Beesotted contributors The Gowler and Paul Kowalczyk (@BeesBreakdown) give us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s win against Burnley.
Thomas Frank’s 4-3-3 looked a little different with Janelt starting at left back. Brentford’s long injury list, and a suspension to Hickey, left Thomas Frank without many options. Neal Maupay got his first start since his return, joining Mbeumo and Wissa up top. Frank Onyeka slid into the midfield alongside Nørgaard and Jensen. Ajer seems to be solidifying his spot at right back, as long as he can stay fit. Ben Mee was listed as a substitute as he worked his way back from injury.
Vincent Kompany’s Burnely side came out in a 4-2-3-1, with a few changes from their last match. Brownhill, Delcroix, and Vitinho were dropped with Amdouni, O’Shea, and Roberts replacing them. Burnley have previously relied on Brownhill to control their midfield, so dropping him to the bench was a surprise. Koleosho, also left on the bench, looked to make an impact as a substitute.
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Quick Stats:
Possession: Brentford 49% – 51% Burnley
xG: Brentford 3.12 – 1.15 Burnley
xGOT: Brentford 3.04 – 0.35 Burnley
Shots: Brentford 23 – 6 Burnley
Shots on Target: Brentford 9 – 1 Burnley
Clearances: Brentford 11 – 27 Burnley
 Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA): Brentford 9.68 – 14.67 Burnley
Other Brentford stats:
Interceptions: 12
Aerial duels won: 15 (53.6%)
Summary
Brentford’s high press gave Burnley trouble and led to multiple dangerous chances. The front three of Wissa, Maupay, and Mbeumo all had fantastic performances. Maupay may be frustrated by his goal drought, but he was a crucial piece of creating all three goals. He recorded 3 goal-creating actions, as he was directly involved in setting up or assisting each goal.
Thomas Frank didn’t stray from his usual tactics, and even used a wide variety of attacking sequences. Brentford were able to build out of the back, starting with Flekken’s distribution, and as always, created chances from set pieces and long throw-ins. Brentford consistently used their high press to win the ball deep in Burnley’s half, and immediately started their coordinated attack.
Collins and Pinnock had brilliant performances again, not only stopping most Burnley counters without much help, but also completing a combined 69% of long passes. Pinnock even led the squad with the most passes into the final third, showing how much the centrebacks were involved in Brentford’s buildup.
Frank Onyeka and Ajer had excellent performances as well. Onyeka created 0.86 xGBuildUp which shows how important he was to creating chances. Ajer won 4 aerial duels and offered support going forward with his runs in-behind.
The Bees travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday, who are undefeated in their last three Premier League matches.