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Beesotted contributor Jacob ‘The Gowler’ Gowler (@BeesBreakdown) gives us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s win against Crystal Palace.

Thomas Frank made one change to the starting XI, bringing Schade on for Yarmoliuk. The Bees came out in a 4-2-3-1 with Lewis-Potter, van den Berg, Collins, and Roerslev on the backline. Janelt and Nørgaard formed a double pivot with Damsgaard in the number 10 role ahead of them. Schade started on the left wing with Mbeumo on the right. Wissa joined them up top and, as always, played a crucial role in buildup.

Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace side came out in a 3-4-2-1. The back three consisted of Richards, Lacroix, and Guehi. Palace’s wingbacks, Munoz and Mitchell, got forward to combine with Hughes and Lerma in midfield. Sarr and Eze drifted into the half-spaces to link up with target man Mateta. Glasner had multiple options on the bench, with Nketiah and Kamada ready to make an impact. 19-year-old Romain Esse also waited to make his Crystal Palace debut.

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Brentford ended with 1.52 xG to Palace’s 1.08 xG. The Bees only created 0.31 xG from open play, with the majority of their xG coming from the penalty. Brentford struggled to beat Crystal Palace’s midblock, finding it hard to get Damsgaard and Wissa into pockets of space. The Bees baited Palace further out of their shell and eventually connected on their chances.

Crystal Palace matched up well with a back three and made it hard for Brentford with their compact shape, yet they struggled when in-possession. Eze rarely took advantage of transitional moments and often passed backwards, allowing Brentford to get back behind the ball.

Brentford’s high press and man marking also caused trouble for Palace, but the Bees failed to take advantage of these situations. This is indicated by Brentford’s 69.9 passing completion percentage, which was Brentford’s worst passing display this season.

Damsgaard and Wissa continued their good form, being instrumental in and out of possession. Damsgaard ended with a team high 4 key passes, while Wissa had 4 blocks. Jensen also impressed out-of-possession, ending with the only 2 interceptions for Brentford, showcasing his elite anticipation by jumping into passing lanes.