Wissa scores winner as Brentford beat Palace without Toney
Yoane Wissa scored the winner as Brentford got their season off to a fine start – without Ivan Toney, who could be on his way out of the club.
Bryan Mbeumo put the Bees ahead and, after Ethan Pinnock’s own goal, Wissa restored the lead.
Boss Thomas Frank confirmed that Toney was omitted from the matchay squad because of interest in signing the England international. Frank has previously insisted he believes Toney will stay.
Once again, though, Brentford showed they can win without the talismanic striker.
They took the lead just before the half-hour mark – against the run of play and just after Palace controversially had a goal disallowed.
Former QPR star Ebere Eze brilliantly fired a free-kick into the net but referee Sam Barrott had already blown his whistle for a foul, having adjudged Will Hughes to have impeded Nathan Collins in the penalty area.
Brentford took full advantage of the let-off. A slick move culminated in Wissa releasing Mbeumo down the right and he cut inside and curled a superb strike into the bottom corner.
Palace equalised when Tyrick Mitchell’s cross was headed back across the six-yard box by Daniel Munoz and Pinnock tried to clear the danger but inadvertently poked the ball into his own net.
Odsonne Édouard then found the net after being set up by Eze, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The all-important second Bees goal was a scrappy one, with Wissa forcing home the loose ball after keeper Dean Henderson could only parry Collins’ mis-hit shot.
Brentford: Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer; Norgaard, Janelt (Damsgaard 74), Jensen (Onyeka 84); Mbeumo (Mee 90), Schade (Lewis-Potter 74), Wissa (Carvalho 84).
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Yarmoliuk, Peart-Harris, Trevitt.
