27th December 2024
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0 BRENTFORD 0 -
PREMIER LEAGUE - at the
AMERICAN EXPRESS STADIUM, FALMER.
Albion's hectic programme continued with a visit from West London rivals Brentford for a Premier League fixture at the Amex, "live" in front of the Amazon Prime cameras and broadcast over the airwaves on Talksport and BBC Radio Sussex Sport.
In their previous outing the Seagulls had drawn 1-1 at West Ham United in the Premier on the 21 December and the Albion made two changes to their starting line-up from that game, with Matt O'Riley and Julio Enciso coming in for Mats Wieffer (injured) and Georginio Rutter.
Last time out in the Premier Brentford had lost 0-2 at home to Nottingham Forest on the 21 December and for their visit to the Amex Head Coach Thomas Frank made one enforced change to his starting line-up from the Forest game with Mads Roerslev replacing the injured Kristoffer Ajer.
In their meetings in the Premier last season, the Albion beat Brentford 2-1 at the Amex on the 6 December 2023, with the goals coming from Pascal Gross (31m) and Jack Hinshelwood (52m) after Bryan Mbeumo (27m, penalty) had opened the scoring for the Bees. In the reverse fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium on the 3 April 2024, the teams drew 0-0.
It was all Albion from the start and after only four minutes Brentford keeper Mark Flekken's misjudged pass out from the back went straight to Jan Paul Van Hecke who found Joao Pedro in the area and who in turn laid the ball off to Julio Enciso whose curled shot struck the post and rebounded into play. Next, Flekken got down low to his left to deflect a close-range volley from Carlos Baleba and then it was the turn of Matt O'Riley to suffer as defender Nathan Collins blocked his goal-bound close-range rasper. Enciso then headed Kaoru Mitoma's cross straight at Flekken, who saved with ease. By this stage the Seagulls should have had the three points in the bag.
On 13 minutes the Bees thought they had gone ahead when Yoane Wissa raced on to Mads Roerslev's superb through-ball before planting a cross-shot past Albion keeper Bart Verbruggen but VAR ruled that Wissa was marginally offside before scoring. Flekken then saved from Brajan Gruda and then Mitoma to further frustrate the Seagulls. In saving from Mitoma, Flekken suffered a suspected groin injury and was replaced by Icelandic keeper Hakon Valdimarsson who was making his Premier League debut. Prior to the break efforts by Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo missed the target for the Bees and at the other end O'Riley and Mitoma went close for the Seagulls.
Half-time 0-0.
Brentford opened the second-half brightly and shots from Wissa and Christian Norgaard were deflected by Albion's low-block. Verbruggen then kept out a tame effort from Wissa and Pedro was fortunate to avoid a red card as his flailing elbow just missed substitute Yehor Yarmoliuk, who had previously fouled him. After being seriously injured in the 1-2 reverse at Manchester City on the 21 October 2023, Solly March made his first appearance since then when introduced as an 88th minute substitute for Joel Veltman. Substitute Georginio Rutter headed narrowly wide from Lewis Dunk's cross and in the closing seconds March went close with a volley which just cleared the crossbar.
Final-score 0-0.
Match stats:
Albion had 24 attempts at goal, with 7 on target and won 5 corners, free-kicks conceded - 6.
Brentford had 8 attempts at goal, with 3 on target and won 3 corners, free-kicks conceded - 12.
TO SUM UP - Another game in which the Albion should have bagged all three points but their failure to convert the chances they created cost them dear. Countless chances were squandered especially first-half. Solly March made a late cameo substitute appearance and came very close to notching a late winner with a volley which just cleared the crossbar. This was Brentford's second away point of the season and they still await their first away win. Albion's winless run was extended to six.
Albion line-up (4-2-3-1):- Bart VERBRUGGEN; Joel VELTMAN (Solly MARCH 88), Jan Paul VAN HECKE, Lewis DUNK (Capt), Pervis ESTUPINAN; Matt O'RILEY (Yasin AYARI 67), Carlos Baleba; Brajan GRUDA (Yankuba MINTEH 67), Julio ENCISO (Georginio RUTTER 78), Kaoru MITOMA (Simon ADINGRA 67); Joao PEDRO.
Subs not used: Jason STEELE (G/K), Tariq LAMPTEY, Igor JULIO, Jakub MODER.
Brentford line-up (4-2-3-1):- Mark FLEKKEN (Hakon VALDIMARSSON 36); Mads ROERSLEV, Nathan COLLINS, Ben MEE (Kim JI-SOO 78), Keane LEWIS-POTTER; Vitaly JANELT, Christian NORGAARD (Capt) (Yehor YARMOLIUK 72); Bryan MBEUMO, Mikkel DAMSGAARD, Kevin SCHADE; Youane WISSA.
Subs not used: Fabio CARVALHO, Yunus Emre KONAK, Paris MAGHOMA, Jayden MEGHOMA, Tony YOGANE, Benjamin ARTHUR.
Referee: Andy Madley (South Yorkshire).
Fourth Official: John Busby.
VAR Official: Chris Kavanagh.
Yellow Cards: Brentford: 2 - Ben Mee, Yehor Yarmoliuk.
Possession: Albion - 58%. Brentford - 42%.
BBC Sport Player of the Match: Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford).
Attendance: 31548.
NEXT GAME:
4 JANUARY 2025 - ARSENAL - Home - Premier League - kick-off 17.30.
"Live" on Sky Sports.
Jack Kaye.
31 December 2024.