Brentford registered a fifth successive Premier League home win as the Bees buzzed through Storm Darragh to earn a thrilling 4-2 victory over Newcastle United.
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Four first-half goals kept fans at the Gtech Community Stadium on the edge of their seats as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa's efforts were cancelled out by quickfire equalisers from Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes.
The chances flowed at both ends in the second half, but it was Brentford who seized their opportunity to rack up another three points.
Nathan Collins prodded home a first goal since October to put them 3-2 up, then Kevin Schade put the seal on their win with a dinked finish in stoppage time.
Thomas Frank's team remain unbeaten on home soil this season and now sit seventh in the table, while Newcastle remain 12th and are without a victory in four league games.
They are joint-top of the scoring chart with 31 goals, of which 26 have been scored at home, nine more than any other team.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |
Man City
MCI
|
20 | +9 | 34 |
| 7 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
20 | +7 | 33 |
| 8 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
20 | -2 | 32 |
| 9 |
Fulham
FUL
|
20 | +3 | 30 |
| 10 |
Brighton
BHA
|
20 | +1 | 28 |
| 11 |
Brentford
BRE
|
20 | +3 | 27 |
| 12 |
Spurs
TOT
|
20 | +12 | 24 |
How the match unfolded
A chaotic first period was in keeping with wild and windy conditions, with four goals scored after Sean Longstaff rattled the crossbar from range early on.
Mbeumo got the ball rolling for the hosts after eight minutes, stepping inside Lewis Hall to fire home, before Isak stooped to nod Newcastle level three minutes later.
That set the tone for an engaging battle, with Isak denied by a sprawling Mark Flekken, before Wissa pounced on a loose pass from Barnes to fire the Bees back in front after 28 minutes.
However, Brentford's lead lasted just four minutes this time, as more static defending allowed Barnes to make it 2-2, before Jacob Murphy frustratingly headed over with the goal gaping.
Brentford settled quicker after the restart, with Nick Pope diverting Wissa's strike onto the post before Collins stole in behind Newcastle's defence to steer home after 56 minutes.
Eddie Howe turned to his bench to find a third equaliser, but substitute Anthony Gordon sent their best chance wide, then Schade raced clear of a stretched Newcastle backline at the death for the clinching goal.
Home is where the heart is
One of the quirks of Brentford's season so far has been the wild contrast between their home and away form in the Premier League.
This win against Newcastle brings the Bees up to 22 home points gained so far in 2024/25 - more than any other top-flight side - with seven wins and one draw from eight matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.
No team has won more games at home, though they are one of just two teams yet to register a victory on their travels, alongside bottom club Southampton.
However, given the congested nature of this Premier League campaign, the Bees' outstanding form on home soil could be enough to have them dreaming of a push for Europe.
No Brentford player enjoys his outings at the Gtech more than Wissa. His goal against the Magpies was his eighth home goal of the campaign from nine scored overall, and he has now netted in seven home league games in a row.
Nottingham Forest will become the final team to visit the Gtech in the Premier League this calendar year on 21 December, after Frank's men go to Chelsea for a west London Derby next Sunday.
Mixed bag for Barnes
Barnes was withdrawn on 74 minutes with a fifth Premier League goal of the season to his name, but there will be a sense of a missed opportunity felt by the former Leicester City winger.
His first-half goal came between two wasted openings and his defensive work fell glaringly short in the build-up to Wissa's goal, the Brentford man taking in his slack pass before advancing into the area and rifling home.
Howe's decision to utilise Barnes on the left of the Magpies frontline, alongside Isak and Murphy, came as part of a plan to rotate Gordon.
However, Barnes grew quiet in the second half and it was no surprise to see Gordon introduced when the Magpies went in search of a third equaliser late on – a hunt in which they ultimately fell short.
Gordon's dynamism in one-on-one situations remains a key aspect of Newcastle's strategy and Barnes still has plenty of work to do to nail down a starting spot.
With his former club Leicester visiting St James' Park next week, Barnes will hope for another opportunity to impress.
Club reports
Brentford report | Newcastle report
What the managers said
Thomas Frank: "Very happy, it was a great performance in many ways. The way we performed today physically and with quality against a very good Newcastle side, I am very proud of my players."
Eddie Howe: "Really frustrating, we are really disappointed with the manner of goals we conceded. It''s not even individual mistakes, there's two or three actions I'm not happy with for each goal."
Next five PL fixtures
Match facts
Since the start of 2021/22, both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have scored in 15 different Premier League games for Brentford, the most of any duo for a side in the competition.
Brentford’s goalkeeper Mark Flekken is the 27th different goalkeeper to provide more than one assist in the Premier League (2), with only nine goalkeepers providing more than him in the competition.
Alexander Isak has been involved in four goals in his last four Premier League away games for Newcastle (3 goals, 1 assist), as many as in his prior 11 such games in the competition. Indeed, he’s scored in all three games against Brentford in the Premier League.
