Brentford secured a significant victory over Crystal Palace in a hard-fought Premier League clash held at Selhurst Park. Under the wet and windy conditions of Super Sunday, the Bees emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, marking Thomas Frank's 300th game in charge. The win was propelled by goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade, while Romain Esse netted a consolation goal for the home side.
The encounter was characterized by its scarcity in goal-scoring opportunities, as both teams struggled to break through each other's defenses. By halftime, the combined Expected Goals (xG) total stood at a mere 0.4, highlighting the close nature of the match. Brentford's Mark Flekken showcased his abilities, making a crucial right-hand save against a fierce attempt from Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Brentford's winning edge came through moments of individual brilliance. Bryan Mbeumo nearly converted a free-kick that whistled inches past the post, while Yoane Wissa tested Crystal Palace's Dean Henderson with a low effort that was tipped around the post. The visitors' persistence paid off when Marc Guehi's encroachment in the penalty area led to a retaken penalty, further tipping the scales in Brentford's favor.
"I've never seen anything like that in my life! Wissa is obviously trying to fool the 'keeper and you can even see Lewis-Potter doing the same thing. That's like a distraction thing to maybe put off the goalkeeper. I've never seen that in my life, it's crazy!" – Jamie Redknapp
The game also witnessed some controversial moments. A particular incident involved Crystal Palace players struggling to clear the ball, leading to a handball by Hughes and a penalty awarded after Collins nipped the ball away from Lacroix. The latter was fortunate not to receive a second yellow card.
"Look at the mess Crystal Palace get themselves into, they can't clear the ball. Hughes, this is definitely a handball there so VAR would have intervened. And then Lacroix just gets it wrong. Collins nips in front of him and it's enough for a penalty. Collins puts his leg in and Lacroix, who was already booked, is lucky it's not a second yellow." – Jamie Redknapp
"He just comes into the 'D'. You're then interfering when you then come into play. If VAR checked it on every penalty that was missed, we would see that a lot. But Guehi really does make an impact because he just nips in front of Mbeumo." – Jamie Redknapp
Oliver Glasner, reflecting on the match, acknowledged that both teams effectively neutralized each other's attacking efforts. However, he conceded that Crystal Palace made a critical mistake leading to the decisive penalty.
"I think it was game where both teams neutralised each other, with not as many chances as you would like. And it was whoever made the first mistake loses the game. We were that team unfortunately because of how the penalty happened." – Oliver Glasner
For Brentford, the victory at Selhurst Park holds substantial importance. It marks their first Premier League win at this venue and breaks a pattern of two losses in their last 13 encounters against Crystal Palace.
Thomas Frank praised his team's resilience in challenging conditions and emphasized the importance of securing three points against a formidable opponent.
"Big three points. I said to the players before the game or during the week that no one game is defining for a season unless you've been in a play-off final – we did that twice, that's pretty defining – but I just knew we were coming here to Selhurst Park, very difficult to play here against a very good team that I like and admire a lot and in unbelievably difficult circumstances." – Thomas Frank
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