If Brentford and Brighton appear part of the Premier League furniture, being established in the top tier is a contract written in disappearing ink. Their respective owners, Matthew Benham and Tony Bloom, estranged former associates, have cracked the alchemy of the game, winning much admiration though taking further steps forward is yet more difficult and proving much harder.
In the battle between 10th and 11th, winners Brentford were the more progressive, dangerous and calm side, though weathered a late storm from an opponent reduced to 10 men. Christian Nørgaard’s injury-time header from Mathias Jensen’s free-kick completed victory.
A chaotic game closed out with more than 20 minutes of added time after a late collision between Yunus Konak and Jan Paul van Hecke. Brighton’s Dutch defender was treated with oxygen and taken for a scan in hospital. “It was a big hit on the head, hopefully he’s alright,” said his teammate Solly March.
Beating Brighton for the second time in their Premier League rivalry was most welcome for Brentford. “We had to win,” said their manager, Thomas Frank. Their outsiders’ challenge for Europe was revived via the partnership of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, the Cameroon forward scoring twice, the Congolese once. All three goals had the partnership, with 34 between them, acting in glorious tandem.
“An incredible achievement for them,” said Frank. “All the praise for the two of them for how hard they work, then for my staff and then also something for the way we play.”
In Brighton’s case, having spent £200m last summer, a Conference League position would have been at the lower end of hopes but looks unlikely. Having last won away at Southampton in February, defeat in west London extended Brighton’s winless run to five. Too many Brighton players have lost form, too few of last summer’s arrivals have shone. Fabian Hürzeler, in his first top-flight season, could learn plenty from the wiles of Frank. “I am responsible for that,” he said. “I have to find the right solutions. We know that some things are not working. We make too many individual mistakes.”
Brighton cannot say they were not warned. As is customary, Brentford quickly threw themselves at the task in hand. Keane Lewis-Potter has won admirers as an attacking left-back, and from his right-foot pass, Mbeumo surged beyond Brighton’s sleepy defence to score the opener.
Brighton might have quickly levelled had Yankuba Minteh got his angles correct before Danny Welbeck, surely Brighton’s player of the season, made up for an earlier miss by heading the equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
Brighton again failed to cope with their forewarning of Brentford starting halves with intention. Within three minutes, Mikkel Damsgaard’s pass found Wissa, who instinctively laid the ball into the path of Mbeumo, the shot deflecting off Lewis Dunk’s chest. “I am very happy that he’s shining and the main man,” said Frank. “It’s a duo, with Wissa scoring more goals in open play but Bryan is an incredible footballer.”
Frank’s determination is his team do not sit on leads. Another sweeping move cut Brighton to ribbons, Damgsaard fading his pass to Mbeumo, who laid up Wissa, the shot deflected in off the again unfortunate Dunk.
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Just past the hour, the loss of discipline that cost Brighton a full chance of revival. Moments before his tangle with Nathan Collins, João Pedro had been denied when scuffing a half-chance. He took out his frustrations with a flailing, petulant swipe. Hürzeler, with his own disciplinary issues, kept his own counsel, seating himself once Tim Robinson, the referee, had waved red.
When Welbeck was subbed for Yasin Ayari, Brighton fans loudly questioned their manager and why their team now had no striker. “I wanted to have more midfielders to control the game and more connections with the fast wingers,” said Hürzeler.
Bloom, seated in the away end due to his differences with Benham, was left in no uncertain terms of doubts in a young manager who said: “I focus on the game.”
Kaoru Mitoma’s finish from Jack Hinshelwood’s pass briefly revived spirits. As did eight added minutes, extended by that horrible collision. By then, Brighton’s hopes had already been extinguished by Nørgaard, his goal embodying Brentford’s belief there can always be another.