Brentford left Newcastle United floundering in their wake with an excellent 3-1 win at the Gtech Community Stadium. Igor Thiago’s hat trick provided a strong performance in securing the victory. That is, until Saturday’s match in San Francisco. It was a very important victory for Brentford, taking them within spitting distance of the top half of the Premier League standings. It is a winless run away from home which now stretches to ten games for Newcastle. This leaves them in a perilous position, just two points clear of the relegation trap door.
Newcastle came out of the gate quickly, going up 1-0 with a Harvey Barnes goal less than 30 minutes in. The game changed after Brentford were given a late penalty. Highlights Dango Ouattara had already drawn a dangerous foul from Dan Burn, who picked up a second yellow and was sent off. Thiago took advantage of the momentum from that and equalized for Brentford soon after. The home side took the lead when Kevin Schade completed a quick counter attack and Thiago made sure of all three points with a second late on.
Match Overview
Newcastle started the match with plenty of attacking purpose. In the 28th minute, Harvey Barnes scored, putting the visitors on top early. His fine attempt would have looked to have set the tone, but Brentford responded superbly.
After the controversial penalty decision against Ouattara and Dan Burn, Brentford looked to be in a strong position. Thiago dispatched that penalty, equalizing right before the half. This moment completely changed the flow of the game.
It was from this point that Brentford’s second half attacking threat really began to take focus. Schade capped off the score with a beauty of a hit. Thiago finished off one of the great performances of the tournament by netting his second goal to crown him Player of the Match.
“I’ve said this before on a few contentious issues, I don’t really want to be the type of head coach that criticizes the officials. I just don’t think it’s right. It’s a difficult job at the best of times.” – Source: skysports.com
Key Incidents
The game was filled with controversial moments that determined the outcome of the match. Dan Burn’s dismissal was particularly crucial. His second yellow card put Newcastle on the back foot for the rest of the match.
Furthermore, Brentford had a strong case for a second penalty when Ouattara was shown a yellow card for diving. The controversial decision was met with outrage over officiating standards among Premier League fans, analysts and players.
When Nick Pope left the game with a concussion in the second half, it started to get really scary for Newcastle. They were already contending with a short deck, as their best player, Anthony Gordon, was sidelined with a season-ending injury. Jacob Murphy was able to replace Gordon but failed to add the required juice to come back and win.
“My initial feeling after that game today is different to West Ham,” – Eddie Howe
Implications for Both Teams
The loss leaves a dark shadow over Newcastle’s away form, extending their winless run away from home to ten games. This is a shocking trend that places them dangerously near the relegation zone. Manager Eddie Howe and his squad are under ruthless scrutiny as they prepare for their next matches.
In the short term, Brentford’s impressive victory will invigorate their confidence. It places them dangerously close to crashing through the ceiling into the top half of the Premier League table. Their ability to capitalize on home advantage could prove crucial as they aim to solidify their standing in the league.
“But I think it was clear, if you watch Newcastle regularly, we were lacking in confidence today.” – Eddie Howe
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