Brentford 1 Crystal Palace 1
Brentford welcomed Crystal Palace to the Gtech Community Stadium for the hosts third successive London derby in the new Premier League season. The Bees were unbeaten and looked like they were coping well with the continued absence of banned striker Ivan Toney.
You have to feel for the contradiction in football that the Brentford striker has been banned for breaching FA betting rules, diagnosed with a gambling addiction and when he comes back in January will again be the poster-boy for Brentford's sponsor......a gambling website.
Eberechi Eze is starting to thrive in his new role as the main man for Roy Hodgson’s team since the summer departure of Wilfried Zaha and was showing his skills as he created the visitors’ first opening of the game.
Some silky footwork saw him leave two Brentford players for dead before threading a pass to Edouard who was baring down on goal before two defenders slid in to block his effort and ensure that he was unable to trouble The Bees’ keeper.
Credit: @BrentfordFC
Kevin Schade picked the ball up out on the left and as he turned Joel Ward one way and then the other, he cut onto his right foot and bent one in the top corner to give Brentford the lead. The stadium erupted as the ball nestled into the back of the net.
It was his first goal for Brentford, becoming the 40th German player to score in the Premier League, which was ironic as when Palace manager Roy Hodgson was born Allied forces had just defeated Germany in WW2.
Schade certainly showed the home fans that he was one smooth operator with the build-up and strike that was good enough to grace any goal of the month competition, £22m well spent by manager Thomas Frank.
In a game of very few clear-cut chances you began to wonder whether the goal would be enough to win it, as the rain poured down for the predictable Bank Holiday weather, the Palace manager was more focussed on getting his coat on at this stage. The last thing the 76-year-old manager wanted was pneumonia from this away trip, something which can be fateful to the elder generation amongst us.
As the second half started, Schlupp ran towards the Brentford penalty area before a timely challenge from Jensen stopped him in his tracks. Ayew picked the ball up and Jensen lunged in, giving the visitors a free-kick on the edge of the box.
Edouard stepped up and hit it, drawing the first save from Flekken in the Brentford goal, at the expense of a corner to Roy Hodgson’s side. It was a great one-handed save from Dutch goalkeeper to keep his side in front.
Credit: @CPFC
Whatever Hodgson said to his players at half-time had kicked them into gear as they started to put some real pressure on the hosts, forcing another corner on this occasion. As the ball was swung in by Eze, it was met by the head of Guehi with Flekken making a fantastic one-handed stop low down to his left.
Jordan Ayew followed up the save at the near post but the Dutch keeper reacted well and scrambled across to block the shot, to the applause of the home faithful. Palace just could not seem to find a way passed the Brentford keeper.
With time running out for The Eagles, Andersen came forward with nothing seemingly on for the visitors. He played a neat one-two with Ayew in the box and slid in with both Flekken and a Brentford defender for the ball at the near post.
Somehow, it sneaked through the melee of players and crept over the line for the equaliser, despite the efforts of the covering defender hacking it clear, as the goal-line technology notified the referee that it had crossed the line.
Not that the technology was a deciding factor however as even the partially-sighted could see that the ball was a good foot over the line. Palace started to turn the screw and felt all three points were there for the taking.
Ayew took the ball on his chest and spun to shoot, or at least we think he did, but the effort whistled across goal and went out for a throw in. Lerma then swung a dangerous ball into the box, flicked on by a Brentford defender, with Flekken scrambling to ensure it was missing the far post.
As the full-time whistle brought the game to an end, this was the fifth time that these two teams have played out a draw in the Premier League. Brentford remain unbeaten this season which will please The Bees’ fans while Palace make it four points from their first three games under their veteran manager.
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