Brentford 2-1 Watford: Dramatic stoppage time Bryan Mbeumo penalty completes Bees turnaround against hapless Hornets
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ByEurosport
Updated 10/12/2021 at 23:44 GMT
Premier League, Brentford Community Stadium: Brentford 2 (Jansson 86’, Mbeumo 90+4’), Watford 1 (Dennis 24’).
Brentford's French midfielder Bryan Mbeumo (R) celebrates after scoring their late winner from the penalty spot during the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Watford at Brentford Community Stadium in London on December 10, 2021
Image credit: Getty Images
Bryan Mbeumo scored a penalty five minutes into added-time as Brentford came from a goal down to beat struggling Watford and move 10 points clear of the drop zone.
Emmanuel Dennis continued his rich vein of goalscoring form when, in the 24th-minute, Brentford were undone by Tom Cleverley's corner.
The hosts inexplicably left the danger man Dennis unmarked and he duly punished them, heading in his seventh league goal this term.
The goal came slightly against the run of play - prior to that Thomas Frank's side had been the more dangerous, with visiting goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann doing well to keep out Shandon Baptiste and Mbeumo efforts.
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Pontus Jansson of Brentford scores his side's equalising goal to make the score 1-1 during the Premier League match between Brentford and Watford at Brentford Community Stadium on December 10, 2021 in Brentford, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
Although they dominated possession as they huffed and puffed in search of a leveller after the restart, Brentford never really looked like scoring.
However, with just six minutes remaining, their captain Pontus Jansson headed in at the far post from Marcus Forss's cross for his first goal for the club and set up a tense finale.
Brentford threw bodies forward in search of the winner and the pressure paid off when Sama Ghoddos was taken out by William Troost-Ekong's clumsy challenge inside the box.
With the usual spot-kick taker Ivan Toney injured, Mbeumo stepped up as deputy, keeping his cool to send Bachmann the wrong way, as Brentford claimed a huge victory in their quest to beat the drop.
The Bees climb up to ninth while Watford - who have now lost four successive matches - remain three points clear of the drop but have played two games more than 18th-placed Burnley.
TALKING POINT - Brentford further expose Watford's fragile defence
Just how crucial could this victory prove to be for Brentford come May? After a run of just one win in eight games, it was clear they were lacking in confidence and, in truth, for large periods of the evening they were sleepwalking towards another home defeat, hardly creating a chance and Watford appearing entirely comfortable.
The Hornets' defensive problems are well documented however and the visitors were again the makers of their own downfall, conceding two really soft goals, allowing Frank's men to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. With the likes of the impressive Dennis, Watford are extremely capable in attack, but with the club failing to keep a single clean-sheet this season, Ranieri obviously has a real job on his hands to stop the leak at the back.
So, while Brentford are in dreamland - into the top half of the Premier Division and closer to the Champions League spots than relegation - Watford are staring bleakly at another scrap at the bottom of the table.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
The Frenchman had looked lively throughout and his pace on the break was a thorn in the side of Watford. But it was from 12 yards out where he was most deadly, stepping up under huge pressure to tuck his penalty away.
PLAYER RATINGS
Brentford: Fernandes 6, Goode 7, Jansson 7, Janelt 6, Roerslev 6, Norgaard 6, Baptiste 8, Jensen 7, Henry 7, Mbeumo 8*, Wissa 7.. subs: Forss 5, Ghoddos 7, Onyeka N/A.
Watford: Bachmann 7, Femenia 5, Ekong 5, Cathcart 5, Ngakia 5, Kucka 6, Cleverley 7, Sissoko 7, Cucho 7, Dennis 8, King 7.. subs: Joao Pedro 5, Sema N/A, Tufan N/A.
KEY MOMENTS
3' - Save! Baptiste catches Bachmann by surprise with a volley from the edge of the penalty area but the Watford goalkeeper reacts well by tipping it over the bar! An early sign of intent from Brentford.
21' - Great save! Mbeumo drives Brentford forward on the counter with rapid pace, cuts inside and bends a left-footed shot that looks destined for the top corner. Once again Bachmann is there, at full stretch he pushes it around the post.
24' - So close for Watford! Now it's the visitors' turn to threaten! King curls a shot towards the corner and can only watch as it crashes agonisingly off the post.
24' - GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Watford (Emmanuel Dennis): Watford strike first! Cleverly's corner delivery meets the unmarked Dennis who heads in his seventh league goal this term!
84' - GOAL! Brentford 1-1 Watford (Pontus Jansson): Brentford are level! The visitors can only partially clear from a corner. The ball is kept alive, Forss flicks on the cross and Jansson heads in at the far post... but is it going to count?! VAR is checking for a potential offside! After a lengthy check, the goal STANDS! The captain Jansson scores his first goal for Brentford. Has he rescued them a point?
90'+4 - Penalty to Brentford! Troost-Ekong clearly catches Ghoddos, who goes down and gives Michael Oliver absolutely no choice but to point to the spot!
90'+5 - GOAL! Brentford 2-1 Watford (Bryan Mbeumo, pen): Brentford will take all three points! Mbeumo waits for Bachmann to commit before sliding the ball into the opposite corner! What a HUGE win this will be!
KEY STATS
- Watford have now gone 26 Premier League games without a clean sheet, and remain the only side in England’s top-four tiers this season yet to register a shut-out.
- Bryan Mbeumo's winner from the penalty spot, timed at exactly 95 minutes, is the latest winning goal in the Premier League since Bruno Fernandes scored after 99 minutes and 45 seconds against Brighton in September 2020, also from the penalty spot.
- Brentford have become the first team in Premier League history to have each of their first 10 home goals in the competition scored by different players (Canós, Nørgaard, Pinnock, Janelt, Wissa, Zanka, Henry, Toney, Jansson, Mbeumo).
- Pontus Jansson has ended a run of 93 games without a goal in all competitions, netting for the first time since February 2019 for Leeds in a Championship match against Swansea City.
- Emmanuel Dennis has been directly involved in 12 Premier League goals this season (7 goals, 5 assists), the second most of any player behind Mohamed Salah (22).
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