Brentford 3-1 Luton: Neal Maupay, Ben Mee and Shandon Baptiste are all on the scoresheet as Thomas Frank’s side move into the top half of the table despite Jacob Brown’s effort
- Neal Maupay, Ben Mee and Shandon Baptiste scored as Brentford beat Luton
- Jacob Brown was on target for Luton but Brentford move into the top half
- We expected perfection from VAR – we haven’t got it: Listen to It’s All Kicking Off
On a bitterly cold day in west London, this was an afternoon for home comforts as Brentford returned to winning ways against Luton to stay in the top half of the table.
Two goals in seven minutes from Neal Maupay and Ben Mee after the break gave Thomas Frank’s men a 2-0 lead and despite Jacob Brown pulling one back for Luton with 14 minutes to go, Shandon Baptiste secured the three points for the home side five minutes later.
Fourteen years ago, this was a League Two fixture and from the outset it was clear to see which side had been in the Premier League longer as Brentford dominated possession and Luton failed to even touch the ball in the opposition box in the first half.
The visitors defended well but the loss of their captain Tom Lockyer at halftime proved crucial and it was as if Frank’s words seemed to do the trick as the Bees came out with added impetus after the interval.
Frank initially made one change from the side that lost to Arsenal last week with Maupay back in the lineup to replace Saman Ghoddos as Brentford shifted from a 5-3-2 to a 4-3-3.
Neal Maupay celebrates after his goal just after half time put Brentford ahead against Luton
Maupay showed good composure to put Brentford ahead in the Premier League clash
Defender Ben Mee was also on the scoresheet for Brentford in their game against Luton
But when Kristoffer Ajer was injured in the warmup, he was forced to bring Ghoddos back into the eleven.
As for the visitors, Rob Edwards made two changes from the team that beat Crystal Palace at Kenilworth Road with Alfie Doughty missing out after suffering a hip injury midweek and Andros Townsend benched. Manchester City loanee Issa Kabore and Tahith Chong came in.
After a cagey start, the first shot came 27 minutes in as Brentford played a short corner and Yehor Yarmolyuk’s strike took a wicked deflection and went just wide.
Bryan Mbuemo then came close with a left-footed strike from outside the box and when Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski was booked for time wasting in the 37th minute, it told the story of a dire first half.
Five minutes before the break, Kaminski was finally forced to make a save but Yoanne Wissa’s attempt was weak and despite parrying the ball, the Belgian keeper clung on to it at the second attempt.
Despite having just 23 per cent of possession in the first half, Edwards would have been impressed with the way his side limited Brentford’s chances but he was forced to make a change at the interval after Lockyer went down on the pitch with a leg injury, shortly after Anthony Taylor blew the whistle.
Mee managed to double Brentford’s lead as he scored in the 56th minute of the game
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MATCH FACTS & PLAYER RATINGS
Brentford (4-3-3): Flekken 6, Ghoddos 6 (Roerslev 77, 5), Pinnock 6, Mee 7.5, Janelt 6, Onyeka 6, Norgaard 6, Yarmoliuk 6 (Baptise 70, 7), Mbeumo 7 (Lewis-Potter 78, 7), Maupay 7 (Peart-Harris 90+2), Wissa 6.
Subs unused: Strakosha, Goode, Zanka, Olakigbe, Angelini
Goals: Maupay 49, Mee 56, Baptiste 81
Bookings: Norgaard
Manager: Thomas Frank 7
Luton (3-4-2-1): Kaminski, Mengi 6 (Giles 76, 5), Lockyer 6 (Brown 45, 7), Osho, Kabore, Mpanzu 6 (Clark 60, 6), Barkley, Bell, Chong 5, Ogbene 5 (Townsend 60, 6), Morris 5 (Adebayo 61, 6).
Subs unused: Krul, Berry, Johnson, Nelson.
Goals: Brown 76
Bookings: Kaminski, Chong
Manager: Rob Edwards 6
Referee: Anthony Taylor 7
Attendance: 17,075
Jacob Brown came on with Amari’i Bell dropping into the backline and just four minutes into the second half, Brentford made the breakthrough.
Chong gave away the ball cheaply and Brenford worked the ball to Wissa, who crossed the ball into Ben Mee and his scuffed effort hit Bell but Maupay was on hand to finish.
Seven minutes later, Mee was involved again as he met Mbuemo’s cross with a towering header that deflected in off Carlton Morris.
With a two-goal deficit, Luton had to attack and Ross Barkley led a brilliant counter before playing in Brown, who cut inside and finished past Mark Flecken to set up a nervy finish but the two substitutes, Keane Lewis-Potter and Baptiste combined to give Brentford breathing room.
Lewis-Potter did brilliantly to work an opening and Baptiste was on hand to finish the job off.
The Brentford players are delighted after Mee’s goal put them 2-0 in front against Luton
Jacob Brown scored for Luton to reduce the deficit but Brentford still managed to prevail
Brown is congratulated by team-mate Andros Townsend after he found the net
Substitute Shandon Baptiste was on target as he restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage
Brentford manager Thomas Frank saw his team move into the top half of the table
Frank Onyeka of Brentford (left) attempts to get away from Luton’s Teden Mengi (right)
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
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