HomeNewsBUZZING BEES GET PROMOTED

BUZZING BEES GET PROMOTED

By Pranav Venkatesh

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Brentford have been promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history. The Londoners emerged victorious in the Championship play-off final as they brushed aside a 10-man Swansea City 2-0. The Bees celebrated winning the richest game in football with their fans at Wembley. Swansea who had a terrible time at Wembley, now need to spend one more year in the Championship in their quest for Premier League football.

 

 

Thomas Frank’s charges were hot favorites coming into the game. They made their intention known from minute one. Having suffered a playoff final heartbreak a year ago against Fulham they were in no mood to repeat it. As a result, they made a fast start to the game by scoring two goals in the first quarter. Ivan Toney in red hot form scored the opener from the penalty spot. Emiliano Marcondes doubled the advantage 10 minutes later to win the game. Toney and Bryan Mbuemo came close to adding further goals. Swansea who had a better second start to the second half were dead and buried as Jay Fulton was shown a straight red card for a two-footed lunge on Mathias Jensen past the hour mark.

Swansea City approached the game with utmost caution. They changed to an unfamiliar 3 at the back formation(3-5-2) to counter Brentford’s 3-5-2. This clearly appeared to be a tactical blunder as Steve Cooper’s men looked lost on the pitch. Their strong defensive base was weakened and their attack had precious little going forward. Deservedly they lost the game and have only themselves to blame. The Swans need to rework their playoff strategy or avoid it altogether by getting the automatic qualification spot next year.

 

BEES STING FIRST

The game had a fast start and was fiercely contested by both sides. Swansea captain Matt Grimes got himself booked for a studs-up challenge on the threatening Sergi Canos. Canos went onto punish them as he played a razor-sharp pass into the box for Ivan Toney. Bryan Mbueno dashed out of nowhere and took the ball past an onrushing Freddie Woodman. The Swans goalie caught Mbueno and the referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot without a moment’s delay. Toney who hadn’t missed a single spot-kick since joining the Bees made no mistake again as he found the bottom left corner with composure to give them the lead in the 10th minute.

The goal allowed the Bees to relax as they were happy for the Swans to keep the ball and hit on the counter. The Welsh side lost their discipline and were making constant fouls throughout. A reckless attack was broken down and Brentford countered with two on two. Mbueno drove at Swansea goal and picked an overlapping Mads Rasmussen. The winger pack pulled it back into the box for a rushing Emiliano Marcondes to slot it into the bottom right. The goal pretty much sealed the game in the 21st minute itself. Toney nearly made it three within two minutes of it as he hit the crossbar from outside the box.

 

 

The remainder of the first half turned into an ugly affair as both sides were constantly looking to fight each other. Ugly fouls and coming togethers were seen every now and then. Football-wise it was pretty much end to end. Brentford fans knew they were 45 minutes away from seventh heaven.

 

DON’T TINKER THE MACHINE STEVE!

Swansea had an impressive run in the league and finished fourth in the table just behind Brentford. They owe it largely to a consistent team shape and key personnel available for most of the time. Cooper worked a stable 4-3-3 that helps them attack as well as defence. A repeat of that wouldn’t have hurt them at all.

 

 

Steve Copper tinkered with it and paid the price. He opted to field a 3-5-2 with regular full-back Kyle Naughton playing as a third centre back. The Swans weren’t well-drilled and naturally struggled on the field. The midfield was disjoint from the defence and allowed runners in behind with ease. Both the goals scored definitely had something to do with this weird change of formation. Cooper realized his mistake and switched to a four-man back after half an hour. The damage was done sadly and Swansea paid dearly for it.

The Swans had a better start to the second half as they had more intent and knew their mission. Andre Ayew headed wide just minutes after the restart to show for their progress. They were doing everything right to get into the game when Jay Fulton lost his head. The Scottish midfielder went with his studs into Jensen and saw a straight red. It took off the sting from the game as it petered out. Ivan Toney had a goal-bound effort blocked in the 80th minute as the game ended 2-0 after 90 minutes.

Steve Cooper would’ve wished he has started the evening with a stable back four.

 

A NEW DAWN FOR THE BUZZING BEES

Thomas Frank has delivered for Brentford after falling short last time. The Danish manager repaid the trust placed in him by the board and took them to the promised land of the Premier League. This comes as a testimonial to all the progress that has been seen at the club in the recent years.

Brentford are an exciting team who like to attack freely. They don’t have superstars, all they have is spirited characters who will give their all for the team on the pitch. Each and everyone contributed to their success in their own way. Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbueno, Sergi Canos and David Raya stand out especially.

 

 

They face a stiff task in keeping this crop of players. Even if they lose out on them, there’s no room for worry. They lost Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma to the Premier League this season. See what they have achieved now without them. The strength of the team lies in its unity and the manager. The fans can enjoy Premier League football for the first time in the Brentford Community Stadium.

Behold Premier League a swarm of buzzing bees are about to swarm you in a couple of months.

Pranav Venkatesh

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