Finally a win at home. Brentford got a Premier League victory at their Gtech Community Stadium over the line for the first time this season with a performance which begged the question, how has it taken this long?
So one-sided was this match that Vincent Kompany’s Burnley will feel fortunate not to have suffered even greater damage to their goal difference.
Statistics can be used to paint distorted pictures, but, if anything, 23 attempts with 10 on target do little justice to Brentford’s dominance.
Manager Thomas Frank said: “The first half was one of our best performances this season, high pressure, high energy and big intensity. I’m privileged and happy to have been here as head coach for five years. It’s definitely more fun celebrating with a win. I’ll probably do that with my wife, a glass of red wine and a tapas.”
The main culprit of Brentford’s early profligacy was Neal Maupay, although he wasn’t to blame for the Var decision to deny him the opening goal when it appeared the wrong Brentford player was adjudged offside.
That mattered not after 23 minutes when Frank Onyeka won the ball in midfield and Bryan Mbeumo slid the ball across for Yoane Wissa to turn it into an empty net.
The goal released Brentford to flow forward at will. Had it not been for Burnley keeper James Trafford, the contest would have been over by half-time.
Two saves in particular stood out. If Wissa’s deflection of a Christian Norgaard shot demonstrated the England Under-21 keeper’s reflexes when he instinctively threw out his left hand, his athleticism was then on technicolour display to arch his back and tip over Maupay’s shot on the turn.
Any hope of a Burnley comeback disappeared just after the hour when a sweeping Brentford move ended with Maupay laying the ball off for Mbeumo to curl a sumptuous left-foot shot into the top corner.
Burnley substitute Luca Koleosho sliced wide of an unguarded net when he inexplicably tried to use his left foot instead of his right before the visitors then had Connor Roberts sent off for a second bookable offence when he pulled back Wissa.
It was left to Brentford substitute Saman Ghoddos to seal the win with a rising shot from the edge of the area after 87 minutes.
A defiant Kompany said: “You can’t have 45 minutes like we did in the first half. But as a group since I’ve been here, we’ve always been a group that reacts to these types of moments. We absolutely have to do so again. There’s no other way.”
