Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa continued the fine form they showed at the end of last season to give Brentford a 2-1 home win over Crystal Palace in their first game of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.
Mbeumo reached Wissa’s clever pass, surged into the penalty area on the right and smashed in a ruthless 29th-minute finish for a side operating without England forward Ivan Toney amid speculation that he is about to be sold.
Palace, who had a goal ruled out in either half, equalised when Ethan Pinnock turned in Daniel Munoz’s header under pressure for an own goal 13 minutes after the break.
Wissa tapped in the winner 14 minutes from time when goalkeeper Dean Henderson turned Nathan Collins’ deflected shot into the DR Congo international’s path.
WISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSA
🐝 2-1 🦅#BRECRY | @London_Pride pic.twitter.com/KnkvMXkma9
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 18, 2024
📰 Table Of Contents
Brentford vs Crystal Palace: Strikers shine
Toney’s future was the major story before the game, with manager Thomas Frank explaining that the 27-year-old, who is out of contract next June, had been left out of his matchday squad before of transfer interest.
While Toney looks likely to leave the club imminently, Frank emphasised how Brentford had coped in his absence while he served an eight-month ban for breaching FA rules around betting last season, when Wissa top-scored with 12 goals and Mbeumo scored nine.
Mbeumo contributed six assists to Wissa’s three and, although Toney scored four goals in five appearances following his return in January, the top scorer in their previous three seasons finished 2023-24 by going 12 games without scoring.
Frank’s confidence, then, seems cautiously warranted, although there is a concern over the absence in attack of club-record signing Igor Thiago, who joined for £30m from Club Bruges in July but is not expected to return from a knee injury until the end of 2024.
“It is what it is” 😕
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner reacts to Eberechi Eze’s disallowed goal in their 2-1 defeat to Brentford 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/UnGjob7Ee0
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 18, 2024
Palace disallowed goals
For their part, Palace may count themselves unlucky. Shortly before Brentford scored, Eberechi Eze found the back of the net via a post with an audacious angled free-kick, only for the blockbuster effort to be ruled out because Will Hughes was adjudged to have committed a foul.
Eagles manager Oliver Glasner replaced Jean-Philippe Mateta – prolific at the end of last season – with Odsonne Edouard after the break, and the substitute had a goal ruled out for offside with the scoreline 1-1.
Edouard’s introduction coincided with a change of momentum which featured Palace’s goal and the visitors looking the more likely to find a second.
Brentford are next in action at Liverpool on August 25 (4.30pm BST), a day after Palace seek their first points when they host West Ham (3pm).
