Soccer

Premier League wrap: Nathan Collins scores as Brentford beat Newcastle

Manchester City drop points again, this time away to Palace; Aston Villa victorious over Southampton

Brentford's Nathan Collins celebrates scoring. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA
Brentford's Nathan Collins celebrates scoring. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA
Sat Dec 07 2024 - 17:28

Premier League: Brentford 4 (Mbuemo 8, Wissa 28, Collins 56, Schade 90) Newcastle United 2 (Isak 11, Barnes 32)

Brentford climbed to sixth in the Premier League table as Kevin Schade struck his fourth goal in two games to cap a scintillating 4-2 win against Newcastle at the Gtech Stadium.

Eddie Howe’s side had twice fought back from a goal down when defender Nathan Collins appeared inside the box early in the second half to guide the ball into the corner and give the home side a lead that they would not relinquish.

Yet the manner in which Newcastle gifted goals to the hosts will have been cause for frustration.

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Harvey Barnes was guilty of losing possession to allow Yoane Wissa to put Brentford 2-1 up, an error for which he quickly atoned to make it 2-2.

Alexander Isak had earlier scored Newcastle’s first equaliser, heading in to cancel out Bryan Mbeumo’s eighth-minute opener and setting the tone for another thrilling, high-scoring home win for Thomas Frank’s side, capped by Schade’s strike in stoppage time.

This was a meeting between 11th and 12th, two sides locked on the same number of points but within a win of the European places before kick-off.

It also pitched a Brentford side enjoying the strongest home form in the division against a team in Newcastle with just two wins on the road, and in atrocious conditions in west London the game swung first towards Frank’s team.

Christian Norgaard drilled a wonderful pass from inside his own half that landed with Mbeumo wide on the right. Lewis Hall stood him up, but Mbeumo backed the Newcastle defender into the box before skating round him and dispatching a left-footed pearler that crashed into Nick Pope’s top corner.

Brentford’s outstanding home form was on course to send another visiting side away empty-handed, but before they could settle into the lead, Newcastle hit back through Isak.

Jacob Murphy’s cross was perfectly flighted, and darting between two defenders to meet it six yards out was the visitors’ top scorer to head his seventh league goal of the season.

Isak ought to have had a second but having walked the ball around Mark Flekken dithered over his finish allowing the goalkeeper to recover and scoop the ball away.

Bruno Guimaraes drove inches past a post with a first-time effort that had Flekken beaten, as after a nervy opening Newcastle steadily took charge.

Yet their control of the game was shot to pieces amid a woeful lapse in concentration from Barnes, in the team in place of Anthony Gordon but the architect of his team’s downfall.

Under little pressure in midfield, he played the ball blindly infield to the feet of Wissa who charged single-mindedly towards goal before letting rip into the top corner beyond Pope.

This lead was as short-lived as the first and was surrendered more cheaply.

Minutes after the restart, Barnes could scarcely believe his luck, or the space Brentford afforded him inside the box to collect Murphy’s pass, make an about-turn and then roll the ball across Flekken and in.

Brentford had won matches 4-3 and 5-3 here this season and were never likely to be cowed by a second Newcastle equaliser.

In the 56th minute, the game lurched again in their favour, but how Flekken’s long punt forward evaded everyone inside the box and reached the unmarked Collins will have irked Howe, as will the space the defender was given to prod Brentford back into the lead.

Schade got the goal that hoisted the hosts into sixth on goals scored from Brighton, lifting the ball beautifully over Pope from Mbeumo’s pass in stoppage time.

Crystal Palace 2 (Munoz 4, Lacroix 56) Manchester City 2 (Haaland 30, Lewis 68)

Rico Lewis rescued a point for Manchester City in their 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace before he was sent off late in the second half at Selhurst Park.

Erling Haaland cancelled out Daniel Munoz’s fourth-minute opener with his 13th goal of the Premier League season to draw himself level with Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race.

Summer signing Maxence Lacroix fired Palace back in front with his first Eagles goal after the break but the sides were back on level terms from Lewis’ fine finish in the 68th minute.

He was dismissed with a controversial second yellow in the 84th minute, but the visitors were able to fend off the man advantage and save themselves from falling further behind Liverpool in the title chase.

Munoz fired the hosts in front in the fourth minute from Will Hughes’ threaded pass, Stefan Ortega getting an outstretched glove on the ball but unable to prevent the opener.

Dean Henderson required treatment after denying Haaland with his face, and while the Norway striker soon found himself back inside the hosts’ penalty area but was off-balance as he chased down the ball.

An unmarked Ismaila Sarr would have wanted more from a chance he blazed over, but Palace did not relent with Eberechi Eze next to threaten as he danced around the 18-yard box, though the offside flag was eventually raised.

Lacroix, deep in the hosts’ half, could only nod his clearance as far back as Ilkay Gundogan, who pinged an effort off Henderson’s right post, and Savinho directed the rebound wide.

Hughes was next to try doubling Palace’s advantage, but his effort took a heavy deflection and the resulting corner was cleared, and while the Eagles took a few more promising touches it was not long before Haaland drew the sides level.

The equaliser was facilitated by a pinpoint delivery from Matheus Nunes to Haaland, who dutifully rose to meet the whipped cross before nodding the equaliser into the top corner.

Referee Chris Graham shows a red card to Manchester City's Rico Lewis. Photograph:
Referee Chris Graham shows a red card to Manchester City's Rico Lewis. Photograph:

City began to settle in, Savinho coming close to handing the visitors the lead before the break when he carved his way into Palace’s 18-yard box before directing an effort just over the crossbar.

The second half got out to a less frenetic start than the first but it took just six minutes for summer signing Lacroix to send the home support into raptures, rising higher than Kyle Walker to nod Palace back in front.

Palace shouted for a penalty when Jean-Philippe Mateta was brought down when colliding with Ortega, but their protests were brushed aside.

Lewis drew the sides back level with just over 20 minutes remaining, latching on to Bernardo Silva’s pass before unleashing a stylish effort into the top corner.

Henderson made a diving block to deny Savinho’s dangerously deflected effort before Lewis was sent off for a second yellow in the 84th minute.

Lewis, who had earlier been booked for dissent, was adjudged to have slid in late on Trevoh Chalobah, though – with VAR unable to intervene – replays suggested it might have been the other way around.

There was a final stop from Henderson to deny City a late winner, while the hosts could not capitalise on the man advantage.

Aston Villa 1 (Duran 24) Southampton 0

A first-half strike by Colombian forward Jhon Duran was enough to give Aston Villa all the three points as they beat Southampton 1-0 in the Premier League at home on Saturday.

Duran opened the scoring in the 24th minute, chasing down a long ball, capitalising on some sloppy defending by Southampton defenders Nathan Wood and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, before charging into the box and powering a finish past goalkeeper Joe Lumley.

While the visitors dominated possession, they failed to register a single shot on target in the match, and Villa looked comfortable for the most part as they secured back-to-back victories.

Villa moved to fifth place in the standings with 25 points from 15 matches, while Southampton remain bottom with five points.