Ivan Toney may be ready to move on from Brentford, but perhaps they are equally ready to move on from him.
Left out of the squad completely by boss Thomas Frank due to ongoing transfer speculation, Toney’s absence did not stop the Bees from enjoying a winning start to the new season.
The 28-year-old has just one year left on his contract but there have been no bids for the striker this summer and Frank insisted nothing is close, despite strong interest from Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.
Frank had emphasised before kick-off that his side had already shown they could win without Toney, who missed the first half of last season due to suspension for breaking betting rules. Indeed, just three of Brentford’s 10 victories last season came when Toney was in the starting XI. On this evidence, they will be just fine without him.
Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa were both on target while Kevin Schade, who was limited to just 11 appearances last season due to injury, was equally impressive.
Yoane Wissa produced a goal and an assist as Brentford beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Sunday
Wissa set up Bryan Mbeumo (left) for Brentford’s opening goal of their 2024-25 campaign
Palace equalised courtesy of an own goal scored by Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock (right)
But Wissa restored Brentford’s lead by netting the winner from close range in the 76th minute
‘There are various things going on with Ivan, especially with transfer rumours and because of all that we decided not to involve him in the squad,’ Frank said. ‘Ivan always wants to play. Just overall there’s a lot of things, we thought it was the best thing.’
Palace had their own transfer saga coming into this game, with defender Marc Guehi the subject of four rejected bids from Newcastle. He started and captained the side but was one of many who looked short of match sharpness. Palace, though, had the better chances across 90 minutes and will be left wondering how they walked away from this game with nothing.
Many have tipped the Eagles to have a successful campaign after ending last season with six wins from their last seven games. They were arguably the favourites coming into this but history has taught us never to write Brentford off. This is their fourth successive campaign in the top flight but they are still thriving off the underdog tag.
As they so often do at home, Brentford came out of the blocks quickly, with Guehi forced to make a vital interception to stop Mbeumo getting on the end of Schade’s cross after just 45 seconds.
Eberechi Eze had a couple of opportunities to open the scoring for Palace, firing a deflected effort and a low free-kick just wide. The forward thought he had gotten his goal when he deceived Mark Flekken by firing in a long-range free-kick at the near post, but referee Sam Barrott had blown for a foul before the ball hit the net, deeming Will Hughes to have pushed over Nathan Collins in the box.
Eze said Barrott apologised to him after the match for blowing his whistle too early.
Palace fans were even more livid when Brentford went down the other end to take the lead two minutes later. It was against the run of play, but it was a fine, free-flowing move. Vitaly Janelt fed Wissa, who laid the ball off to Mbeumo. The forward cut inside Guehi to curl a left-footed shot into the far corner past Dean Henderson.
Palace thought they should have had a penalty when Jean-Philippe Mateta raced through on goal and went to ground under a challenge from Flekken. But replays showed the goalkeeper had got a strong hand on the ball.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank did not select Toney amid speculation over the striker’s future
Frank congratulated star man and goal scorer Wissa following Sunday’s season-opening victory
Eberechi Eze thought he had given Palace a first-half lead when he hit the net from a free-kick
But the goal was disallowed by referee Samuel Barrott (centre) on his Premier League debut
Palace had more purpose after the break and Adam Wharton, an unused member of England’s Euros campaign, began to run the show. He twice nearly found an equaliser, his shot deflecting just wide before he forced Flekken into a fine low save.
A Palace goal had been coming but it was a Brentford man who provided it. Tyrick Mitchell’s cross was headed into the box by Daniel Munoz and Ethan Pinnock could only stick out a leg to deflect the ball past his own goalkeeper.
Odsonne Edouard thought he had put Palace in front minutes later, but the assistant referee’s offside flag was raised. Wharton was surprisingly substituted in the 74th minute and perhaps it was coincidence that Brentford’s winning goal came two minutes later, Palace having failed to captialise on their spell of pressure.
Mathias Jensen’s cross found Collins in the box and the defender turned and hooked a deflected shot towards goal. A sprawling Henderson got a hand on it but could only push it into the path of Wissa, who forced the ball over the line.
Eze almost produced an equaliser before the full-time whistle, but was denied by a superb Flekken save.
