Thomas Frank celebrates five years at Brentford with victory over 10-man Burnley

Posted Sunday, October 22, 2023 by PA

Thomas Frank celebrated five years in charge at Brentford with a much-needed 3-0 Premier League win over 10-man Burnley.

But there was another VAR issue for Darren England to deal with after Neal Maupay had an early header ruled out.

Goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Saman Ghoddos secured a first home victory of the season for the Bees.

But earlier Brentford striker Maupay saw a first-half goal disallowed after he headed in a cross from Nathan Collins.

Collins was clearly onside when Mbeumo swung in the initial free-kick, while his central-defensive partner Kristoffer Ajer was standing beyond him in an offside position.

But it was Collins who was given offside by VAR Stuart Attwell according to the big screen in the ground, leaving fourth official England – only just returning to Premier League duty after he oversaw the VAR fiasco at Tottenham against Liverpool last month – to face the wrath of Frank.

In fact it was later explained by the PGMOL that Ajer had been given offside, as he was obstructing Lyle Foster.

Luckily there will be no calls to replay this one from Frank, whose side were full value for the win and would have been 4-0 up at half-time were it not for VAR and Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford.

Christian Norgaard saw a shot blocked on the line by Charlie Taylor and Mbeumo’s effort was held by Trafford before Brentford’s pressure told after 25 minutes when Sander Berge lost possession.

Maupay fed the ball out to Mbeumo, whose precise pass across goal was gleefully tapped in at the far post by Wissa.

Maupay’s quest for a goal – he has not scored in the Premier League in more than a year – continued when he found himself one-on-one with Trafford, who got a slight hand to the Frenchman’s shot.

The Brentford fans behind the goal were willing the ball to roll in, but Dara O’Shea got back to hook it off the line.

Trafford then produced a stunning save to deny Wissa from point-blank range before tipping Maupay’s drive over the crossbar.

Brentford have thrown away 11 points from winning positions this season, but there were to be no such jitters this time as they grabbed a second on the hour mark.

Frank Onyeka fed Ajer, who in turn gave Maupay the ball to lay back for Mbeumo, who finished superbly into the top corner from the edge of the area.

For Burnley another week in the bottom three beckons, which will come as little surprise if Luca Koleosho’s late miss-of-the-season contender – he somehow sliced wide of an open goal from five yards out – is anything to go by.

Their miserable afternoon was complete when Connor Roberts was sent off late on for bringing down Wissa before Ghaddos put the gloss on Brentford’s win with a long-range volley.