Brentford stunned Stamford Bridge for the third season in a row picking up a 2-0 victory to edge above the diminishing blues in the league, so is it safe to say the Bees are back on track?
Brentford have been in need of a bounce back and now with a 3-0 victory over Burnley and a 2-0 win over Chelsea it looks like the side are back to their best. Its been a difficult start to the season, injuries to Kevin Schade and Rico Henry have upset the teams flow and Thomas Frank has had to tactically adapt in the major absence of Ivan Toney. Form was poor as the Bees couldn't find a way to win, the most worrying statistic being the fact they hadn't won at home all season. Fans concerns were rising and rightfully so, the Gtech Community Stadium was a fortress last season, a place where many teams struggled to come out with three points so performance needed to change. Luckily the Bees were exceptional in game week 9 against a deflated Burnley and that performance alone signified the red and white armies return to consistency in the Premier League. The Bees can now throw themselves back into the mix with the other competitors seeking European positions.
Chelsea must be bored of playing the Bees at Stamford Bridge, the sides have met each other three times since Brentford's promotion in 2021 and goals from Bryan Mbuemo and Ethan Pinnock meant Brentford's undefeated record at the Bridge continued. There were some stand out performers who have been responsible for this change in form, one being Jamaican centre back Ethan Pinnock who is incredibly underrated and remains a key performer every week. Pinnock who became a professional footballer at a later age worked his way up from non league football noticeably playing for Dulwich Hamlet where his talent and potential sees him now playing for the Bees at the age of 30.
Another player who constantly goes under the radar and doesn't get near enough the credit he deserves is club Captain Christian Norgaard. His defensive statistics rival players such as Declan Rice, to compare Norgaard has won more tackles 19-13, aerial battles 13-9, clearances 17-11 and had more headed clearances 15-3. These stats demonstrate the levels the Danish midfielder is performing at. Brentford struggled for possession against Chelsea but because of Norgaard's defensive awareness they were impossible to break down. When reviewing results like the 2-0 victory over Chelsea, people only take time to admire the match winners when players such as Norgaard are the ones keeping the team ticking. The chemistry between him and fellow Danish teammate Mathias Jensen is growing and its clear to see the midfield is always more composed when they play together.
Brentford are to face West Ham in their next fixture and they'll be hoping to make it three wins from three. These last two wins have been massive for their confidence and the team is beginning to play more like a unit once more. When Brentford are firing they can be a big threat to any side, Bryan Mbuemo now on six goals for the season will look to add to his tally against the hammers. If Thomas Frank's men perfect their gameplan once more they could make West ham the second London team in two weeks to come up short to their brilliance but it certainly won't be an easy game.
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