On an evening filled with landmarks, Brentford celebrated Ivan Toney’s 100th club appearance and Thomas Frank’s 200th game in charge in the best possible way against Brighton.
With the TV cameras present and a white-hot atmosphere throughout, it is little wonder the Bees wouldn’t mind playing every home game on a Friday night, having claimed six victories in a row.
Of course, Toney took most of the plaudits with an expertly taken brace including a nonchalant backheel and his 20th consecutive penalty conversion but it was a much-improved Brentford performance overall.
None more so than from David Raya who was at fault for at least two of Newcastle’s goals in last weekend’s 5-1 drubbing at St. James’ Park.
However, the Spaniard was back to his best, pulling off some outstanding saves to leave the Bees’ faithful sing ‘There’s only one David Raya’ by the end of the 2-0 win.
Not only was it a confidence-boosting clean sheet but his eight saves meant he now tops the list for the most in the Premier League so far this season.
On Raya’s return to form, Thomas Frank said: “David (Raya) is a quality keeper, one of the best in the league.
“In a lot of teams it’s about having many good players but sometimes it comes down to the goalkeeper or striker to win or lose games.
“He (Raya) made a big mistake last week but I was pleased he could come back with a top performance.
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Following last weekend’s baptism of fire at Newcastle after returning from a long-term knee injury, Ethan Pinnock also put in a rejuvenated defensive display alongside Ben Mee.
Pinnock’s desire to ensure his side claimed a clean sheet was perfectly illustrated by a last ditch tackle to deny Brighton a consolation goal with Frank describing him as ‘the mountain’ in his post-match analysis.
Meanwhile, Frank Onyeka was an unsung hero in his first Premier League start of the campaign – pivotal in breaking up Brighton’s play as well as providing a constant attacking option which led to an assist for Toney’s opener.
Having endured a stop-start Brentford career due to injury after joining last summer, it is remarkable to think only two months ago a loan move to Middelsborough was mooted.
Frank felt the Nigerian rose to the occasion, saying: “I have some different midfielders and he’s got a different skill set – he’s a very good pressing player and a runner and I’m very pleased to see when he was needed he performed.”
This was not only a different Bees’ performance from those of previous weeks but also in the manner of the win – ending the game having only had 28% possession.
Other than against the top six, it is Brentford who are accustomed to dominating possession whereas the victory saw them soak up a lot of Brighton’s threat before being clinical enough to take their chances in the final third.
It was not only a perfect response after a lacklustre last few games but also a perfect game plan which the newly buzzing Bees will look to replicate against Chelsea on Wednesday evening.