Report & Highlights: Palace narrowly beaten at Brentford in Premier League opener

Summary:

• Mateta returns to the starting XI as new signing Kamada makes his debut.
• Mitchell fires narrowly wide on the volley as Palace dominate the early period.
• Eze’s free-kick flashes inches past the post.
• Eze scores a fantastic free-kick from distance, but the referee controversially chalks it off.
• Brentford open the scoring a minute later through Mbeumo.
• HT: Brentford 1-0 Palace
• Palace are back on level terms as Pinnock directs the ball into his own net.
• Edouard slots home a minute later but is denied by the offside flag.
• Brentford retake the lead as Wissa is in the right place at the right time to convert.
• Eze is denied by a wonderful save.
• FT: Brentford 2-1 Palace

Palace’s domination in the opening exchanges was absolute, as Brentford struggled to get out of their own half and ceded possession time and time again.

The first chance fell to Tyrick Mitchell, as the Eagles moved the ball from one flank to the other via Daniel Muñoz, whose cross was met by the left-back and volleyed narrowly wide.

The press was causing real difficulties in the hosts’ defence, as Daichi Kamada forced Mark Flekken into a real error, gifting Eze possession on the edge of the box before he was taken down. He picked himself back up to flash the free-kick narrowly wide of the post.

Pressure built and the momentum increased, before two minutes that dramatically altered the direction of the game.

The first came for the visitors, who had the ball in the back of the net but found themselves without the lead in controversial circumstances. It came from a free-kick near the touchline about 30 yards out.

Eze, shaping to cross into the penalty area, instead curled in off the near post, catching the goalkeeper completely off guard. The referee’s whistle had gone, however, for a foul among the players jostling on the edge of the penalty area.

Replays showed minimal contact, and there was a long wait as VAR reviewed the decision. As the game got back underway with a Brentford free-kick, it became clear – later confirmed by the PGMOL – that the referee’s whistle had come before the ball hit the back of the net, and therefore the VAR could not intervene and overturn the decision.

Football is a cruel game, and so it was on this occasion as Brentford opened the scoring from the very next attack, as Bryan Mbeumo showed fantastic poise to cut inside and hammer an effort past Dean Henderson.

The Eagles made a change at the break, with Odsonne Edouard replacing Jean-Philippe Mateta, and the push for an equaliser began in earnest. It didn’t take long, too – although it came from an unlikely source.

The assist and much of the credit must go to Daniel Muñoz, who showed tenacity to rescue a cross to the far post and nod back into the six-yard box. Under pressure from Edouard, Ethan Pinnock reacted, only to stab the ball past his own goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Palace had the ball in the net once again a minute later, with Edouard slotting home, but the flag was raised and replays showed that the centre-forward had strayed narrowly offside.

The Eagles were left rueing their missed chances when Brentford retook the lead. A deep cross into Nathan Collins was chested down on the turn, with the shot scuffed and spinning goalwards, taking a major deflection of Muñoz. Henderson reacted to get across with a desperate dive, but his fingertips could only push it into the path of the onrushing Yoanne Wissa, who watched it bobble over the line.

Palace pushed once again for the equaliser, with Eze dancing into the penalty area and letting fly. His shot was deflected and looked to be heading for the back of the net, only for Flekken to somehow get a firm hand behind it and push it away.

Effort after effort was somehow saved or flashing narrowly wide, and despite pushing on deep into four minutes of added time, there was no way through.

For Palace, West Ham await at Selhurst Park next Saturday.

Brentford: Flekken (GK) Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer, Nørgaard, Janelt (Damsgaard, 73), Jensen (Carvalho¸85), Mbuemo (Mee, 90), Wissa (Onyeka, 85), Schade (Lewis-Potter, 73).

Subs: Valdimarsson (GK), Yarmolyuk, Peart-Harris, Trevitt.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Mitchell, Guéhi, Andersen, Richards (Sarr, 84), Muñoz, Hughes (Doucouré, 84), Wharton (Lerma, 74), Kamada (Ayew, 70), Eze, Mateta (Edouard, HT).

Subs: Johnstone (GK), Clyne, Riad, Schlupp.

As it happened