Crystal Palace vs Brentford. Premier League.
Selhurst ParkAttendance25,472.
Report and free match highlights as Keane Lewis-Potter saw Brentford ahead inside two minutes; Michael Olise's first levelled; Eberechi Eze adds Crystal Palace's second just before half-time; Olise slotted home the Eagles' third to complete his double
Saturday 30 December 2023 19:36, UK
A fine Michael Olise double helped Crystal Palace to a 3-1 victory against Brentford, with the Bees now just four points away from the relegation zone.
All five of the previous top flight meetings between the two London sides had ended in a draw. But both needed a win to arrest poor runs of recent form, and it was Crystal Palace's attacking quality that shone through.
Olise was the catalyst too, hauling the Eagles level (13) after Keane Lewis-Potter had seen Brentford in front inside 90 seconds. His goal was confirmed after a lengthy VAR review for offside.
Crystal Palace did not look back after the equaliser. Eberechi Eze (39) fired home on the tightest of angles, before Olise's fine solo run completed his double for the afternoon.
It is just the second Premier League win of the season at Selhurst Park for the Eagles and sends them into 13th place.
For Brentford, their slump in form continues, with seven goals now conceded in their last two Premier League games. It has seen them drop into 15th place on 19 points, just four above Luton in the final relegation spot.
However, Saturday's game was their last league match without suspended striker Ivan Toney, who can return to the squad on January 16 after his eight-month ban for breaching player betting offences.
An entertaining opening saw Brentford ahead with only seconds on the clock. It was a delightful flicked pass from Mathias Jensen to find Mads Roerslev down the right. His cross was then turned home by the on-running Lewis-Potter, but a lengthy VAR review for offside somewhat dampened the celebrations.
But after around three minutes of checks, the goal stood in the perfect start for the visitors. However, their lead would last just 11 minutes.
Jordan Ayew picked up Olise's overhit cross, sending the ball back into the area. It found the Frenchman at the back post, who fired home wonderfully on the angle.
Both teams played on a fairly even keel - Dean Henderson called upon a few times - but it was Crystal Palace who reignited the game just before the break. A fine flick from Jean-Philippe Mateta found the on-running Eze. He held off Ethan Pinnock before a thunderous finish past Mark Flekken.
The third was coming after the break too with Crystal Palace probing, and Olise finally made the breakthrough just before the hour. After a similar run just a minute before, he picked up a Marc Guehi pass from around 25 yards out. He went on a mazy, solo run before a calm finish for his second of the afternoon.
But Brentford finally sprang into some form of life with around 15 minutes to play. Neal Maupay - with the former Brighton striker booed by the home fans with every touch - pinged a fine effort off the crossbar from range. Yoane Wissa then sent an effort bouncing over the bar seconds later.
Henderson was needed again late on to palm away Maupay's close-range effort, with Crystal Palace also threatening to add to their lead in a frantic finish. But no more goals were needed as the Eagles registered their first Premier League win in eight outings to end 2023 on a high.
Sky Sports' Charlotte Marsh at Selhurst Park:
"It is sometimes hard to keep finding adjectives to describe just how talented Olise is. It's also hard to believe he has only just turned 22.
"He now has five goals in seven Premier League starts this season and is the Eagles' top scorer. You have to wonder just where his numbers - and Crystal Palace - would be if he had not been absent with a hamstring injury in the early part of the season.
"Olise is quickly becoming undroppable and at times unplayable. His mazy solo run for his second and Crystal Palace's third was a masterclass in movement, the identification and use of space as well as finishing.
"Brentford did not heed the warning of a minute before when a similar run ended in a save from Mark Flekken.
"Alongside his two goals, he also had the most shots (six, half of which were on target), touches in the opposition box (eight), dribbles (seven) and total duels (17) of the game. Brilliant numbers for a special player and with the more game time he is amassing, he is only getting better.
"'He's just Michael Olise,' manager Roy Hodgson said in his post-match press conference. 'His performance was crucial in helping us to victory.'
"A special mention too must go to Eze for his well-constructed and well-taken goal. Crystal Palace have won 14 of their 16 Premier League games when Eze has scored.
"Alongside Olise, the pair are vital to any Crystal Palace success to come in 2024."
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson:
"The players responded really well, there's no doubt about that, because that really was the ultimate kick in the teeth, to start the game with high hopes and find ourselves 1-0 down in under two minutes and another one of those very long reviews as well. You're hanging onto a thread and maybe hoping you're going to be saved in some way.
"The players reacted almost immediately and, luckily, it didn't take us so long to get the equalising goal. From there, I thought the team did well. We had to suffer some good attacks from Brentford in the last 15-20 minutes of the game, when they were throwing players forward. Wind-assisted, they caused us one or two problems, but that's when you have to hope and expect that your back players and your goalkeeper will step up and I think they did on this occasion.
"I thought he [Olise] was excellent. He's been excellent, really, since he's come back from injury. The injury was such a long one, almost six months out of the game, but even from his first game, he's been really good. He's carried us forward. I'm rather hoping that, with them [Eze and Olise], going into the second half of the season, if we can keep them fit, we will be a lot more dangerous going forward than perhaps we were at the very start of the season."
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank:
"I've got no complaints about effort or mentality. Credit to Crystal Palace today; the reason why we didn't win the game was quality in both boxes and decisiveness/quality in important moments. In those moments, Crystal Palace showed more quality today. I think we created a lot of opportunities where we didn't take them and could have scored more goals.
"Before the game, I talked about Eze and Olise, that they were the two main threats, and we couldn't stop them today. I think they are very good players and among the top offensive players in the league. I still think we can do more about the first and the third goals, so that's what we need to look into and try to improve.
"The results don't look good and it's a results business, so we need to turn them into our favour. But again today, we played a very even game in terms of chances, shots, everything, we just need to do what we can to turn the corner to score a goal more and hope we concede two less.
"It's all about having the foundation right, in terms of the effort and the mentality, which I don't see any lack of. If we can do that, it's just about keeping on improving the other things."
Sky Sports' Dan Long:
"Thomas Frank undoubtedly has one of the safest jobs in football at Brentford, but even he must be feeling the pressure after his side closed the year with a comprehensive defeat at Selhurst Park.
"His side sit four points above the relegation zone at the end of 2023, albeit with a game in hand, having collected just six points since the start of November. They have not kept a clean sheet since October 28 and have dropped an astonishing 20 points from winning positions already.
"Talk of a relegation battle is gaining traction.
"Against Crystal Palace, they failed to learn lessons from the chastening midweek defeat at home to Wolves and, once again, conceded from a cross to the back post, which is becoming a regular occurrence. Worryingly they offered little in attack again, aside from the moment substitute Neal Maupay from the bar from 20 yards during a late spell of pressure.
"Of course, they have been ravaged by injuries throughout the campaign, but how much longer can that be used to mitigate their shortcomings?
"The saving grace is that, by the time they play again in the league on January 20, Ivan Toney will be back from his eight-month suspension, while Ben Mee, Kristoffer Ajer and Josh Dasilva should also be back to bolster Frank's ailing squad.
"The winter break has arrived at the perfect time, but make no bones about it, reinforcements will be needed in the January transfer window."
Crystal Palace are next in action on January 4, hosting Everton in the FA Cup, before returning to Premier League commitments on January 20 with a trip across London to Arsenal; kick-off 12.30pm.
Brentford are also in cup action early January when hosting Wolves on Friday 5th, before league duty returns on January 20 when facing Nottingham Forest; kick-off 5.30pm.
