London, Aug 18: Brentford benefited from a fortunate bounce and a disputed refereeing decision to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in their Premier League opener on Sunday despite striker Ivan Toney being left out of the squad ahead of a possible transfer.
Yoane Wissa bundled the winner into the net in the 76th minute after Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson got his hands to a deflected shot by Nathan Collins but pushed it onto the legs of the Brentford forward.
It was the second time Brentford took the lead against the run of play, with Bryan Mbeumo having opened the scoring in the 29th before Palace equalized through an own goal by Ethan Pinnock.
Mbeumo’s goal was doubly frustrating for Palace as it came just minutes after the visitors had a goal disallowed at the other end.
Eberechi Eze caught Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken out with a long-distance free kick from the right, hitting a shot straight into the net via the near post when Brentford was expecting a delivery into the box.
However, referee Sam Barrott whistled for a foul on Palace midfielder Will Hughes as he jostled for position in a scrum of players on the edge of the area.
While the decision enraged Palace manager Oliver Glasner, VAR could not review it as Barrott’s whistle came before the ball had gone into the net.
And moments later, Mbeumo raced onto a ball down the right wing and then cut inside Marc Guehi to beat goalkeeper Henderson with a left-foot shot inside the far corner.
Palace continued to control proceedings and equalized when Daniel Munoz met a cross with a header back across the goal, and Pinnock pushed the ball into his net as he tried to clear. The visitors then had another goal disallowed for offside before Collins’ winner.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank said before the game that Toney was left out of the squad because of “transfer interest,” hinting that the England striker could be sold this month.
However, Guehi was in Palace’s starting lineup despite Newcastle reportedly pursuing a deal for the England international.
Brentford’s narrow victory over Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener was marked by controversy and fortune, with key moments swinging in their favor.
Despite Palace’s dominance and a disallowed goal that left them frustrated, Brentford capitalized on their chances, securing the win through Yoane Wissa’s opportunistic strike.
The absence of Ivan Toney due to transfer speculation added another layer of intrigue to the match, as Brentford managed to navigate a challenging game without their star striker. (AP)
