And so the final match of 2023 for Crystal Palace and Brentford became arguably their most important.
Palace winless in eight. Brentford with four defeats in a row. Here was a game in which losing would have compounded either crisis, but for Roy Hodgson it may have brought more serious consequences than for Thomas Frank.
Fitting then that it was Hodgson’s side who masterminded a 3-1 victory, saving his bacon and moving them up to 13th. Brentford now sit 15th, and four points between them and the bottom three is no buffer at all in this league.
Brentford raced straight at Palace and mustered a lead after just 86 seconds when the returning Mathias Jensen flicked for Mads Roerslev, whose cross gave Keane Lewis-Potter an easy task to finish.
The clock read five minutes and two seconds by the time VAR decided to stick with the on-field decision and deemed the Brentford youngster onside. The right call — eventually.
Palace could rely on Michael Olise against Chelsea on Wednesday. Yes, they were beaten at Stamford Bridge, but he scored their only goal and stepped up with a crucial striker again here as Jordan Ayew crossed to the back post and he volleyed past Mark Flekken after 14 minutes.
A particularly nervy spell of the match followed — befitting of the appreciation both sets of players had for quite how much garnering a positive result mattered here. First came a period when the Bees kept the ball without achieving much, then came Palace’s turn, until eventually one side did ensure they headed into half-time with a slender advantage.
Jean-Philippe Mateta dummied a cross into the box from Tyrick Mitchell. The ball fell for Eberechi Eze, and the England midfielder’s fierce strike found the bottom corner. Like they did against Brighton just over a week ago, when Danny Welbeck’s late header deprived them victory, Palace led at the interval.
It could not be said of the visitors that they lacked fight or hunger, but their impetus and possession simply did not translate into goalscoring chances. At least not before Palace had scored their third as Olise — more man possessed than fleet-footed winger — flew at Brentford’s defence and tucked the ball home for 3-1. The roar around Selhurst Park was one of relief as much as of joy.
Suddenly Frank's side began to create chances, making for a nervy finish as Neal Maupay thundered against the crossbar from range and Yoane Wissa somehow fluffed a header from right under the goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s nose.
Brentford threw the kitchen sink and more at Palace’s precariously low line. Staring in the face of seven defeats from their last eight games, the Bees could find no way through. Their problem was having come up against a side who needed to win every bit as much as they did.
Hodgson stood quietly at the edge of his technical area for the duration, taking it all in, and no doubt taking great pleasure from Eze and Olise scoring in the same game for the very first time. Remarkable it has taken so long.
He had said throughout these past two winless months that when his best players were fit and playing together, they would make his life easier. Here, at long, long last, they did.
