Brentford secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener on Sunday, aided by a fortunate deflection and a contentious refereeing decision.
Notably, Brentford’s star striker Ivan Toney was absent from the squad amid swirling rumours of a potential transfer.
Yoane Wissa emerged as the hero for Brentford, scoring the decisive goal in the 76th minute.
The goal came in chaotic fashion after Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, attempting to parry a deflected shot from Nathan Collins, inadvertently pushed the ball into Wissa’s path, who then bundled it into the net.
This marked the second time Brentford took the lead against the run of play.
Earlier in the 29th minute, Bryan Mbeumo had put the Bees ahead, only for Palace to equalize through an unfortunate own goal by Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock.
The match was marred by controversy, particularly surrounding a disallowed goal for Crystal Palace.
England international, Eberechi Eze, thought he had opened the scoring with a brilliant long-range free kick that caught Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken off guard.
Eze’s shot, delivered from the right side, sailed directly into the net via the near post.
However, referee Sam Barrott had already blown his whistle for a foul on Palace midfielder Will Hughes, who was involved in a tussle on the edge of the area as the ball was struck.
The decision left Palace manager Oliver Glasner fuming, especially as VAR was unable to intervene since the whistle had been blown before the ball crossed the line.
Just moments after this controversy, Brentford capitalized on their good fortune.
Mbeumo latched onto a through ball down the right wing, cut inside defender Marc Guehi, and fired a precise left-footed shot into the far corner, leaving Henderson with no chance.
Crystal Palace, undeterred, continued to dominate possession and finally found an equalizer. A well-placed header by Daniel Munoz across the face of the goal led to Pinnock inadvertently diverting the ball into his own net as he attempted to clear.
Palace’s frustration only grew as they had another goal ruled out for offside before Wissa’s late winner sealed the win for Brentford.
Ahead of the match, Brentford manager Thomas Frank confirmed that Ivan Toney had been omitted from the squad due to “transfer interest,” hinting that the prolific striker might be on the move before the transfer window closes.
On the other side, Palace’s Marc Guehi, also the subject of transfer speculation with Newcastle reportedly keen on signing the England international, started the match.
Despite the victory, the contentious nature of Brentford’s win, particularly the disallowed goal, will likely fuel debate in the aftermath of this early-season clash.