Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa once again stepped up in the absence of Ivan Toney as they fired Brentford to a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Toney was missing from the Bees squad, with head coach Thomas Frank admitting he had been left out amid “transfer interest”.
But just as they had throughout much of the forward’s eight-month ban for breaching betting rules last season, Mbeumo and Wissa filled the void in the Brentford attack to get their season up and running.
Palace were left fuming, however, after referee Sam Barratt controversially disallowed a goal from Eberechi Eze.
The midfielder curled a free-kick from out wide directly inside the near post, only for Barratt to penalise Will Hughes for a foul on Nathan Collins.
Replays showed there was no real offence but, according to a post on X from the Premier League, VAR Peter Bankes was unable to intervene as the whistle was blown before the ball hit the net.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner looked incredulous on the touchline as he remonstrated with the fourth official and his view was backed up at half-time by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, who said: “You could have done a better tweet saying, ‘The ref has had a nightmare’.”
Glasner’s mood darkened still further seconds later when, totally against the run of play, Wissa played in Mbuemo, who darted into the area, cut inside Marc Guehi on to his left foot and buried his shot into the corner.
The Eagles have their own transfer saga to deal with surrounding another England international, with Newcastle bidding to sign Guehi.
But they do not want to sell and pointedly made the 24-year-old centre-half captain in west London.
That is in sharp contrast to the Bees stance on Toney, who had a positive impact for England at Euro 2024 and has been heavily linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.
It is understood he wanted to play but the Bees, keen to pocket a potential £60million windfall rather than lose the 28-year-old for nothing next summer, opted to leave him out.
Palace forced an equaliser 10 minutes after the break when Tyrick Mitchell’s cross from the left was headed back across goal by Daniel Munoz and prodded into his own net by the unfortunate Ethan Pinnock.
Moments later substitute Odsonne Edouard thought he had put Palace in front when he converted Eze’s cross, but he was offside.
Instead Brentford went back ahead after 76 minutes when Collins’ deflected shot was palmed out by Dean Henderson.
The ball fell straight to Wissa, who bundled it home to seal Frank’s 100th league win as Bees boss and again prove it is a case of ‘no Toney, no problem’ at Brentford.
The return of Premier League football to the Gtech Community Stadium did not mean a return to Brentford action for Ivan Toney after a summer away at Euro 2024 with England.
Thomas Frank omitted Toney from the Bees’ matchday squad due to transfer interest in him, including from Saudi side Al Ahli. The Dane was vindicated, as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa again stepped up — just as during Toney’s betting ban — to deliver the goals in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
“A lot of things are going on with Ivan”, Frank explained. It remains to be seen whether Toney will ever don a Brentford shirt again.
In the meantime, all Brentford could do was focus on this London derby to begin the new season. Three points showed Toney’s situation was no crippling distraction.
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