Brentford v Crystal Palace: Premier League – live | Premier League

LOVELY GOAL! Brentford 1-0 Crystal Palace (Mbuemo 29)

27 min VAR takes a look … and upholds the on-pitch call.

26 min …or not! Wharton leave it, Eze swishes a brilliant effort around the outside of the one-man wall and in off the near post! That is fantastic work in conception and execution, but the ref immediately indicates that the effort is disallowed because Hughes fouled Collins inside the box. That is probably fair enough, just about, but such a shame because it had no impact on Eze’s effort. He is absolutely sizzling.

25 min Meantime, Palace win a free-kick down the left, Wharton to swing in…

25 min I am dogsitting for an extremely lively Australian labradoodle who won’t leave me be. Any tips?

23 min “Good morning from Pittsburgh!” begins Eric Peterson. “I’m willing to give Oliver Glasner the benefit of the doubt, but I think the enthusiasm about his sudden impact at Palace last year needs to be greatly tempered. Palace’s strong finish coincided with the return to full health (and the starting XI) of MIchael Olise and Eberechi Eze, which had a discernible knock-on effect on Jean-Philippe Mateta’s impact. Glasner’s new-manager bounce (5-0-1 down the stretch) didn’t really kick in until that happened; he went 1-2-3 through his first six games. Something to consider with Olise and (probably) Marc Guehi gone.”

I know what you mean, but I really like the way he sets Palace up. It suits his best players and you can see they know what they’re doing.

22 min Eze drills low and hard, the ball whizzing past the far post, just. Perhaps Flekken has it covered, but that definitely doesn’t mean he saves it.

20 min I wonder if Eze is one of those players who hits a level and just starts doing bits every week, because he’s effortlessly controlling this game. A backpass forces Flekken to clear wildly under pressure from Kamada, Eze collects the loose ball, and Wissa chops him doing, earning a booking. Free-kick Palace, just to the left of the D, and of course Eze will take it.

17 min “ ‘Does Brentford exist?’”begins Jeremy Boyce, quoting me back to myself. “Wow, Sunday afternoon footie-related existentialism. What were you up to last night?

You’re right, it’s definitely in a funny part of SW London, where you wouldn’t go unless you needed to go, bordered by Kew Gardens/The Thames, Chiswick, and some other ‘never-been-there’ places like Boston Manor and Gunnersbury. Apart from its decent football team, the other main feature is the M4 Motorway and the continuous stream of low-flying jumbo jets making their way into Heathrow. It has a named railway station, so presumably, yes, it exists. People of my own age might be more familiar with Brentford for the below.”

I’m not sure we can call Brentford SW London, but anyone who’s played football in London will have had reason to visit Gunnersbury Park.

15 min Good turn from Mateta, who then sets Mitchell away, and he crosses … but Norgaard kicks clear. So Palace start passing again, their formation allowing them to find angles, and when Eze takes possession on halfway, he drives forward and has Mitchell unmarked to his left. But on the edge, he tries to manufacture a shooting lane, only for his effort to be blocked. That’s a waste opportunity, but his team are bossing this.

13 min Eze is finding space at will, helping a ball into space behind; Flekken tidies up. But I wonder if one of Brentford’s midfield three will be asked to sit on him, because currently he’s having way more touches than Frank will be comfortable with.

12 min The problem Brentford have is they’re struggling to get from the first third to the third – Palace are shutting down their passing angles in centrefield and covering the longer balls into the channels.

10 min It’s Palace making the running now, their defensive line nice and high and twin 8s picking up pockets. They’ve slowed the game down a little, looking to keep the ball, while Brentford want a quicker contest in which they can assert physically.

9 min Great goal from Tanzania!

7 min Palace are improving. Lovely feet from Eze in midfield, swaying away from a challenge before flicking out to Munoz. And his cross picks out Mitchell … who snatches at his attempted volley, dragging wide of the far post.

5 min Wharton swings in and Flekken punches clear, then smothers, just about, when a deflected cross lands between him and Anderson. In fact looking again, he actually doesn’t, rather offers a tentative foot when he needed to take everything, just about escaping and getting the ball away.

4 min But now Palace force their way into the game, Mateta holding up before Munoz’s cross is deflected behind.

4 min Mbuemo wins it high but can’t pick a pass through to Wissa, Richards intercepting. But it’s all Brentford so far.

3 min Brentford have started exactly as we knew they would, a muscular and restrictive presence like a blanket that punches you.

1 min Immediately, Ajer ploughs down the left and sends Schade away into space. His cross is a goodun too, punched into the corridor and forcing Gueye to slide behind under pressure; the resultant corner comes to nowt.

1 min The players take a knee: all Black lives matter. Away we go!

Franks looks scruffy but the home fans don’t care as he noises them up, then players of both sides huddle, discussing current affairs, popular culture and what’s for dinner. They’re ready!

And here they come! Oh man, you cannot beat the first weekend of the season; the ground, in the heart of … Brentford, looks glorious.

Our players are tunnelled. Palace are in a black training top that looks like a shirt with a zip; it’s fairly strange.

I absolutely love Eberechi Eze. I remember a mate with a QPR season ticket banging on about him years ago – in a way he hadn’t about anyone since Adel Taarabt, another beautiful player. Eze, though, gives you application and tactical intelligence as well as aesthetics, and though I’m still not totally certain what he is, you can stick him in two or three positions and be happy. If he can develop in a box-to-box general, he can be incredible; if he’s an attacker, he’s got to work on increasing his numbers.

It just occurred to me that in the 45 years I’ve lived in London, I’ve never heard anyone say “I’m from Brentford” or “Just off to Brentford”. This caused me to wonder if there’s actually a place of that name, rather than just a football team, so in the name of sharing knowledge, I can confirm that there is.

Glasner, who looks like a kindly but tough CID man in The Bill, tells Sky that Palace have had a good training week and are here to win the game – despite the difficulties of the international summer.

Mateta, though, had time off and then got match-fit before carrying on scoring goals, so he’s in good shape, while Guehi is a good player and character so starts. He’s not influenced by transfer rumours, though Glasner wishes the window closed with the start of the season.

This is a big season for Kevin Schade. He had last to settle in and showed some potential, which was fine, but – especially if Toney leaves – Brentford need more from him this term. He should get a decent run too, and one thing you know if you play for Frank is that instructions will be clear.

I mentioned Wharton, so let’s think about him. I mentioned this during the Euros, but I’ve a strong sense England’s best midfield is him, Mainoo, Bellingham, and an even stronger one that he’s the only player in the squad able to play the role of a modern number six properly. Much as Palace will want to keep him, I – and they, I imagine – expect an auction next summer, with plenty of rich types involved.

So where is the game? Palace will look to have Adam Wharton dictate, taking the ball off the back three and spreading it – I really like what I’ve seen of Munoz down the right. Then Eze and Kamada will float, looking to attack the space between Brentford’s midfield three and back four while Mateta tries to push the defence back, opening up spaces for them to hit.

Brentford, on the other hand, will look to clutter central areas and have Schade and Mbuemo target the space behind the wing-backs and to the sides of the centre-backs, Roerslev and Ajer getting high and wide in an effort to serve Wissa with crosses. They’ll probably bypass midfield, while Palace look to play through it.

Of course Igor Thiago, Brentford’s record signing – they did the deal as long ago as February – is unavailable, having jiggered his meniscus in a friendly. We won’t, I’m afraid, see him in 2024 – but imagine the fury with which he’ll play once he’s finally on the park.

What I like about Palace’s formation is the way its aspects serve each other. Eze and Kamada have free roles, but can drop into midfield to make the central two a three; a centre-back can step up in midfield and serve the same purpose; the full-backs can provide attacking width because if a midfielder sits they still leave a back four; and they’ve scope to manufacture space wide or centrally.

As for Palace, Mateta is back despite only finishing last season a week ago. Watching him recently, I’ve been minded a little of Louis Saha, as both are all-round centre-forwards able to come short in spin in, occupy to two centre-backs and score all types of goal.

Behind him, Daichi Kamada takes Olise’s place – Sarr is on the bench – while Guehi takes his left-centre-back spot despite Newcastle’s efforts to sign him.

I do like Frank; it’s very easy to see why players love him. And to look at his XI, he goes four at the back today – against the better sides, Brentford often go with three – and Toney aside, the lineup is as expected. Carvalho is, I think, a really good signing, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on; Frank said we should see him later in the game.

Ivan Toney left out amid transfer interest

I’ll write these down, then we’ll have a think about what they mean.

Teams!

Preamble