Brentford 4-2 Newcastle: Thomas Frank's side keep unbeaten home record intact with thrilling victory
Brentford maintained their flawless home record in the Premier League with an exciting victory at the Gtech Community Stadium, defeating Newcastle 4-2 on Saturday.
Matches at the Gtech Community Stadium this season have seen an average of five goals each. There's an exciting energy in west London, and the goals continued to pour in on a blustery day in the city.
In the eighth minute, Christian Norgaard delivered a powerful pass that Bryan Mbeumo skillfully controlled. He maneuvered around Lewis Hall, weaved into the penalty area, and sent a left-footed shot soaring past Nick Pope, finding the top corner of the net.
The game kicked off with intense energy, and the lead changed hands in just over three minutes. Jacob Murphy made a quick run into the penalty area, and after his shot went wide, it landed perfectly for Alexander Isak, who scored effectively to equalize for the away team.
After Isak's follow-up attempt was expertly saved by Mark Flekken, Brentford quickly took back the lead. Yoane Wissa seized on a careless pass from Harvey Barnes and skillfully curved the ball past Pope into the goal.
Brentford: Flekken (8), Van den Berg (7), Collins (7), Pinnock (7), Lewis-Potter (7), Norgaard (8), Yarmoliuk (7), Carvalho (7), Mbeumo (8), Wissa (8), Thiago (7). --- Brentford: Flekken received a score of 8, while Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter, Yarmoliuk, Carvalho, and Thiago all earned 7s. Norgaard, Mbeumo, and Wissa, on the other hand, stood out with scores of 8.
Substitutes included: Schade (7), Damsgaard (6), Mee (n/a), Maghoma (n/a).
Newcastle: Pope (6), Livramento (6), Schar (6), Burn (6), Hall (6), Bruno Guimaraes (6), Longstaff (6), Joelinton (6), Murphy (7), Isak (7), Barnes (6). Newcastle: Pope (6), Livramento (6), Schar (6), Burn (6), Hall (6), Bruno Guimaraes (6), Longstaff (6), Joelinton (6), Murphy (7), Isak (7), Barnes (6).
Substitutes utilized: Tonali (6), Gordon (6), Wilson (6), Almiron (6), Trippier (not applicable).
Match MVP: Yoane Wissa.
Just a few moments later, it was the Newcastle supporters who were cheering once more. To be exact, it happened three minutes and 32 seconds later, as Brentford couldn't maintain their advantage yet again. Barnes took advantage of some shaky defense to make up for his earlier mistake, firing a low shot that went past Flekken and found the bottom corner.
In the last four league matches at the Gtech Community Stadium, each one had seen at least five goals, and this game was set to continue that trend. Flekken delivered a long free kick that missed everyone except Nathan Collins, who calmly scored to put Brentford back in the lead.
This time, the home team maintained their advantage and even increased it in the 90th minute with a goal from substitute Kevin Schade, securing a significant victory and marking their fourth consecutive win at home in the league. With this win, Thomas Frank's squad climbs to seventh place in the standings, keeping their thrilling season on track.
At the same time, Newcastle hasn't secured a victory in their last four matches, unable to capitalize on their strong performance against top-ranked Liverpool on Wednesday. Eddie Howe's team currently finds themselves in a frustrating 12th place in the standings after suffering their fifth defeat of the season.
"Being able to continue scoring is truly incredible."
For the fourth time in five home games, the Bees scored four or more goals, matching Chelsea's tally of 31 as the top scorers in the Premier League this season.
"It's somewhat unbelievable that we keep finding the net, but I'm doing my best to appreciate it," stated Brentford manager Frank, whose team has moved up to sixth place.
"I don't think any of us fully grasp just how incredible it is that we've scored so many goals in the league."
"Brentford Knocking On Europe's Door"
Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:
If Brentford improved their defense or performed better in away games, it's hard to say what their position would be in the Premier League standings.
Having netted 40 goals in matches at the Gtech Community Stadium, Thomas Frank's team has earned a reputation as the Premier League's 'Entertainers.' This is particularly appropriate this week, as that same title was once bestowed upon a renowned Newcastle team thirty years ago.
Maybe the term 'Crazy Gang,' which was used to describe a different London club in the past, fits Brentford better. Although they can be highly effective at times, they certainly have a unique and quirky personality.
They either lag behind and manage to catch up, like in their three previous home wins, or they begin with a strong start, occasionally scoring within the first minute, but then risk losing their advantage. Once again on Saturday, they took the lead two times during the first half, only to lose both leads in a span of four minutes.
The players are quite interesting as well. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken has recorded more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, and remarkably, he has also tallied the same number of assists as Phil Foden. In less than a year and a half at the club, he has become the ninth goalkeeper to assist more than one goal in the Premier League.
Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa currently hold the top two spots for conversion rates in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, Nathan Collins leads the league in blocks and has also made his mark by contributing to goals in two consecutive home matches.
When you face Brentford at the Gtech, it’s hard to predict what to expect beyond just the score. That unpredictability is what makes them a threat, and they are now on the verge of making their mark in Europe.
Frank: Players Are Making Great Progress
Brentford's coach, Thomas Frank:
"I'm really pleased; it was an impressive performance in multiple aspects. The way we played today, both in terms of fitness and skill, against a strong Newcastle team makes me proud of my players."
"We had a strong beginning last season for the first 11 or 12 matches, but then injuries took a toll on us. Since then, we've focused on adding new strategies to be more disciplined and create more scoring opportunities by playing more offensively. It's clear that we have many skilled attacking players."
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Yoann Wissa really stands out with how he connects with teammates and makes forward runs, always ready to score easy goals from behind the defense. Bryan Mbeumo was unstoppable today, too. His ability to hold onto the ball and facilitate plays, especially when he set up Kevin Schade for the fourth goal, was truly remarkable.
"I hope to maintain our strong performance at home, but it would also be great to secure some victories away."
"The players are developing, and many of them have made significant progress recently. It's a strong team, and I'm hopeful that the fans are pleased."
Plenty of goals! Let's take a look at Brentford's last five matches played at home...
Howe Disappointed By Newcastle's Defense
Manager of Newcastle, Eddie Howe:
It's incredibly frustrating, and we feel let down by the way we gave up those goals. It's not just about individual errors; there are two or three specific moments for each goal that we need to address. We must improve in those areas.
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"We dominated the game during the first half, but things slipped away from us after they scored their third goal. While we showed that we could be a strong attacking team, we need to find a way to bring everything together, as this has resulted in uneven performances."
Reflecting on their recent results, where they haven't secured a victory in their last four matches, the player stated: "It's been an unusual stretch for us. We started with three straight wins against tough teams, but since then our performances have been inconsistent. We need to find a way to finish strong."
Guimaraes: "We’ve Become A Chaos"
Captain of Newcastle, Bruno Guimaraes:
It’s quite disappointing. In the first half, we showed some promising moments, but after the third goal, we lost our focus and couldn’t regain control.
We've often reacted to situations rather than taking the initiative. It feels like we need to give up a goal before we can find the back of the net ourselves. We rarely manage to take the lead, and we end up allowing too many goals. This pattern needs to change. It's crucial for us to discover a way to maintain consistency moving forward.
"We needed to make adjustments in the first half to really engage in the match. However, after we allowed the third goal, everything fell apart. We lost possession frequently and ended up paying the price."
"I'd like to express my gratitude to the fans for braving the bad weather to support us. We now have a week to regroup and prepare to take on Leicester at home."
"We need to make some changes. Last season, our defense was among the strongest in the league, but now we're letting in too many goals. It's a team effort, and we need to figure out how to tighten things up at the back."
Match Highlights: Key Stats Unveiled
"Exciting matches filled with goals at the Gtech every time!"
Brentford's goal scorer, Nathan Collins:
In such challenging weather, achieving a good outcome is impressive; both teams faced difficulties as the strong winds wreaked havoc.
It feels like there are constant high-scoring matches at this stadium. We secured three points today, but the defense is definitely a concern for Monday’s game.
"It’s all about the supporters, the team, and everyone connected to it. We’re all feeling it together, and we’re moving in the right direction."
