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Beesotted contributors The Gowler and Paul Kowalczyk (@BeesBreakdown) give us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s win against Bournemouth.

Thomas Frank surprised many, including us, with a lineup consisting of four midfielders. Janelt filled in at left back for Rico Henry, who missed the match due to injury. Janelt’s ability to play multiple positions was much needed with Brentford not having many options for left back replacements. Janelt did not look out of place even being asked to cover a lot of ground.

The switch back to a 4-3-3 helped Brentford get forward, hold possession, but also play down the wings. Mbeumo and Wissa did an excellent job receiving the ball in wide areas and then cutting inside to switch the ball and cause defensive errors.

Thomas Frank’s ability to recognize our own weaknesses and quickness to adapt during the middle of the match was on display. During the second half Thomas Frank realized Bournemouth were threatening down the left wing. He signaled Mbeumo to drop back, and then made tactical substitutions as Bournemouth brought on a dangerous attacking winger.

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Quick Stats:

Possession: Brentford 50% – 50% Bournemouth

xG: Brentford 1.40 – 0.60 Bournemouth

xGOT: Brentford 1.43 – 0.20 Bournemouth

Big Chances: Brentford 1 – 0 Bournemouth

Other Brentford stats:

Total Shots: 12

Interceptions: 7

Tackles won: 11 (55%)

Aerial duels won: 18 (47%)

Summary

Thomas Frank early on had clear instructions to stay wide and cross balls into the box. Brentford overloaded the wings and avoided playing through the center of the pitch. Bournemouth was compact in the center of the pitch, but once Brentford stretched their narrow shape it allowed the Bees to progress the ball more easily in midfield.

Brentford struggled to create many chances with combination play, and focused on quickly springing counters. A focus on winning second balls allowed Brentford to catch Bournemouth out of position when transitioning to defence.

Time after time Nørgaard won back possession and quickly sent the ball forward to start a counter. Occasionally this led to good chances, but typically Brentford struggled to put it all together. Unfortunately, Nørgaard had a bad giveaway that led to one of Bournemouth’s best chances, but that is a rare occurrence.

Mbeumo quietly had a good match after being asked to provide lots of defensive cover when filling in at right wing back. Mbeumo then even dropped into midfield 87 minutes into the match to progress the ball on his own.

Brentford allowed Bournemouth to control possession at times, but Brentford’s compact defence did not allow Bournemouth many chances. Bournemouth only had 2 shots on target and failed to look dangerous throughout the match.