Reading vs Brentford - Match Analysis
Reading huff and puff as they're blown away by the Bees - 10/02/21
Reading 1 - Brentford 3
10/02/2021
19:00
Madejski Stadium
The game started slowly in terms of the creation of clear-cut chances, but both sides were looking to aggressively press the opposition. This was something that Reading succeeded in early on as they had the better of the first half, their pressing forced numerous mistakes from Josh Dasilva specifically in the first who put in a real Jekyll and Hyde performance, as well as forcing Ethan Pinnock to head a loose ball back to the keeper in a moment where the ball didn’t seem to travel as fast as Lucas Joao did. Mathias Jensen was another player who didn’t cover himself in glory early on as three of his set-pieces failed to clear the first man, these were hits of the ball that were unlike Jensen as he is normally very tidy in possession and tends not to waste the opportunity to put a good cross in.
19 minutes
Henrik Dalsgaard took a throw in near the corner flag and the ball flew towards Ivan Toney who went up for the header but Alfa Semedo managed to get his head under it first, which nodded the ball to Mathias Jensen on the edge of the box where the Dane struck it at goal but it deflected wide off of Fosu for a goal kick. This was one of the rare chances created in the first half and the least surprising end to this sentence is that it was again Ivan Toney who was the attempted focal point of this passage of play. Even from a fairly innocuous throw in that didn’t seem too threatening, the ball to Toney forced the defender to act before Toney could and this fear that defenders have of Ivan Toney often creates space for our attacking players or causes a defender to act instantly & brashly which can create a loose ball for a Brentford player to pounce on, in this case Mathias Jensen.
22 minutes - Penalty - Reading
Reading held possession and were forced back to the halfway line by Brentford’s press, Michael Morrison in the right centre half position played a quick cross field ball to out-wide to Ovie Ejaria on the left channel who was then able to pass to Josh Laurent in the box who at first glance appeared to be caught by Henrik Dalsgaard as Laurent went for goal. A key moment here is the long ball by the centre back Morrison, Reading’s midfield were forced to play the ball back to the defence as Dasilva and Jensen pressed the ball in unison forcing a pass back from Olise. Conor McIntyre took Olise’s ball at left centre half and played it to his right to Morrison as Toney closed him down. As Morrison received the ball he had Tariqe Fosu baring down on him but still managed to play a perfectly placed cross field pass to Ejaria who managed to get the ball to Josh Laurent as it rolled past Bryan Mbeumo. This was a tactic Reading were looking to employ throughout the game, Brentford would look to press Reading out of the Bees own half, forcing a long ball or a ball back to the keeper. Reading were aware of this and so entrusted the defence to make quick, incisive cross-field balls out to the wing, in this case Ovie Ejaria who then look to exploit the space between the midfield and the defence created by the Bees press.
When Laurent cut in and attempted to shoot it first appeared that Henrik Dalsgaard’s body caught Laurent’s striking foot forcing the midfielder to go down. It is questionable whether Laurent was even fouled by Dalsgaard, as replays struggle to prove contact was made. The angle the replay showed gave the impression Laurent may have felt some contact, not enough to go down, but still took the opportunity to win a penalty anyway.
23 minutes - Reading 1 - 0 Brentford - Lucas Joao
Lucas Joao stepped up to the penalty spot as Ivan Toney looked to be having a word in his ear to try and put him off, Joao stood up straight with his hands on his hips and stared the keeper down before taking a measured run up and placing the ball in the bottom left-hand corner. David Raya did manage to get a hand to the ball but the Spaniard was too late as it rolled past his hand and into the net.
Reading hadn’t actually created anything of note until this point and whilst the Bees found themselves in familiar territory being 1-0 down early on in the game, defensively we had been solid even if Reading had the better of the ball and the better pressing. We were unlucky to concede the penalty, a brilliant long pass from Michael Morrison to Ovie Ejaria who had rarely given away possession and was able to set Josh Laurent up for what now looks like a dive. What this move highlighted was a major area where Reading had been better than the Bees, the ability of their wide-men Ejaria and Michael Olise to keep possession in advanced areas.
33 minutes
Henrik Dalsgaard took a throw-in deep inside the Bees half, Ivan Toney played a pass forward down the right channel with his back to goal which he hit with the inside of his right foot. Omar Richards tried to intercept for Reading but just knocked the ball on further for Mbeumo to pick up who then nodded it over Michael Morrison to Tariqe Fosu and Fosu drove the ball down the right hand side of the box, he tried to cross it into Mbeumo who made an inverted run between the 6 yard box and penalty spot but the experienced Andy Yiadom was aware to the danger and slid in to intercept the pass before the keeper swallowed the ball up. Technically this was the closest the Bees had come to scoring and was the type of football Brentford wanted to play with weaving runs in and out of Reading’s defence but the ball that was intended for an Mbeumo tap in was comfortably intercepted by Michael Morrison and cleaned up by the Reading defence.
34 minutes
Josh Dasilva was dispossessed again by Reading, this time by Andy Rinomhota who immediately passed to Ovie Ejaria, Ejaria returned the pass to Rinomhota on the edge of the box to the left hand side, he cut in and shot but Dalsgaard and Janelt pressed and blocked it. Omar Richards picked up the ball to the left side of the area, keeping Dalsgaard off of it before driving a low cross into the 6 yard box where the ball just stretched ahead of Lucas Joao who was lurking.
This is not the first time Josh Dasilva had been dispossessed and it had been a difficult night for him with Dasilva clearly not match-fit and up to his normal best. It was starting to look like a mistake giving Josh a start without giving him a fitness booster via late substitution appearances but Dasilva would go on to make clear why when fit, or close to being fit, he should be guaranteed a spot in the starting eleven.
35 minutes
David Raya dinked the ball from the Bees box to Henrik Dalsgaard by the half way line, Dalsgaard found Tariqe Fosu further up the wing who was being pressed by Omar Richards, Fosu passed into Toney who won a free-kick intelligently as McIntyre ran into the back of him. Brentford were now starting to build phases of play together and began frustrating the Reading midfield and defence.
36 minutes - Reading 1 - Brentford 1 - Josh Dasilva
Ivan Toney took the free kick quickly by passing to Josh Dasilva next to him on the right, Dasilva had Josh Laurent alongside him but drifted past the ex-Bee who could only try and hang on to the giant shoulders of Dasilva, Josh Dasilva drove midway into the area keeping to the right side edge of the box, Dasilva cut in onto his left foot and broke away from Laurent before composing himself just outside the corner of the 6 yard box and fired a curled effort into the top left hand side of the goal.
Josh Dasilva displayed a level of brilliance that only he can bring to the Brentford midfield; the awareness to want the free-kick to be taken quickly and short to him, the galloping run down the channel, dragging the ball back, cutting in and shrugging Laurent off just before the beautifully curled strike into the top corner of the net. Dasilva had looked shaky and not match fit at this point in the match, he was being pressed and outplayed by Reading’s midfield and Ovie Ejaria in particular but had still somehow managed to provide a game changing moment and the biggest threat on goal for either side so far in the match.
38 minutes
Reading manufactured their best chance of the night in open play so far from a quick throw in taken by Andy Yiadom to Andy Rinomhota, Rinomhota tapped the ball back to Yiadom with his head and Yiadom played a first time cross into the box for Lucas Joao who headed straight at David Raya as the ball was parried off for a corner.
The quick throw in beat the Bees defence as once Yiadom played it to Rinomhota all three of Mathias Jensen, Josh Dasilva and Rico Henry pressed, once the ball was headed back to Yiadom he was unmarked and able to freely cross into to Lucas Joao who’s athleticism beat Ethan Pinnock to the ball. Lucas Joao was now beginning to threaten the Bees defence as he began to be the focal point of Reading’s attack.
40 minutes
Reading countered against the Bees after Josh Dasilva was dispossessed again by Omar Richards out on the right hand side who straight away played a long through ball behind the Bees defence into Lucas Joao who was seemingly through on goal on the left hand side of the area. As Joao looked to finish his chance he had the ball stolen off of him by Ethan Pinnock who made a pinpoint sliding tackle from the side and sent the ball off for a goal kick. Ethan Pinnock is instrumental to Brentford’s defence and proved that here, a calm and clinical tackler of the ball who prevented Reading from taking the lead again after Josh Dasilva’s lack of sharpness got the better of him.
44 minutes
Reading had possession on the edge of the Bees half as Josh Laurent took the ball from deep and played a brilliant 1-2 with Lucas Joao who with a lovely bit of skill took control of the ball before flicking it with his right foot and back heeling it with his left into the path of the oncoming Laurent who had run away from Josh Dasilva, Josh Laurent skipped past Henrik Dalsgaard and cut inside past Ethan Pinnock and Mads Bech Sørensen before shooting straight at David Raya who palmed the shot but couldn’t get it away as it bounced back in front of him in the 6 yard box before Rico Henry cleared.
When Joao took Laurent’s pass on he attracted both Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen immediately, leaving Laurent a free run onto the edge of the box. Josh Laurent had Dasilva next to him, however the goal scorer failed to track the run back as he was caught ball watching. Pinnock covered the outside lane with Dalsgaard which was why Laurent cut inside, Sørensen was covering Alfa Semedo who was wedged between him and Pinnock which meant Sørensen’s body was facing towards Semedo as not to allow him a gap to run in on goal, there was little he could do to prevent Laurent cutting in past Sørensen on the right and really the biggest issue in defending here was Dasilva’s lack of tracking back and both Jensen and Janelt being drawn in by Joao creating the gap for Laurent to run into. Dasilva specifically was struggling to raise his performance after scoring the equaliser as his pressing in this moment was weak and and the urgency to track his man back was not there. I do think Janelt should also have been more aware of the space he left behind, Vitaly has been brilliant this season but he does have a tendency to rush towards the ball without thinking about the wider play around him. This for me was an example if a passage of play where Christian Norgaard would most likely look to cover the gap as well as press Joao with Jensen. Unfortunately for Janelt he has rarely played alongside Norgaard this season which has been to the detriment of his learning, had he of been able to partner up with the Dane more often he may have picked up som information from Norgaard on how to better defend a space as well as the ball.
55 minutes
Reading break down the middle with Ovie Ejaria as the focal point, Ejaria passed out-wide to the right to Michael Olise who just inside the area cut in past Rico Henry and struck a shot for the far post, unfortunately for Reading Vitaly Janelt blocked the shot which sent it off towards the near post for a corner. It did look close to being an own goal initially, but Olise’s shot didn’t actually threaten the keeper and Brentford managed to keep Reading’s wonder kid quiet.
63 minutes
Bryan Mbeumo was subbed off for Sergi Canos who put in an overall fairly poor performance as he was consistently dispossessed and caught giving needless fouls away throughout the game. Ethan Pinnock had also struggled to pass the ball out down the right hand side as Mbeumo had not presented himself as a passing option as much as Pinnock would have liked and both Josh Dasilva and Mbeumo had struggled to get into positions to excel the ball up the pitch.
64 minutes
Mads Bech Sørensen played a lovely cross-field pass from deep inside his own half to Ivan Toney who was 25 yards from goal, Toney nodded the ball down behind him into the path of Sergi Canos who took the ball forward a step or two before raising his foot and toe poking it to the right hand side where Josh Dasilva was charging in. Dasilva tried to take the ball but Morrison got a foot to it and passed off to Laurent who cleared it for a throw in.
Canos had made an instant impact here as his direct running and confidence in his first touch helped Brentford try and carve a chance through the Reading defence. A minute later Canos’ impact was felt again as he dispossessed Josh Laurent in the corner of the box on the right hand side, he then drove to the byline and struck a low cross to Toney on the side of the 6 yard box but couldn’t control the ball as it bounced off his foot for a goal kick. Canos’ energy had been an instant pick me up for the Bees’ attacking play and Brentford had found confidence in their attack and worked their way into the box a couple of times more albeit with little to no end product.
Over the last two games the Bees success has come from playing a 4-2-4 with two wingers and then Toney and Ghoddos in the middle, with Ghoddos drifting wide every now and then. The width mixed with the interplay and direct running is what has caused a lot of problems to the Bristol City and Boro defences, with Mbeumo on the pitch we struggled to do this and it was left entirely to Tariqe Fosu to try and give us an outlet out wide. Once Canos was subbed on his desire and confidence to play the ball immediately gave us another outlet on the wing and this helped swing the momentum of play into Brentford’s favour.
77 minutes
As the commentators on iFollow were discussing if it would be worth subbing Josh Dasilva at the 80th minute to bring on someone with fresher legs and to save Josh’s, Dasilva received the ball from Dalsgaard down the right hand side. Dasilva used his body to block Ovie Ejaria from getting to the ball, pushing him back down the pitch as Dasilva turned and forced the ball up, he sprinted to the byline just to the right hand side of the 6 yard box and played a ball across the goal mouth that was brilliantly cleared by Michael Morrison, preventing Ivan Toney from giving the Bees the lead. Josh had been quiet to an extent in the second half, but has ended up having a few moments throughout the game that have contributed to either a goal or a clear goal scoring opportunity. His legs may have been getting tired but no one had told Josh that. Moments after this Dasilva had another chance to charge in on goal after Fosu played a dummy on the half way line leaving Brentford with an open counter attack, unfortunately Josh’s touch was too heavy on his final stride and was swept up by the Reading defence. Dasilva was clearly tired, heavily breathing afterwards as he tried to get his breathe back but by this point he had made himself unable to be subbed as he began to provide an X-Factor that no other player on the pitch could.
A lot of teams would focus mainly on not conceding goals this late into the game whilst playing away but the substitutions made and the attitude of the players is to go on and win the game regardless, which is why we have gone 20 games, 21 games at the end of this affair, unbeaten because whilst we might have drawn a number of matches we have never found ourselves settling for 1 point only, even for example when we were down to 10 men away at Watford.
85 minutes - Reading 1 - 2 Brentford - Josh Dasilva
The Bees found possession inside Reading’s half, the Royals had been forced to defend more and more as moments before Michael Morrison was forced to make a last ditch clearance that prevented a Brentford chance on goal. The ball fell to Brentford’s left hand side after Josh Dasilva helped recycle play from the right, Mathias Jensen played the ball wide to Rico Henry, the ball was too far ahead of Henry who didn’t feel the cross would have been worthy of the recipients in the box so he dragged it back to Jensen who first time lofted his left foot through the ball. He played it wide to the far post where Omar Richards failed to stick with Ivan Toney, Toney chested the ball down onto the edge of the 6 yard box and Dasilva rifled a rocket of a volley into the roof of the net giving him and Toney their second goal and assist of the game respectively.
Reading’s pressing had remained vigilant even if it had been confined to the parameters of their own box, this isn’t the first time Jensen hasn’t had the time to take the ball on his right foot during this game and so calmly swung his left foot through the ball to play a brilliant lofted pass to the far post. It’s the second time he’s played that left footed lofted ball tonight and both efforts have been sweet deliveries, a moment of class for the Dane seconds before Toney and specifically Josh Dasilva stole the show completely. Toney was just too big for Richards and well positioned as he chested the ball as it came to the far post, Richards had no chance at winning the ball, Reading had pressed the Bees so hard in the first half that their legs had gone and Dasilva was completely unmarked in the box as the defenders switched off.
The Royals clearly hoped they may have been able to grab more than just 1 goal early in the first half with their high intensity having seen us concede early consistently in previous games, but our defensive shape prevented them from scoring more and their initial high work rate seemed to have played against them. Regarding Josh Dasilva, his ability is unquestionable and he is most definitely this season providing a level of consistency that his peak performances deserve.
87 minutes - Reading 1 - 3 Brentford - Ivan Toney
The Bees finished the game off as Ivan Toney pounced on the rebound of a long range Sergi Canos shot. Reading looking dejected and deflated and struggled to hold their shape, Canos ran past the defence and must have felt a sense of nostalgia at the Madejski as he hit a distanced shot away from the foot of the tireless and ever-present Michael Morrison where the keeper could only parry the ball back towards the penalty spot. It was an easy finish for Ivan Toney who simply put himself in the right space at the right time adding a goal to his two assists and finishing off a game that ended up being a game between a team who thought they could win vs a team who knew they would win.
Brentford are on fire now and going a goal down does not put this group of players off at all, it needs to be pointed out that this is being done without both Pontus Jansson and Christian Norgaard who would both shore up the Bees defensive issues helping to create a water tight side who score goals for fun. Alas we are yet to see either men return consistently and Jansson’s return is looking further away than Norgaard’s. However their deputies Vitaly Janelt and Mads Bech Sørensen have both filled in brilliantly, even if they have flaws to their game that the more experienced players don’t, they are proving that they are good enough to start regularly for a promotion chasing side.
Overall thoughts
This was a difficult game for Brentford and Reading definitely came closer than most sides have in this division to stopping us from playing, the first half Reading were the better side and whilst they didn’t necessarily create chances that you’d say they were unlucky not to score, they did create opportunities in and around our box. Particularly Josh Laurent, Ovie Ejaria and Lucas Joao were all dominant in the first half, Ejaria rarely losing possession, Laurent driving forward consistently and Joao providing a level of domination we normally see in Ivan Toney. Michael Morrison and Omar Richards put in big performances for Reading at the back too and will be disappointed with how the game finished. Defensively the Bees stayed tight and kept the score line down, we know we will have opportunities to score goals, it was just about making sure we are in the game when these opportunities occur. Reading were smart in how they played and identified the beginning of the game as the best chance to try and score, they also identified our press after clearing a ball from deep and attempted to overcome this by playing accurate cross field passes to the wingers. Whilst this did create chances, it didn’t create anything substantial for Reading.
Throughout the second half the tides began to turn, one crucial element gave Brentford an advantage and that was our fitness levels as Reading just couldn’t compete physically the longer the game went on. A key tactical change was the introduction of Sergi Canos, early on in the game Reading were able to sustain attacks through their wingers keeping possession. Brentford struggled to hold onto possession and as such failed to create and sustain pressure on the Reading box. Canos coming on gave us an outlet that Bryan Mbeumo failed to deliver and this momentum the Bees gained sparked new life into Josh Dasilva as he began to torment the Reading defence. By the end of 90 minutes a difficult tie turned into an easy night, much like the game against Boro on Saturday minus the multitude of clear goal scoring chances.
Brentford go top of the Championship by 1 point, what is more exciting for the Bees though is that since December we have taken 18 points from a possible 24 against promotion chasing sides with the points dropped being draws. This is a Brentford team that is fazed by no one in the division and to find promotion they simply need to keep up the consistency as the level of the performances are clearly here.