Just when it looked like Eberechi Eze’s deft header had stopped them in their tracks, an equaliser from Vitaly Janelt with the last touch of the match stretched Brentford’s incredible unbeaten run to 11 league matches and denied Crystal Palace their first victory of 2023.
Given that two goals had been scored in the three previous Premier League meetings between these clubs, this was never likely to be a classic and so it proved. But having taken the lead midway through the second half courtesy of a flowing move that was started and finished by Eze, the sucker punch for Palace arrived in the seventh minute of injury time courtesy of another substitute in the form of the Germany midfielder Janelt when he headed home Bryan Mbeumo’s cross.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Palace, who will now be looking nervously over their shoulders at a potential relegation dogfight after failing to hold on to a lead for the second time against these opponents this season. For Brentford, who are now level on points with seventh-placed Brighton, who knows where this may all end?
“This group of players are remarkable,” said the manager, Thomas Frank. “On a day when we didn’t perform well we still had the energy, spirit and mentality to get something from this game.”
It seems hard to believe now, but at the start of November, Palace had more points than Brentford having also played a game less. They still find themselves nine behind despite nullifying Brentford’s attackers for most of the afternoon but failing to add to Eze’s goal after he was introduced from the bench.
Brentford’s unbeaten run in the top flight stretches back to a 4-0 thrashing against Aston Villa at the end of October and includes victories over Manchester City and Liverpool, picking up 21 points in the process. By contrast, Palace have accumulated seven in the same period and must find a victory from somewhere in the coming weeks if they are to avoid being dragged into a battle for survival.
“I wasn’t worried before the game and I’m not worried now,” said the Crystal Palace manager, Patrick Vieira. “It’s disappointing to concede a late goal but we have to keep our heads high and concentrate on the positives.”
A promising full debut from the Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga in midfield before he was replaced by Eze was a reason for optimism, while Vieira will have been pleased with the way his side forced Mbeumo and Ivan Toney to live off scraps in attack.
Despite the paucity of goals between these two sides in their past encounters, either could easily have been ahead in the opening 10 minutes. Christian Nørgaard fired wide of the Palace goal before Michael Olise called David Raya into action with a fierce drive from just outside the area. Yet, other than a series of innovative Brentford free kicks that came to nothing, that was as exciting as the first half would get.
A yellow card shown to Joachim Andersen for a late challenge on Yoane Wissa saw tempers briefly fray before Mbeumo dragged an effort well wide of the post. Edge of the seat stuff it was not.
Toney appeared fortunate to escape a booking for what looked a blatant dive after a challenge inside the area from Andersen at the start of the second half and Jeffrey Schlupp headed just wide of the post at the other end following a quick Palace break.
Nørgaard was frustrated to see his powerful drive head directly towards a grateful Vicente Guaita as Brentford stepped up the pressure.
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It was Eze who found the breakthrough with 21 minutes to play when he released Jordan Ayew down the left flank and his cross found its way to Cheick Doucouré, whose first-time pass played in Olise on the right. A teasing ball was met perfectly by Eze’s head to round off an excellent passage of play that had the usually mild-mannered Vieira punching the air down in the dugout.
Substitute Naouirou Ahamada wasted a golden chance to seal the points for Palace and the full consequences were felt when Janet crashed home his header.
