Yoane Wissa set up a Bryan Mbeumo goal before scoring one himself in Brentford’s season-opening 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, a victory that came without star forward Ivan Toney at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Wissa was the Bees’ leading scorer last season and showed well in Week 1 after Thomas Frank left star forward Ivan Toney out of the squad over transfer interest.
Mbeumo curled home to put the Bees ahead but an Ethan Pinnock own goal leveled the score line. A hard-charging Wissa scrubbed the ball over the line late to secure a win.
Palace missed out on an Eberechi Eze free kick goal after the attempt was blown dead for a foul prior to the ball crossing the line.
Promise for Bees, Eagles as transfer deadline to define expectations
Michael Olise is gone and a few promising names are through the Palace doors, but will Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze stay through the transfer deadline. Brentford have bought a couple of strong attackers — one injured — but will Ivan Toney stick around to help?
Both Brentford and Crystal Palace flashed promise for their supporters on Sunday but so much feels dependent on what happens in the next few weeks. Either side could attack well enough to contend for the top half of the table, but both could just as well end up in an unholy bottom-half scrap if there are a couple exits and/or injuries.
Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo looked terrific for Brentford and the backs and midfielders are up for the challenge of leaping into attack, while Palace still have solid defenders behind Adam Wharton and an attack with many fun pieces. Let’s see how the squads look at the end of the month.
Brentford vs Crystal Palace player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Palace host West Ham at 10am ET Saturday before Brentford visit Liverpool at 11:30am Sunday.
How to watch Brentford vs Crystal Palace, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 9am ET, Sunday (August 18)
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium
TV channel: USA Network
Streaming: Watch on NBC.com
Brentford vs Crystal Palace live updates — By Nick Mendola
Brentford vs Crystal Palace live score: 2-1
Bryan Mbeumo 29', Ethan Pinnock (o.g.) 57', Yoane Wissa 76'
Great reaction from Flekken
Eze spins his mark and his hard rip has its path instantly changed and is spinning toward the goal.
Mark Flekken rapidly changes course and slaps the ball out for a corner, which only comes to a Palace offside.
Seven minutes plus stoppage time to go for the Bees to claim a win. Frank Onyeka and Fabio Carvalho comes on for Wissa and Jensen.
Bees back in front
A cross is redirected to the back post, where Nathan Collins turns and forces a shot toward goal.
It takes a deflection itself, and Dean Henderson can only push it off an onrushing Wissa.
It’s a goal for the Bees’ 2023-24 leading scorer after assisting Mbeumo’s opener.
Level! And Palace pushing for more
Daniel Munoz headed a cross back into traffic and Ethan Pinnock desperately snaps his clearing attempt into his own goal.
Odsonne Edouard has Palace in front a moment later, but is just a fraction offside and the AR had it correct.
Halftime — Brentford 1-0 Crystal Palace
Kevin Schade nearly produces a beautiful second goal for the Bees three minutes before halftime, and the Bees then draw a yellow card to Marc Guehi while getting a dangerous free kick but it stays a one-goal game.
The early whistle for a foul during Eze’s woulda-been spectacular free kick goal changed everything, as Mbeumo made it 1-0 for the Bees so soon after the event.
Brentford’s had a bit more of the ball but Palace has produced nearly as much danger.
Eze denied fabulous goal by whistle, and Brentford strike first
Eze swirls an audacious free kick off the post and home, but the whistle goes before the ball strikes the iron.
VAR will not change things, and Brentford take advantage.
It’s a beautiful team move from their own third, and ends with Yoane Wissa driving toward the heart of the box after giving the ball to Bryan Mbeumo out wide.
Mbeumo cuts past his man and fires a curler past Dean Henderson, who doesn’t react to the shape of the shot.
1-0 in the 29th.
Palace getting in own way
The Eagles are getting into the final third but the correct choice or sharpest ball is missing them.
Eberechi Eze drives into the box and has Tyrick Mitchell firing toward open space and an open look at goal, but takes two more touches and fires a deflected ball out for a corner.
Brentford then concede a free kick just outside the 18, and Eze’s low shot just misses the far post. Palace look more likely to open the scoring, by far.
Gtech is buzzing and both teams are after it
Not quite a feverish start but there’s certainly energy and nerves on both sides as two London sides get the day under way.
It’s the post-Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) era for Palace and perhaps the soon-to-be post-Toney era for Brentford. New heroes will emerge and old ones may take the next steps.
Could French Olympic hero Jean-Philippe Mateta be one? Daichi Kamada and the Eagles are looking to get the ball to the big forward in the danger areas, but so far Brentford’s been wise.
Brentford vs Crystal Palace team news: Ivan Toney update
Could Ivan Toney be on his way out of Brentford after all? Thomas Frank showed some love for the striker while also explaining why the Bees will buzz along without him.
💬 Thomas on Ivan Toney's absence
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 18, 2024
"There's some transfer interest and because of all that we decided not to involve him today. Ivan is a top player; he's been fantastic for us over four years but we also showed, last year especially, that we can win without him"#BRECRY pic.twitter.com/mdXp6A7eeh
Brentford lineup
Flekken, Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer, Norgaard, Janelt, Jensen, Mbenumo, Schade, Wissa.
Crystal Palace lineup
Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Wharton, Hughes, Kamada, Mateta, Eze.
Brentford team news, focus
The main concern for Thomas Frank remains in defense with several key players still out injured after suffering big injuries last season. Injuries elsewhere have started to pile up again and Brentford really need a good start to the season as they’ve been handed a pretty tough fixtures list between now and October. Keeping hold of Toney is key, but seems unlikely, while the likes of Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade will be tasked with causing problems from attacking midfield.
OUT: Josh Dasilva (knee), Rico Henry (knee), Aaron Hickey (thigh), Igor Thiago (knee)
Crystal Palace team news, focus
All of the noise at Palace is about keeping hold of Guehi but their captain had a wonderful EURO 2024 at the heart of England’s defense and it seems likely Newcastle will spend big on him to take the center back to St James’ Park. Palace have invested wisely this summer after selling Olise and Daichi Kamada on a free transfer looks like a great bit of business. Glasner’s side will be lightning on the counter and tough to breakdown in their 3-4-2-1 formation, but so many of their players were involved with England and Colombia so they returned late in preseason, while Jean-Philippe Mateta starred for France’s Olympic team even later in the summer as they won silver at Paris 2024. Palace may not have their full strength team up to speed until September, so they may start the season slowly.
OUT: Matheus France (groin) | QUESTIONABLE: Cheick Doucoure (undisclosed)
Brentford vs Crystal Palace prediction
These two teams usually draw and I can see that again. They match up really closely and Brentford love to play direct but Palace have so many defenders who are good in the air and are aggressive to step high and stop the Bees getting settled. Brentford 1-1 Crystal Palace.