Bryan Mbuemo’s stoppage-time equalizer secured a dramatic point for unbeaten Brentford as Bournemouth failed to secure their first Premier League win under Andoni Iraola.
Brentford took an early lead when Mathias Jensen’s clever free kick caught out Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto at the near post, but Dominic Solanke levelled before the break when he shot through Ben Mee’s legs.
Substitute David Brooks’ first top flight goal since recovering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma then gave the Cherries the lead deep into the second half, the Wales midfielder tapping home from close range after a mistake by Rico Henry.
Mbuemo had missed a great chance just after the break with the scores level, but he made amends three minutes into injury time with a smart turn and shot as he closed in on goal to grab his fourth of the season and earn the home side a point.
Kevin Schade, Yoane Wissa and Keane Lewis-Potter all hit the woodwork for the home side, and the latter’s miss looked to be the costliest as the visitors went ahead through Brooks just seconds later.
Bournemouth were just a few minutes from what would have been their first Premier League win in eight outings, since they beat Leeds 4-1 under previous manager Gary O’Neil on 30 April, but instead they buckled in the final moments and have taken just two points from a possible 12 so far under Iraola.
Brentford waste winning position at home – again
Brentford are nothing if not resilient at the Gtech Community Stadium, with a loss to Newcastle United on 8 April their only home league defeat in their last 18.
But on the other side of that statistic is the fact that they have dropped 17 points from winning positions at home since the start of last season, with this draw the latest example of that trend.
The match began in familiar fashion, when the Bees led thanks to a smart piece of thinking from Jensen. The Dane whipped in a free kick from the left which caught Neto napping at his near post, and the ball had clearly crossed the line despite the Brazilian keeper’s protests, with the decision confirmed by the fourth official when referee Robert Madley’s wristwatch goal-line technology failed to work.
Thomas Frank’s side had more than enough chances to put the game beyond Bournemouth, with Schade’s shot tipped onto the post by Neto the first of three occasions on which the ball hit the woodwork.
Wissa’s shot against the post around the hour mark came before Lewis-Potter hit the frame of the goal when it looked simpler to score, a mistake compounded by Bournemouth’s breakaway goal to take the lead less than a minute later.
But there is clearly significant resilience in this Brentford squad, and they go into the international break unbeaten not only this season, but stretching back over their last seven Premier League games.
Bournemouth take chances but still come up short
Bournemouth gave Brentford a lesson in making the most of their chances when they come along, with Solanke and Brook striking after the Cherries withstood long spells of pressure from the home side.
Solanke celebrated his 100th Premier League appearance by smartly shaking off Ben Mee before shooting through the Brentford defender’s legs for his second goal of the season.
And Brooks capitalised on a rare mistake by Brentford’s impressive Rico Henry, steadying himself before shooting into an empty net to score his first goal in the top flight in over three years, during which he endured 18 months of treatment following his cancer diagnosis in October 2021.
Mbuemo’s late strike robbed Iraola of the chance to celebrate a first league win since his appointment, with his next opportunity coming at home to Chelsea on 17 September.
–BBC
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