Crystal Palace Secures Victory Against Brentford
Crystal Palace ended a three-match winless streak in the Premier League with a decisive victory over in-form Brentford at Selhurst Park.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, who previously scored a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Bournemouth, ignited a largely uneventful first half by delivering a brilliant looping header over Brentford's goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, into the far corner of the net.
Despite their recent triumph over Liverpool, Brentford struggled in the opening half. They had an opportunity to equalize when Daichi Kamada fouled Mikkel Damsgaard just outside the penalty area, but Damsgaard's free-kick sailed high over the crossbar.
The situation worsened for Brentford early in the second half when defender Nathan Collins inadvertently headed Jefferson Lerma's long throw into his own net, giving Crystal Palace a two-goal advantage.
Collins nearly allowed Palace to extend their lead further when he lost possession to Ismaila Sarr deep in his own half, but Sarr's shot hit the inside of the post and failed to find the back of the net.
In the latter stages of the match, Reiss Nelson forced a superb save from Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson with a curling effort, but Oliver Glasner's side maintained their lead comfortably.
Following Palace's impressive 3-0 Carabao Cup victory at Anfield midweek, manager Glasner faced the challenge of a congested fixture schedule, with five matches scheduled in just 11 days in December. While he expressed frustration over the fixture pile-up, Saturday's win against Brentford—only their second league victory of the season at Selhurst Park—will likely improve his spirits.
After Mateta's opener, Palace took control of the match, and although Sarr's low shot narrowly missed the target, Collins' own goal early in the second half effectively sealed the game for the hosts.
Despite dominating possession in the second half, Brentford struggled to threaten the Palace goal, with their first shot on target coming six minutes after Collins' own goal. Kristoffer Ajer's close-range header was easily saved by Henderson, who was only tested a second time by Nelson before the final whistle.
Brentford, who have exceeded expectations this season, now face a challenging road ahead, having lost four of their five away matches under manager Keith Andrews. The Bees will encounter tough away fixtures against Brighton, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester City before Christmas.
Looking ahead, Crystal Palace will host AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, November 6, at 20:00 GMT, followed by a Premier League match against Brighton on Sunday, November 9, at 14:00 GMT. Brentford, on the other hand, will host Newcastle in their next league game on Sunday, November 9, at 14:00 GMT, before facing Brighton after the international break on Saturday, November 22, at 15:00 GMT.