Once again inspired by Christian Eriksen, Brentford are almost gracefully gliding to safe, Premier League shores of contentment. In fact, this was almost a complete performance, according to Thomas Frank, for the second week in succession.
Another season in the top tier was virtually guaranteed by the seismic, generation-spanning, 4-1 win at Chelsea last weekend, ensuring that in the dizziest thoughts of their flightiest fans, the Bees are now unofficial world champions. The afterglow of another London derby triumph, here against disappointing West Ham, a team tilting at the Europa League, was fully deserved. Brentford visit relegation-haunted Watford on Saturday in 13th place and in a good mood.
Notwithstanding an alarming new year slump, in Frank – and now Eriksen – Brentford trust. They had already won three Premier League games on the bounce with Eriksen in the starting lineup, and have now done the double over West Ham across an unpredictable campaign.
On their first competitive visit to the new Brentford Community Stadium, West Ham join Chelsea and Arsenal among teams who have experienced a cohesive, biting side at their best, surpassing expectations, modest as they were. Goals by Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney in the second half saw off jaded opponents. West Ham also lost Kurt Zouma in the first half to an ankle injury, leaving the defender a doubt for the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon on Thursday. David Moyes’s men, whose hunt for a Champions League place appears rather forlorn, are now six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.
Still, this was Brentford’s day to enjoy. As the weeks count down to a conclusion, it is not just Chelsea – for all their occasional finesse on the park and floundering off it – who are exclusively surfing waves in west London.
“I’m happy with the win,” said Frank. “I think it was almost the complete performance. It was maybe the first time in the Premier League this season where we controlled things from start to finish.
“Winning 2-0 against a side like West Ham, competing for the semi-final in the Europa League and [for the] top four, is ‘wow’ for me. I really admire what David Moyes and his coaching team have done this season. If you are a newly promoted side with the lowest budget, you need to celebrate.”
Frank’s resourcefulness in January helped to land Eriksen, and he shone once again, asking plenty of questions. “He’s a top player and he keeps the ball better than most players, opening up things. He looks like a player who is clearly enjoying his football,” said the Brentford head coach.
Settled, and enjoying a 12-point gap above the relegation zone, Brentford were effusive, particularly in the second half, free from making the sort of errors which have cost them at times this term. They coped without their captain, Pontus Jansson, absent because of illness. Eriksen was bright, all angles and precision, aided by Rico Henry’s impressive foraging down the left. In comparison, Declan Rice lacked influence on an obvious game too far. West Ham will hope he, along with the majority of the team, will be somewhat sprightlier at the Grand Stade de Lyon on Thursday.
Mbeumo atoned for earlier misses by slamming home instinctively two minutes into the second half from a neat assist by Toney. The latter grabbed his 12th league goal of the season with a header, when an inviting cross by Henry was flicked up into his path by Mbeumo.
If Brentford’s front pairing were enthusiastic, it was merely in contrast to not only Rice but West Ham’s player of the season, Jarrod Bowen, and Michail Antonio. Both were lacklustre. However, all will be forgiven if West Ham can turn events in Lyon to their advantage. This now must be the priority for Moyes who, additionally, is challenging Antonio to end his goal drought. The forward last found the net in the Premier League on New Year’s Day.
“The general performance was disappointing, we didn’t really create chances,” said the West Ham manager. “It was a low-level game in the first half. Today was a game that caught up on us.
“I have great trust in the players. We finished sixth last year and it was monumental, without the quality of other teams. We missed an opportunity today. We are in a good position, we’ve tended to cover Mich’s lack of goals, but you need your top centre-forwards to come up for you.”
