Premier League GW20 - Crystal Palace vs Brentford

Crystal Palace vs Brentford | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Crystal Palace and Brentford squared off in a thrilling Premier League match at Selhurst Park, with both sides needing a victory to turn around their respective seasons. Brentford sought to end their current slide of defeats, while Palace, stuck in an eight-game losing streak, sought to move up the table.

Crystal Palace:

Palace's Premier League form is struggling; they have lost their last eight games and their only win came against Burnley at the beginning of November. The Eagles' back-to-back draws against Manchester City and Brighton prior to their trip to Chelsea gave the impression that they were headed in the right direction. But Michael Olise cancelled out Mykhailo Mudryk's first goal, and Noni Madueke scored a late victory from the penalty spot. Their tenth defeat of the season came against the Blues, and in his second spell in charge, manager Roy Hodgson was under growing pressure. During their dismal run, Palace plummeted to 15th place and are currently only three points clear of Luton Town, who are in the relegation zone in 18th place.

Brentford:

Since their debut in the Premier League during the 2021–22 season, Brentford have been an exemplary example of consistency. Nevertheless, after dropping their previous four games, Thomas Frank's team is going through a rough patch. The Bees' most recent loss came at the hands of Wolves, who crushed them 4-1 at Gtech Community Stadium, marking the biggest loss of the season. The visitors took the lead with to goals from Mario Lemina and Hwang Hee-chan, who increased their lead 12 seconds after the hosts got back into the game. Moments later, Yoane Wissa pulled one back, but Hwang's second goal and Ricner Bellegarde's strike saw Wolves through to a convincing win. Having having dropped six of their previous seven games, Brentford will be hoping to stave off relegation. They play Tottenham, Manchester City, and Liverpool in their opening five Premier League games of 2024, and they are only four points above the drop zone.

Line ups:

CRYSTAL PALACE (4-3-3):

Dean Henderson; Nathaniel Clyne, Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell; Jefferson Lerma, Chris Richards, Eberechi Eze; Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jordan Ayew.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS: James Tomkins, Matheus Franca, Jeffrey Schlupp, Will Hughes, Odsonne Edouard, Naouirou Ahamada, Remi Matthews, Jairo Riedewald, David Ozoh.

BRENTFORD (3-5-2):

Mark Flekken; Zanka, Nathan Collins, Ethan Pinnock; Mads Roerslev, Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard, Vitaly Janelt, Saman Ghoddos; Keane Lewis-Potter, Yoane Wissa.

BRENTFORD SUBS: Neal Maupay, Frank Onyeka, Thomas Strakosha, Mikkel Damsgaard, Myles Peart-Harris, Yehor Yarmoliuk, Michael Olakigbe, Ethan Brierley, Valintino Adedokun.

Selhurst Park Stadium | Picture Credits: We are Palace

First Half: Early Drama and Palace Fightback

Lewis-Potter of Brentford scored the first goal of the game just two minutes in. Lewis-Potter slotted home after Jensen and Roerslev's quick move produced an accurate cross. Brentford took the lead early on as the VAR check for offside increased the suspense, but the goal held.

But Palace had a really clever reply. Ayew's perseverance on the left wing set Olise up to volley a cross home in the 14th minute, levelling the game at 1-1. In the 39th minute, the Eagles took the lead as they carried on their offensive. Mitchell's pass meant for Mateta found Eze, who calmly slipped the ball past Pinnock in front of goal to make it 2-1.

Second Half: Olise's Brilliance Seals the Deal

The comeback by Palace was further demonstrated in the second half. In the 58th minute, Olise added to his score in brilliant fashion. Palace's lead was increased to 3-1 when Olise, after Guehi's unopposed run, found him and brilliantly dribbled past Collins to shoot low into the bottom-left corner.

Ghoddos tried a long-range shot to test Henderson as Brentford tried to respond quickly, but the Palace custodian made an important stop. Brentford's Maupay hit the crossbar, but Palace did not waver.

Henderson made a crucial stop in the closing seconds to prevent Olakigbe from securing Palace's 3-1 victory and ending their winless run.

Palace Triumphs in Style

Crystal Palace's thrilling comeback against Brentford ended their difficult Premier League campaign with a decisive 3-1 victory. With two goals and a crucial part in Palace's attacking ability, Olise came out on top. The fans at Selhurst Park saw an exciting display that gave them hope for a better future under manager Roy Hodgson.

Brentford must work to become more consistent while Palace revels in their success. This match was just another example of the surprising outcomes the Premier League continues to produce. With the victory, Palace will now focus on their FA Cup matchup with Everton, while Brentford will try to recover in their next matchup with Wolves. Fans are excited to see what these two competitive sides will do for the rest of the season after a thrilling match at Selhurst Park.

Lewis-Potter scored within 3 minutes and gave Brentford a 1-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Olise netted a goal for Palace and levelled the score | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Eze's goal gave Palace a 2-1 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Olise scored another goal for Palace and increased their lead to 3-1 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website