowded Brentford penalty area is headed over the bar by Welbeck, who had to lean backwards to get his head to the ball and steer it goalwards.
48 min: There’s a break in play as Mathias Jensen goes down injured after having his instep trod upon by Joel Veltman. He’s OK to continue.
47 min: Alexis Mac Allister has a howitzer of a shot from outside the Brentford penalty blocked.
Second half: Brentford 1-0 Brighton
46 min: Brighton get the second half under way with one change in personnel. Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma is on for Pervis Estupinan.
Half-time: Brentford 1-0 Brighton
Peep! An enteertaining and occasionally fesity first half draws to a close with Brentford leading courtesy of Ivan Toney’s audacious flick. Brighton probably don’t deserve to be behind and have had some excellent chances. As tends to be their wont more often than not, they’ve struggled to put them away.
45+2 min: Rico Henry stands the ball up at the far post, where Mbeumo heads it goalwards but only into the gloves of Robert Sanchez.
45+1 min: Moises Caicedo gets booked for pulling and dragging out of Bryan Mbeumo. It’s a little harsh but the ref has got yellow fever.
45 min: More touchline shenanigans. Mathias Jensen gets booked for shoving Joel Veltman to the ground as the Brighton defender tries to take a quick throw-in. It’s getting a bit tasty.
43 min: Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi have to be separated outside their technical areas after a coming-together after the ball had gone out of play for a throw-in. Frank and Joel Veltman were tussling over the ball, prompting De Zerbi to stick his neb in. It’s something and nothing but both managers get booked by referee Michael Salisbury before shaking hands.
Updated
41 min: Ben Mee sticks a leg out to block a volley from Solly March that looked goalbound. Good defending.
Updated
39 min: Nothing much happens for a while until Ivan Toney gets his funk on over having his toes trod upon by Joel Veltman.
36 min: Brighton advance up the left flank with Estupinan and then Trossard on the ball. An Estupinan run in behind is picked out by a ball over the top but he treads on it. Offside.
Updated
33 min: Brentford corner, their first of the match. Mbeumo’s delivery is dreadful and he sends the ball high and wide.
32 min: Leandro Trossard jinks this way and that on the left side of the Brentford penalty area before firing high over the Brentford cross-bar.
Updated
29 min: With two defenders in front of him, Ivan Toney flicks the ball home with an audacious flick with his trailing foot, connecting with a pull-back from Bryan Mbeumo after some slick one-touch passing play from the provider and Frank Onyeka down the right from Brentford. That’s a lovely deft finish. Adam Webster was left looking quite bamboozled.
Updated
GOAL! Brentford 1-0 Brighton (Toney 28)
Brentford lead! Ivan Toney puts the home side ahead with a wonderful flick.
Updated
26 min: Brentford are defending a free-kick from wide on the right with Ethan Pinnock off the pitch, waiting to come back on after receiving treatment for an injury. For reasons best known to himself, referee Michael Salisbury doesn’t allow him back on before the set-piece is taken. Pascal Gross sends the ball straight into the gloves of Raya.
24 min: Now Brentford go close, with Bryan Mbeumo demonstrating wonderful technique to connect with a cross and hit the bar with a stunning volley from the right side of the Brighton penalty area. So close.
21 min: From the corner, the ball pinballs around the Brentford penalty area before Joel Veltman brings a decent save out of Raya with an effort from close range.
Updated
19 min: After a shaky start, Brighton continue to take the game to Brentford but without creating much in the way of goalscoring opportunities. Attempting a pull-back from the byline, Estupinan finds a Brentford shirt but moments later David Raya saves well from Caicedo, tipping his shot from the edge of the area over the bar.
16 min: From the edge of the six-yard box, Danny Welbeck mistimes his jump and fails to trouble David Raya unduly with a header he should have buried in the back of the net despite being under pressure from Rico Henry. Poor from Welbeck, who has not scored yet this season.
Updated
15 min: Ethan Pinnock gets down on his haunches to block a shot from Danny Welbeck, who had been played to the edge of the Brentford six-yard box by a clever stabbed pass from Leandro Trossard.
Updated
12 min: Brighton are enjoying spells of sustained possession on the ball for the first time in the game but a Lewis Dunk crossfield ball to the right flank is intercepted. Ivan Toney draws a foul from Adam Webster not too far from the halfway line. Webster shakes his head, weary at the injustice of it all.
10 min: Pervis Estupinan squares the ball for Moises Caicedo on the edge of the Brentford penalty area. The ball is worked wide to Solly March, whose cross from the right is plucked from the air by David Raya at his far post.
8 min: Brighton win a goal-kick and dawdle over it, prompting jeers from the home fans. Time-wasting within 10 minutes? It could be a long night.
7 min: Brentford, playing a 4-3-3 compared to their usual 3-5-2 under Thomas Frank are in the ascendency at the moment, pressing Brighton high up the pitch and preventing the visitors’ attempts to play through them.
5 min: Toney finds space on the right again and sends a cross into the Brighton penalty area. Frank Onyeka heads over the bar, but not by much.
Updated
3 min: Brentford win a free-kick about 50 yards from the Brighton goal. Bryan Mbeumo sends the ball floating towards Ivan Toney, who had made a run to the right side of the Brighton penalty area. His attempt to cross on the volley is blocked.
2 min: With many of them waving Zambia flags, Brighton’s travelling fans launch into a chant celebnrating Enock Mwepu and their hosts join in.
Brentford v Brighton is go ...
1 min: Brentford get the ball rolling in west London. Game on …
Not long now: Both sets of players march out and line up either side of refereee Michael Salisbury and his team of match officials. Unbeaten in nine games under the Friday night lights, Brentford wear red and white striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. I’m going with “turqouise” to describe Brighton’s kit for tonight.
The Bloom v Benham derby: As is customary when Brighton travel to Brentford, the visitors’ owner Tony Bloom is in the away end with the travelling fans as his animosity towards Brentford owner Matthew Benham, his former apprentice, precludes him from taking a corporate seat. Nobody apart from the duo concerned seems quite sure why the pair fell out but their mutual antipathy is, by many accounts, very real.
Updated
Enock Mwepu: Brighton have Zambia flags up in their dressing-room in tribute to their former team-mate and arrive out for their warm-up wearing T-shirts in homage. “CHAMBISHI TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE,” they say on the front, alongside a picture of Mwepu. “YOUR DREAM CAME TRUE. WE ARE ALL WITH YOU.”
Updated
Those teams: Robbed of last year’s Puskas Award for his tap-in against Liverpool, Ethan Pinnock keeps his place in Brentford’s line-up but Thomas Frank recalls midfielders Vitaly Janelt and Frank Onyeka, along with winger Yoane Wissa. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi picks the same starting XI for his third match out of three in charge of the club.
Brentford v Brighton line-ups
Brentford: Raya, Ajer, Mee, Pinnock, Henry, Onyeka, Janelt, Jensen, Mbeumo, Toney, Wissa.
Subs: Canos, Dasilva, Jorgensen, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Roerslev, Cox.
Brighton: Sanchez, Veltman, Dunk, Webster, March, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Estupinan, Gross, Trossard, Welbeck.
Subs: Lamptey, Lallana, Sarmiento, Enciso, Undav, Mitoma, Steele, Gilmour, Turns.
Updated
Roberto De Zerbi: “We are able to defend,” said Brighton’s manager upon being asked how he planned to deal with the threat of in-form Brentford striker Ivan Toney. “We have Dunk, Webster and Veltman, they are big and great players. We have to defend as an 11 and attack as an 11, I don’t want to put more responsibility on Dunk or Webster, because the first defender has to be Welbeck and the first attacker has to be Dunk.
“Brentford is a good team. We will have to suffer, they have a good style of play, second balls and long balls, but we can play our football and they will have to suffer as well; our skills and ability, our players, our style of play and I think the last result is not fair and we have the possibility to win the next game.
“They are a good team, they can play with five defenders or four. The last game against Newcastle, they played with five defenders, but they can play with three attackers. But we are ready to play against every style.”
Thomas Frank on his opposite number, Roberto De Zerbi: “We’ve looked at his first two games and then we look more at the manager,” said Brentford’s manager ahead. “I think he did a great job at Sassuolo, he also did fine at Shakhtar, but Sassuolo is where he did most of his good work.
“He inherits a good squad, a well-drilled team, and now he needs to put his own ideas in. I think it’s an interesting signing for the Premier League. We know what Brighton will come with. They’ll try to dominate possession, try to be flexible - we need to be able to close that down.”
Tonight’s match officials
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Assistants: Neil Davies and Timothy Wood
Fourth official: Graham Scott
VAR: Mike Dean
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton
Early team news
With Pontus Jansson still confined to barracks with a hamstring injury, Ethan Pinnock will be hoping to keep his place in Brentford’s defence despite last weekend’s horror show but Thomas Frank could opt to play Mathias Jorgensen instead. Keane Lewis-Potter has missed Brentford’s past three games with a foot injury but has been declared fit and available for selection tonight.
Midfielder Christian Norgaard remains out with an achilles injury but is back in light training and Frank is confident the Dane will be back in action ahead of the World Cup. Reserve goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha has also been ruled out for a few weeks after injuring an ankle in training while saving a penalty from Kristoffer Ajer.
Brighton are without midfielder Enock Mwepu following the devastating news that the 24-year-old Zambia international striker has been forced into early retirement following the diagnosis of a hereditary heart condition – we send our best wishes to him. They must also make do without central midfielder Jakub Moder, who remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury he suffered in a match against Norwich last season. The Polish international will not be back until next year.
Updated
Premier League: Brentford v Brighton
Still searching for his first win as Brighton manager following two commendable performances, Roberto De Zerbi takes his side to west London for a ding-dong with a Brentford team that has taken just one point from the last nine available.
Thomas Frank’s side were in generous mood when they gifted Newcastle at least three goals at St James’ Park last weekend and while there was plenty of blame to go around, an understandably ring-rusty Ethan Pinnock had a nightmare afternoon at the office on his return from injury for his first start of the season.
Brighton lost by the only goal of the game against Spurs at the Amex Stadium and while far from awful, once again paid the price for profligacy in front of goal. A win tonight would catapult Brighton into the top four overnight, while Brentford will move up four places to eighth if they take all three points.
Kick-off at the Brentford Community Stadium is at 8pm but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
