With these two sides having only recorded one win between them thus far in the 2023/24 Premier League, a closely-contested clash was to be expected in West London on Saturday.
BRE: Flekken; Henry, Mee, Pinnock, Hickey; Janelt, Nørgaard, Jensen; Schade, Wissa, Mbuemo
BOU: Neto; Kerkez, Senesi, Zabarnyi, Aarons; Cook, Christie; Kluivert, Billing, Semenyo; Solanke
It took just seven minutes for Brentford to open the scoring through Mathias Jensen, as a clever free-kick routine allowed the midfielder to beat the goalkeeper at the near post – despite Neto’s best attempts to claw the ball off the line.
On the half hour mark, Dominic Solanke restored parity to reward Bournemouth for an impressive spell, with Marcos Senesi doing well to dispossess Bryan Mbuemo before launching a ball forwards for the striker. Cutting inside from the left flank, his low strike under Flekken ensured the Cherries remained firmly in contention.
Late on in the second half, an emotional moment saw David Brooks net his first top-flight goal since returning from an enforced absence with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Rico Henry’s misplaced pass allowed Marcus Tavernier to slot a ball through for Brooks, who remained composed to round Flekken and take the lead.
There would be one further twist though in this enthralling clash, as Bryan Mbuemo levelled the tie in stoppage time. A defensive error allowed the forward to dart through on goal, sliding a tidy finish under Neto to bag his fourth goal of the season thus far.
Both sides now have a two-week absence due to the international break. Bournemouth will host Chelsea when action resumes, while Brentford travel to Newcastle United – just days before the Magpies fly to Milan to kickstart their UEFA Champions League campaign.
