Brentford began their season with a narrow victory over Crystal Palace, despite not including striker Ivan Toney due to “transfer interest.”
Bryan Mbeumo gave Brentford the lead in the 29th minute, shortly after Crystal Palace had a goal controversially disallowed.
Eberechi Eze had initially scored from a wide free-kick, but the referee, Sam Barrott, had already blown his whistle for a foul before the ball crossed the line.
Soon after, Mbeumo extended Brentford’s lead with a well-placed shot past Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson following a determined run.
Crystal Palace equalized in the 56th minute when Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock inadvertently deflected Daniel Munoz’s header into his own net, with Odsonne Edouard in close proximity.
Brentford secured the win with a 78th-minute goal from Yoane Wissa, who tapped in after Henderson had saved a shot from Nathan Collins.
No Toney, no problem
Brentford’s win came despite manager Thomas Frank telling Sky Sports before kick-off that Toney had been left out of the squad because of “transfer interest” in the England striker.
Asked if Toney has already played his last match for Brentford, Frank said: “Who knows? There is interest. It’s not close.”
If Toney were to leave, finding a replacement to match his goal-scoring ability is likely to be a key discussion point throughout Brentford’s season.
On Sunday, Brentford demonstrated their efficiency in his absence, capitalizing on two crucial opportunities.
Shortly after Mbeumo’s goal, Kristoffer Ajer forced a smart save from Henderson with a close-range effort, and Kevin Schade’s shot narrowly missed just before halftime.
New signing Fabio Carvalho made his debut, coming on as a substitute in the final stages of the match.
Meanwhile, Brentford’s other summer acquisition, centre-forward Igor Thiago, is expected to be sidelined until late 2024 due to a knee injury sustained during pre-season.
Palace frustrated by disallowed goal
Crystal Palace were unlucky not to take the lead midway through the first half. Eberechi Eze managed to score with a quickly-taken free-kick after catching Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken off guard.
However, referee Sam Barrott had already blown the whistle for a foul by Will Hughes on Collins before the ball crossed the line, preventing the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) from reviewing and possibly overturning the on-field decision.
Palace also had a goal from Odsonne Edouard disallowed for offside while the score was 1-1, as the substitute had moved forward just a fraction too early.
In the second half, midfielder Adam Wharton consistently tested Flekken, who made a notable save from a deflected Eze shot in the dying moments of the match.
Despite these efforts, Palace could not find a second goal and were left to rue their missed chances as they suffered a frustrating defeat.