Brentford secured a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener on Sunday, despite missing Ivan Toney. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa scored for Brentford, who chose to leave out Toney amid ongoing speculation about his future.
Toney’s contract with Brentford has less than a year remaining, and he is reportedly attracting interest from Saudi clubs following his contributions to England’s Euro 2024 campaign. Brentford manager Thomas Frank had mentioned before the match that his team had proven their ability to cope without Toney last season, when he was sidelined due to a betting ban.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi captained the team despite interest from Newcastle. Guehi, who had an impressive Euros, was involved in Brentford’s opening goal. Mbeumo received a pass from Wissa, maneuvered past Guehi, and scored into the far corner.
Palace, who ended last season strongly under manager Oliver Glasner, might feel unfortunate not to have secured at least a draw. Eberechi Eze’s free-kick, executed near the post, was ruled out for a foul by Will Hughes when the score was still 0-0.
In the second half, Palace’s early pressure resulted in a goal when Ethan Pinnock inadvertently turned Daniel Munoz’s header into his own net. Odsonne Edouard then scored from an Eze pass but was ruled offside by a tight decision.
Brentford clinched the win when Dean Henderson’s parry of Nathan Collins’ shot fell to Wissa, who scored. Eze was denied twice by Brentford’s Mark Flekken in the final moments, but Brentford held on to secure the three points.
