Beesotted contributors The Gowler and Paul Kowalczyk (@BeesBreakdown) give us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s draw against Crystal Palace.
Thomas Frank deployed the same lineup as the Southampton match. Brentford in a 4-3-3 with Wissa, Toney, and Mbeumo leading the line. A balanced midfield of Jensen, Nørgaard and Dasilva provided defensive compactness with excellent positioning and attacking prowess going forward with line breaking passes. The solid back four featured Hickey’s return to the starting XI alongside the usual suspects of Pinnock, Ben Mee, and Rico Henry.
Palace came out in what was assumed to be a 4-2-3-1 but really was a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield at times. Mateta and Ayew were the strikers as Zaha missed out due to injury. Schlupp and Olise the wide midfielders looked to dribble in the half space and create goal scoring opportunities. Eberechi Eze headlined the substitutes as Crystal Palace would look to him for a goal.
5th Minute
8th Minute
15th Minute
42nd Minute
69th Minute
83rd Minute
96th Minute
Quick Stats:
Possession: Brentford 59% – 41% Crystal Palace
xG: Brentford 0.7 – 1.1 Crystal Palace
Big Chances: Brentford 1 – 1 Crystal Palace
xG on Target (xGOT): Brentford 1.21 – 1.18 Crystal Palace
Other Brentford stats:
Total Shots: 12
Interceptions: 9
Tackles won: 6 (50%)
Aerial duels won: 24 (60%)
Summary
Brentford did well to build out of the back but could not put it all together for 95 minutes. Palace fans may feel robbed but the Bees earned their last minute equalizer. The xG does not seem representative of how the match played out, but the xGOT suggests Brentford made the most out of their chances. The Bees threatened throughout, but struggled to find the final pass leading to a shot.
Palace created half of their xG from Eze’s goal alone, and rarely threatened Brentford throughout the match. The Bees again showed their compact defence not allowing teams to get much penetration. Momentary individual lapses have caused Brentford to concede some goals recently, but overall the defence has been outstanding.
Dasilva had an excellent match with his line breaking passes and progressive dribbling. Hickey and Dasilva have formed a good chemistry on that right wing, and have become very fun to watch.  Jensen recorded 4 key passes, with almost double digit passes into the final third and 5 passes into the penalty area. Nørgaard not only keeps Brentford sound defensively, but starts counters with his 9 loose ball recoveries.
Substitutions in the 63rd minute were like for like changes with Damsgaard replacing Dasilva’s attacking midfield role, while Schade came on for Wissa on the wing. Brentford conceded in in the 69th and Thomas Frank made tactical substitutions shortly after.
Thomas Frank took off Hickey and Henry in the 76th minute for Lewis-Potter and Janelt. Brentford switched to a 3-4-3, but in possession this became a 3-2-5. Janelt joined Pinnock and Ben Mee on the backline, which allowed Janelt to get forward in possession. Jensen and Nørgaard/Baptiste played a crucial role winning second balls if Palace cut out crosses.
Lewis-Potter and Mbeumo played on the wings, while Schade and Damsgaard played in the half spaces. Damsgaard occasionally dropped into midfield to receive the ball and then work it wide while Toney waited in the box for service.
This aggressive change allowed for Brentford to push forward and keep more possession. Brentford have rarely played such attacking football this season, so it was great to see them do it successfully without conceding a goal. This Brentford side is much more flexible and dynamic than people give them credit for.
