Match report
Righto, that’s us did for here. Our match report will be in here soon and also up on site. But otherwise, thanks all for your company and comments; love.
Now going on:
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That’s Brentford’s first win over Palace since 1963. And we see Eze’s disallowed goal again, from a new angle – it does look like Collins is fouling Hughes as much as Hughes is fouling Jensen. But the ref saw what he saw and the idea is for officials to be empowered to make decisions, not to refrain from making them in the knowledge that VAR can save them if anything bad happens.
FULL TIME: Brentford 2-1 Crystal Palace
A tight game whose best football was played by Palace, led by the gorgeous Eberechi Eze. But Brentford found a way to record a win more crucial that seems obvious at first glance, given the matches that await them in the next month.
90+4 min Mitchell crosses, a Brentford head clears, and that will that!
90+3 min Oh, and join Rob Smyth for this:
90+3 min Brentford have disappeared time really well today.
90+2 min Damsgaard swerves in the free-kick but Palace head clear. Brentford, though, collect the loose ball and keep their visitors pinned, Carvalho doing well to make a challenge to the delight of the fans.
90+1 min Ayew stretches, treads on Norgaard … and is booked.
90 min We’ll have four additional minutes.
90 min Another change for Brentford, Mee for Mbuemo – who’s played pretty well.
88 min Lerma paints a lovely oblique pass over the top, picking out Edouard’s diagonal run. But he can’t get his foot quite far enough around the outside of the ball, flicking it past the near post.
87 min Almost everything Palace do is coming through Eze and he takes possession outside the box, left of centre, runs at Collins, and rolls studs across the ball, taking him away from his man but wide than ideal, and his shot flies wide.
85 min Word to the wise: the name Onyeka reminded me of Tolá Okogwu’s Onyeka books, which my daughter really liked. If you’ve kids, I recommend.
84 min Oh and two more changes for Palace too, Hughes and Richards replaced by Doucoure and Sarr.
83 min Two more Brentford changes, Jensen and Wissa off with Onyeka and Carvalho – making his debut – coming on.
83 min After a succession of clever short corners, this one is near-post filth, and and Brentford clear easily enough.
82 min If there’s anyone going to save Palace it’s Eze, and he collects a pass from Mitchell, pilfers a yard and shoots, the ball flicking off Collins and forcing Flekken to dive right so he can shove behind.
79 min “Maybe they could be called Rod S’ewart and the Faces?” says Richard Hirst of our Brentford Band; “The Brentford Nylons” offers Colin Young.
78 min Brentford haven’t played well today but with Liverpool, Man City and Spurs away in three of their next four games, they badly need the points here. Somehow, they’re getting them.
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GOAL! Brentford 2-1 Crystal Palace (Wissa 76)
This is a mess. Brentford work it down the left and when Lewis-Potter’s cross comes in it bounces nicely for Collins, who chests, swivels and shoots, the ball taking a flick off the defender and pitching, which forces Henderson, who’s already dived low, to flap away the immediate danger from above him … but directly into the path of Wissa, who taps home!
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74 min Now a change for Palace and it’s a surprising one, Wharton going off with Lerma coming on.
73 min Double change for Brentford, Lewis-Potter and Damsgaard for Janelt and Schade.
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73 min “Clearly what Brentford needs is its own pub rock band,” offers Richards Hirst, “à la Kilburn and the High Roads, and Hatfield and the North.”
What would they be called? The Nowhere Men?
72 min Mbuemo, who’s played well, cuts across a low, skidding pass in behind, but Henderson is out to hump clear before Wissa can reach it.
71 min “There was some chatter pre-season wondering how Eze would be affected by the loss of Olise,” returns Mary Waltz. “Olise is a fine player, and Palace would still be better if they had retained him, but it doesn’t seem to hurt Eze one bit. He is a keeper.”
Yup, both are lovely players, able to combine aesthetics with productivity. They were lovely in tandem, though, and it’s a shame they’ve been split up.
70 min Change for Palace, Ayew replacing Kamada – who’s had an interesting debut, full of spikiness and imagination.
69 min But here they come now, Jensen trying a cross that Wharton turns away before Janelt tries a shot that gets nowhere.
69 min It’s a while since we saw Brentford as an attacking force; all the good attacking is coming from Palace.
67 min Thinking again about the Edouard disallowed goal, I’m not sure he had any business being ahead of the play – he had so much space, he might just’ve relaxed as there was no need for him to try and pinch every last fraction.
66 min I meant to say, Richards was booked a few minutes ago for a foul, just as Kamada was a few seconds ago for preventing a quick counter.
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65 min Again, Palace work space for Wharton, a square pass allowing him to control and shoot from the edge; this time, the effort is at a decent height for Flekken and he fists away.
63 min Palace are on top now and win another corner, again taken short. They’ve clearly been working on these and this time they go backwards to pull defenders out of position, then send a reverse-pass into the vacated space for Hughes; when the cross comes in, Schade does well to clear.
61 min “Whatever the rights and wrongs of the decision,” begins Andy Flintoff, “(and I think it’s the right thing, as long as the same type of decisions are made throughout the season), Hughes was a bit dim in tripping the defender up right in front of the referee. If he’d withdrawn his leg, there’d be no decision to make, would there?”
I know what you mean, but the line of what’s allowed and what isn’t is a blurry one, especially given how often offences of this ilk go unpunished.
59 min Palace have taken over again and again it’s Eze to the fore. He pulls left, nashes forward, and slides a square-pass into the path of Edouard, who slips a confident finish under Flekken … only for the flag to go up for offside.
GOAL! Brentford 1-1 Crystal Palace (Pinnock own goal 57)
Excellent work from Munoz, who wins a brilliant header at the back post after Mitchell crosses from the left – of course, it was Eze who worked the space. Then in the middle, Pinnock – who won’t have expected the ball to come back – suddenly has to do something with Edouard lurking, so sticks out a leg and diverts past his own keeper.
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54 min Brentford counter and Munoz has a stretch at Wissa, meaning Jensen or Mbuemo will now stick a free-kick into the box; it’s the latter and Gauehi makes first contact, then Schade has a massive wahey, booting the ball somewhere miles from anywhere; Selhurst Park, maybe.
53 min First half it was Eze looking dangerous, now it’s Wharton, and again teed-up on the edge, this time he lashes low across goal … and Flekken dives to shove away.
52 min Brentford now win a corner and Mbuemo tries a deep one to Janelt at the back post, but his volley loops behind for a goalkick.
50 min He goes short to Kamada, who shimmies then finds Wharton on the edge, who opens body for a curler … that hits Pinnock and flies wide. The resultant second corner comes to nowt.
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50 min Meantime, Palace win a corner down the left, Eze trotting over to take.
49 min Make up your own minds. I don’t love this call, but I’m not raging at it.
Eze scores a cheeky freekick but it was ruled out for an infringement in the box! ❌ pic.twitter.com/wVbXBc1teq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 18, 2024
47 min Brentford win a corner and when Palace don’t clear it properly, someone, Jensen I think, curls in a criss that Pinnock flicks on, Ajer just unable to divert it goalwards on the stretch at the back post.
46 min “The problem with the ref giving a foul for some wrestling in the box means he now has to be consistent and give a foul each time it happens (or at least he should). The likelihood of that actually happening is minimal and that is where my biggest frustration lies with refereeing and VAR, lack of consistency.”
Because the laws allow officials room to interpret, we’ll never get consistency between games. But within them, I agree: we should have a good idea of what’s going to happen when the ref makes a decision.
46 min We go again, Edouard on for Mateta.
Palace have Odsonne Edouard warming up; he’ll replace Mateta.
“Brentford is real,” advises Tim Whelan. “I have gone for many drinks in Brentford as there are many good places to drink in. I have friends in Brentford, have hung round Johnsons Island in Brentford and, to cap it all, once saw Bo Diddley play in a Brentford pub. More than a bus stop in Hounslow. From Tim, somewhere near Brentford (but not actually there).”
Fair dos. Are there things that are specifically Brentfordian?
Jamie Redknapp thinks the ref ought to have given it a second before blowing for a foul prior to Eze shooting. But he can only give what he sees – and he’s looking straight at the incident. His interpretation of that can’t change as a consequence of what happens subsequently and the point if VAR isn’t to re-ref games, rather to step in if there’s a howler. Though you can make a case that Hughes didn’t foul Collins, or it was a six-of-one situation, you can’t in all good faith look at what happened and say it’s a definite error.
And a bit of news:
Also going on:
HALF-TIME: Brentford 1-0 Crystal Palace
Brentford started quickly but Eze soon took over, the disallowing of his ingenious free-kick finish the turning point; Brentford went in front soon after and have been better ever since. The second half should be decent.
45+3 min A ball into the box that Kamada holds up, Mateta rushing a snap-shot wife from the edge. That was very Brentfordy from Palace.
45+2 min Poor delivery from the corner, which goes past the far post and behind, Collins hoping for a penalty after finding himself unable to make contact on the stretch.
45+1 min We’ll have two added minutes; the free-kick yields a corner.
45 min Guehi goes hard at a ball he thinks Roerselv has overrun, introducing studs to leg; he’s booked and Brentford have a free-kick down the right.
44 min Conceding knocked Palace – they’ve not been able to get Eze on the ball anywhere near as much since.
42 min Lovely from Schade, who attacks the space in behind Richards before dipping inside, hammering a low shot that flies only just wide. In the middle, Mbuemo is irritated not have received a pass, but that was really good play and a really good effort.
40 min Kamada drives forward but his ball to Mateta is overhit, sending the striker wide, which allows Flekken to come out, dive at feet, and poke clear.
39 min "“Morning greeting from California,” chirps Mary Waltz. “Refs are told to emphasise the wrestling matches up front on set-pieces. The whistle blew before the goal? Maybe. But Eze’s goal was exquisite, a work of such loveliness. Art killed by technology.”
Not sure about the tech because the ref made the call not VAR. Art ruined by legality would be my summation.
38 min I’d just bin the whole shebang, but I guess this is some kind of progress.
#BRECRY – 26’
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) August 18, 2024
The referee awards a free-kick to Brentford a foul by Hughes on Collins. The whistle was blown before the ball entered the goal, so VAR cannot intervene and the referee’s call stands.
36 min Looking at the disallowed goal again, the whistle goes before the ball hits the net, meaning VAR couldn’t have intervened even if it’d wanted to. I can’t say I like seeing free-kicks given for a bit of box-wrestling prior to set-pieces, which is what happened here, but I don’t suppose I can argue with this one because Hughes did have a bit of a grab at Collins.
35 min The goal has knocked Palace and inspired Brentford, who are now dominant territorially. They could do with finding another goal before half-time because I don’t think this ascendancy will last.
34 min “Re labradoodle,” begins Nik Forman. “An easy one this, Daniel: just show him a recording of West Brom v Leeds from yesterday, he’ll be out cold in minutes.”
32 min Ajer is limping after the challenge but should be fine.
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31 min Brentford keep at it, Mbuemo working space and finding sliding in Ajer down the left side of the box, Henderson blocking at close range.
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LOVELY GOAL! Brentford 1-0 Crystal Palace (Mbuemo 29)
Well the only thing about this that was coming is that it arrived. Brentford work the ball forward nicely, going up, back and through, then Wissa sets Mbuemo away, one on one against Guehi at inside right. And he nips inside, thieving a yard – Guehi is a little slow to react – then hammers a low curler into the far corner! Oliver Glasner didn’t like Eze’s goal being disallowed, and he’ll like it even less now!
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27 min VAR takes a look … and upholds the on-pitch call.
26 min …or not! Wharton leaves it for Eze to swish a brilliant effort the wrong way – around the outside of the one-man wall and in off the near post! That is fantastic work in conception and execution, but the ref immediately indicates that the effort is disallowed because Hughes fouled Collins inside the box. That is probably fair enough, just about, but such a shame because it had no impact on Eze’s effort. He is absolutely sizzling.
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25 min Meantime, Palace win a free-kick down the right, Wharton to swing in left-footed…
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25 min I am dogsitting for an extremely lively Australian labradoodle who won’t leave me be. Any tips?
23 min “Good morning from Pittsburgh!” begins Eric Peterson. “I’m willing to give Oliver Glasner the benefit of the doubt, but I think the enthusiasm about his sudden impact at Palace last year needs to be greatly tempered. Palace’s strong finish coincided with the return to full health (and the starting XI) of MIchael Olise and Eberechi Eze, which had a discernible knock-on effect on Jean-Philippe Mateta’s impact. Glasner’s new-manager bounce (5-0-1 down the stretch) didn’t really kick in until that happened; he went 1-2-3 through his first six games. Something to consider with Olise and (probably) Marc Guehi gone.”
I know what you mean, but I really like the way he sets Palace up. It suits his best players and you can see they know what they’re doing.
22 min Eze drills low and hard, the ball whizzing past the far post, just. Perhaps Flekken has it covered, but that definitely doesn’t mean he saves it.
20 min I wonder if Eze is one of those players who hits a level and just starts doing bits every week, because he’s effortlessly controlling this game. A backpass forces Flekken to clear wildly under pressure from Kamada, Eze collects the loose ball, and Wissa chops him doing, earning a booking. Free-kick Palace, just to the left of the D, and of course Eze will take it.
17 min “ ‘Does Brentford exist?’”begins Jeremy Boyce, quoting me back to myself. “Wow, Sunday afternoon footie-related existentialism. What were you up to last night?
You’re right, it’s definitely in a funny part of SW London, where you wouldn’t go unless you needed to go, bordered by Kew Gardens/The Thames, Chiswick, and some other ‘never-been-there’ places like Boston Manor and Gunnersbury. Apart from its decent football team, the other main feature is the M4 Motorway and the continuous stream of low-flying jumbo jets making their way into Heathrow. It has a named railway station, so presumably, yes, it exists. People of my own age might be more familiar with Brentford for the below.”
I’m not sure we can call Brentford SW London, but anyone who’s played football in London will have had reason to visit Gunnersbury Park.
15 min Good turn from Mateta, who then sets Mitchell away, and he crosses … but Norgaard kicks clear. So Palace start passing again, their formation allowing them to find angles, and when Eze takes possession on halfway, he drives forward and has Mitchell unmarked to his left. But on the edge, he tries to manufacture a shooting lane, only for his effort to be blocked. That’s a waste opportunity, but his team are bossing this.
13 min Eze is finding space at will, helping a ball into space behind; Flekken tidies up. But I wonder if one of Brentford’s midfield three will be asked to sit on him, because currently he’s having way more touches than Frank will be comfortable with.
12 min The problem Brentford have is they’re struggling to get from the first third to the third – Palace are shutting down their passing angles in centrefield and covering the longer balls into the channels.
10 min It’s Palace making the running now, their defensive line nice and high and twin 8s picking up pockets. They’ve slowed the game down a little, looking to keep the ball, while Brentford want a quicker contest in which they can assert physically.
9 min Great goal from Tanzania!
🇬🇭 Emmanuel Keyekeh just scored this screamer for Singida Black Stars in the Tanzanian league 😱 pic.twitter.com/AJyfu55qgy
— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) August 18, 2024
7 min Palace are improving. Lovely feet from Eze in midfield, swaying away from a challenge before flicking out to Munoz. And his cross picks out Mitchell … who snatches at his attempted volley, dragging wide of the far post.
5 min Wharton swings in and Flekken punches clear, then smothers, just about, when a deflected cross lands between him and Anderson. In fact looking again, he actually doesn’t, rather offers a tentative foot when he needed to take everything, just about escaping and getting the ball away.
4 min But now Palace force their way into the game, Mateta holding up before Munoz’s cross is deflected behind.
4 min Mbuemo wins it high but can’t pick a pass through to Wissa, Richards intercepting. But it’s all Brentford so far.
3 min Brentford have started exactly as we knew they would, a muscular and restrictive presence like a blanket that punches you.
1 min Immediately, Ajer ploughs down the left and sends Schade away into space. His cross is a goodun too, punched into the corridor and forcing Gueye to slide behind under pressure; the resultant corner comes to nowt.
1 min The players take a knee: all Black lives matter. Away we go!
Franks looks scruffy but the home fans don’t care as he noises them up, then players of both sides huddle, discussing current affairs, popular culture and what’s for dinner. They’re ready!
And here they come! Oh man, you cannot beat the first weekend of the season; the ground, in the heart of … Brentford, looks glorious.
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Our players are tunnelled. Palace are in a black training top that looks like a shirt with a zip; it’s fairly strange.
I absolutely love Eberechi Eze. I remember a mate with a QPR season ticket banging on about him years ago – in a way he hadn’t about anyone since Adel Taarabt, another beautiful player. Eze, though, gives you application and tactical intelligence as well as aesthetics, and though I’m still not totally certain what he is, you can stick him in two or three positions and be happy. If he can develop in a box-to-box general, he can be incredible; if he’s an attacker, he’s got to work on increasing his numbers.
It just occurred to me that in the 45 years I’ve lived in London, I’ve never heard anyone say “I’m from Brentford” or “Just off to Brentford”. This caused me to wonder if there’s actually a place of that name, rather than just a football team, so in the name of sharing knowledge, I can confirm that there is.
Glasner, who looks like a kindly but tough CID man in The Bill, tells Sky that Palace have had a good training week and are here to win the game – despite the difficulties of the international summer.
Mateta, though, had time off and then got match-fit before carrying on scoring goals, so he’s in good shape, while Guehi is a good player and character so starts. He’s not influenced by transfer rumours, though Glasner wishes the window closed with the start of the season.
This is a big season for Kevin Schade. He had last to settle in and showed some potential, which was fine, but – especially if Toney leaves – Brentford need more from him this term. He should get a decent run too, and one thing you know if you play for Frank is that instructions will be clear.
I mentioned Wharton, so let’s think about him. I mentioned this during the Euros, but I’ve a strong sense England’s best midfield is him, Mainoo, Bellingham, and an even stronger one that he’s the only player in the squad able to play the role of a modern number six properly. Much as Palace will want to keep him, I – and they, I imagine – expect an auction next summer, with plenty of rich types involved.
So where is the game? Palace will look to have Adam Wharton dictate, taking the ball off the back three and spreading it – I really like what I’ve seen of Munoz down the right. Then Eze and Kamada will float, looking to attack the space between Brentford’s midfield three and back four while Mateta tries to push the defence back, opening up spaces for them to hit.
Brentford, on the other hand, will look to clutter central areas and have Schade and Mbuemo target the space behind the wing-backs and to the sides of the centre-backs, Roerslev and Ajer getting high and wide in an effort to serve Wissa with crosses. They’ll probably bypass midfield, while Palace look to play through it.
Of course Igor Thiago, Brentford’s record signing – they did the deal as long ago as February – is unavailable, having jiggered his meniscus in a friendly. We won’t, I’m afraid, see him in 2024 – but imagine the fury with which he’ll play once he’s finally on the park.
What I like about Palace’s formation is the way its aspects serve each other. Eze and Kamada have free roles, but can drop into midfield to make the central two a three; a centre-back can step up in midfield and serve the same purpose; the full-backs can provide attacking width because if a midfielder sits they still leave a back four; and they’ve scope to manufacture space wide or centrally.
As for Palace, Mateta is back despite only finishing last season a week ago. Watching him recently, I’ve been minded a little of Louis Saha, as both are all-round centre-forwards able to come short in spin in, occupy to two centre-backs and score all types of goal.
Behind him, Daichi Kamada takes Olise’s place – Sarr is on the bench – while Guehi takes his left-centre-back spot despite Newcastle’s efforts to sign him.
I do like Frank; it’s very easy to see why players love him. And to look at his XI, he goes four at the back today – against the better sides, Brentford often go with three – and Toney aside, the lineup is as expected. Carvalho is, I think, a really good signing, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on; Frank said we should see him later in the game.
Ivan Toney left out amid transfer interest
Ah, here’s Thomas Frank. He’s happy it’s a new season, the sun is shining and he’s excited. He explains that because of transfer interest, Ivan Toney isn’t playing – he knew that on Friday, but didn’t want to give anything away and also adds that no move is close.
Fabio Carvalho, meanwhile, is on the bench because he’s only just joined and there were good players already at the club, but he’s shown bits in training.
Otherwise, Brentford were unlucky with injuries last season – previously they’d done a really good job of balancing hard training with reliable availability.
Finally, Palace are well structured in their 3-4-3 and he needs he’s players to be brave and get in behind them; “Basically, I can’t wait”.
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I’ll write these down, then we’ll have a think about what they mean.
Teams!
Brentford (4-3-3-): Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer,; Norgaard, Janelt, Jensen; Mbuemo, Wissa, Schade. Subs: Valdimarsson, Carvalho, Onyeka, Mee, Yarmolyuk, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Peart-Harris, Trevitt.
Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Andersen, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Kamada, Eze; Mateta. Subs: Johnstone, Sarr, Lerma, Ayew, Schlupp, Clyne, Edouard, Doucoure, Riad.
Referee: Sam Barrott (West Riding)
Preamble
There are games that have no bearing on events at either end of the Premier League – this is one – that you can be almost certain will reflect the best of the Premier League – and again, this is one.
Brentford are a terrific team, aggressive, attitudinous and built in Thomas Frank’s image: they may win a game or they may lose a game, but either way their opponents will have to suffer. And that is not just because they are physical, though they are, it is because they are skilful, intelligent and nasty; they will be ready for this.
Likewise Palace, who finished last season in fantastic form with Oliver Glasner’s impact immediate. And, though they’ve lost Michael Olise, they’ve hung on – so far – to Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze, while Ismaïla Sarr looks a smart purchase and Jean-Philippe Mateta is now an Olympic medalist.
Which is to say that a fast, intense contest looks guaranteed, two smart and progressive coaches sending their teams out to have at each other with those of us watching not a clue as to which will prevail. And it’s live!
Kick-off: 2pm BST
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