A stubborn Brentford performance saw the Bees successfully hold firm to deny a Brighton & Hove Albion side that failed to capitalize on a multitude of chances in an eventual 0-0 draw in the Premier League on Friday night.
The first half was a thrilling spectacle for both Brighton and neutral fans as the Seagulls dominated the play, coming closest to scoring when Julio Enciso struck the post early on with one of his eight strikes in the opening 45 minutes, but it was actually Brentford who had the ball in the net when Yoane Wissa brilliantly finished off a breaking counter, only for the goal to swiftly be ruled out for offside.
Brentford grew in confidence throughout the second half, threatening to break forward and break the deadlock as the game progressed, but, as was the story of the match, a lack of quality in the final moments saw both sides fail to take their chances as the game ended 0-0.
The result means Brighton are 10th in the table with 26 points from 18 games, while Brentford are one place behind in 11th with 24 points, and rather worryingly for Thomas Frank, they are still yet to record an away win in the league this season.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
It was a typically commanding Brighton performance in terms of possession and their ability to get the ball to the edge of the area and in threatening positions, but in all too familiar fashion for the Seagulls in recent years, a lack of quality in shooting moments meant they failed to convert their chances.
Joao Pedro looked a shell of his usual self when playing as the sole striker, with the Brazilian notably improved when Georginio Rutter came on and Pedro was pushed deeper, a sign to Fabian Hurzeler that if he wants attacking quality then Pedro may have to start behind the striker in future.
As for Brentford, their worrying away form in the Premier League this season continues, with only Southampton failing to win on the road and picking up less points than the Bees on their travels.
Outside of that, Frank can be encouraged by a defensively strong showing, while their second half attacking output was much improved as they pushed higher up the pitch, and ultimately, they were just a knee away from winning 1-0 with Wissa's offside goal.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION VS. BRENTFORD HIGHLIGHTS
14th min: Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Brentford (Yoane Wissa offside goal)
Mads Roerslev slips a ball down the right side of the box for Wissa to chase, and the striker brilliantly fires into the top left corner to seemingly give Brentford the lead against the run of play.
VAR checks the goal and quickly deems the forward to be marginally offside, with Wissa's knee just edging past the Brighton defenders, resulting in the goal being ruled out.
MAN OF THE MATCH - MIKKEL DAMSGAARD
Damsgaard was a shining light for a Brentford side that struggled to get forward on a regular basis against Brighton, with the attacking midfielder providing quality that very few on the pitch were able to muster throughout the match.
Damsgaard made two key passes and created a big chance, while also successfully making four dribble attempts as he consistently terrorized the Brighton midfielders and defence.
A number of Brighton attackers also deserve a mention, such as Brajan Gruda, Enciso and Kaoru Mitoma, but a lack of quality at the final moment mean the Seagulls failed to find the deserved winner.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION VS. BRENTFORD MATCH STATS
Possession: Brighton & Hove Albion 58%-42% Brentford
Shots: Brighton & Hove Albion 24-8 Brentford
Shots on target: Brighton & Hove Albion 7-3 Brentford
Corners: Brighton & Hove Albion 5-3 Brentford
Fouls: Brighton & Hove Albion 6-12 Brentford
BEST STATS
WHAT NEXT?
Brighton's attention will now turn to a difficult run of fixtures that includes facing the likes of Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester United in their next four Premier League matches.
Meanwhile, Brentford will also be preparing for a formidable test as they welcome Arsenal to the Brentford Community Stadium in the Premier League on New Year's Day.
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