Moments before full time, dark clouds had gathered over the Gtech Community Stadium with rain teeming down. But as Brentford celebrated their first win since August, suddenly their season didn’t appear so gloomy.
Thomas Frank’s men were dominant here and could have scored five or six, but you can bet they would have bitten your hand off for the confident 3-0 win they ended up with. Yoane Wissa’s first half goal had put them in control before two beautiful long-range efforts from the excellent Bryan Mbeumo and substitute Saman Ghoddos wrapped up a much-needed confidence booster.
The Bees have looked nothing like the battling side that finished in the top half last season – and with just one win coming all season long, they more than delivered on the opportunity to find themselves against a Burnley side who have also struggled. Vincent Kompany’s side never got going here and finished the game with ten men.
After snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at Old Trafford last time out – having collapsed after two agonising stoppage time in the final minutes against Manchester United – Brentford had more than enough ammunition to bounce back here.
Frank described that result as ‘tough to take’ and ‘brutal’ in his pre-match programme notes and insisted the team have had plenty of time to reflect over the international break and his players looked right up for it from the first whistle. The Dane marked five years in charge of the club this week but said he would enjoy a low-key celebration with some wine and tapas after being overjoyed by one of their best displays this season.
Yoane Wissa put the Bees ahead after 25 minutes on an afternoon where they dominated
Bryan Mbeumo scored Brentford’s second of the afternoon in an emphatic victory
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‘It was a very good performance and of course a well deserved win,’ he said after the game. ‘The first half was our best performance this season except we should have been 3-0 up. That’s the only negative I can find. We had high energy and big intensity, attack after attack, winning it high and running in behind them. [There were] so many positives.
I’m just privileged and happy to have been here almost seven years and five as a head coach. With the amount of injuries [we have had], it’s very impressive. I think to be fair I will just [celebrate] with my wife and a good glass of red and some tapas!’
His opposite number Vincent Kompany admitted it was a ‘tough day’ – but saw it as a moment that could spark change in their season.
‘Simple not good enough overall,’ he added. ‘We can start looking at the detail of the game. In the first half, going back in at half time losing 1-0 is flattering to us. It could have been more.
‘These moments. They define you. Not just in football, in life. [After last season] You’re at your highest moment and having success, can you still be humble and be together? I’m not saying it’s the lowest low but it’s a tough day for us. It’s not something I would ever hide away from [but in my career] these have been the most valuable moments. It’s proven already the resilience in this team. It’s a different level and we’ve got to level up.’
The Bees started brightly and had a magnificent early opening when Mathias Jensen surprised the visitors with a quickly-taken free kick that Neal Maupay ran on to before poking just wide of James Trafford’s left-hand post.
Maupay thought he had redeemed himself just minutes later when Mbeumo’s cross-field pass found its way to Nathan Collins – who hooked the ball back across the face of goal and there was the on-loan Everton man to power home a header, but Ajer was adjudged to be interfering with play. Collins and Maupay – the only ones involved in play – were both onside.
Moments later, Burnley went close at the other end when Mike Tresor’s fizzing effort brushed past the post. The away side were later in uproar when Lyle Foster appeared to be clattered by Frank Onyeka in the box. Nothing was given.
The onus was on Burnley to focus on keeping things tight after shipping 20 goals this season. Kompany claimed he ‘didn’t have a magic wand’ to fix their defensive issues having lost 4-1 to Chelsea in their last game and he is still searching for right spell after watching Brentford lay siege to his side’s goal.
Roared on by a rapturous home crowd, Christian Norgaard had an effort deflected behind by Charlie Taylor before the lively Mbeumo tested the gloves of Trafford and there was a growing feeling that the deadlock was about to be broken.
Saman Ghoddos scored Brentford’s third to confine the Clarets to even more misery
Thomas Frank’s team are now six points clear of the relegation zone after a shaky start
Vincent Kompany’s men have won just one of nine games after returning to the top flight
And with a quarter of the game gone, the home side finally grabbed the goal their promising play deserved. Jensen set Mbeumo racing away down the right-hand side and he had the simple task of squaring across the area for Wissa to tap home at close range. The roof nearly came off the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford were certainly making hard work of this in the first half and should have been at least two up after Maupay – who could have had a hat-trick in the first period alone – found himself clear on goal just moments later. His tame effort was parried by Trafford but very nearly trickled past the goal line before Dara O’Shea hooked it clear at the last second. It was a massive let-off for Burnley.
Just before the break, Trafford made two exceptional saves in as many minutes – first to palm away Norgaard’s effort that was deflected straight at him by Wissa and then leaping up acrobatically to tip the Maupay’s curler over the bar. Burnley then had a sniff of a chance as Tresor’s cut-back found Amdouni to give Flekken a rare chance to warm up his gloves.
While Brentford took a while to get going in the second, they finally had breathing room on the hour mark. A lovely piece of play saw the Bees work the ball well towards the final third before Maupay received the ball just outside the box and laid it off to Mbeumo. The Cameroonian hit an absolute peach that sailed into the top left-hand corner.
It could have been three shortly after as Jensen pirouetted into the area before trickery from Maupay left Trafford in no-man’s land – with the Dane then smashing an effort just over from close range.
Burnley really struggled to find their flow here and their afternoon was summed up in the last 15 minutes when Foster put a ball on a plate for sub Luca Koleosho – but he somehow fluffed it wide with the goal gaping. Then, as Mbeumo was sent on yet another Brentford attack, Roberts hauled him down and received his second yellow.
Just minutes before the final whistle, Brentford put the cherry on the cake with another beautiful strike. Norgaard’s effort had been deflected back out to the edge of the area – and there was substitute Ghoddos to thump home with aplomb, just minutes after coming on.
It’s taken until late October for Brentford to get going – and with games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal coming up – this win could prove to be pivotal. For Burnley, dark clouds still remain.
