Brentford 3-0 Southampton: Pressure mounts on Nathan Jones as Saints stay rock bottom after a first half quick double from Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo and a Mathias Jensen strike see the Bees take all three points with fans dreaming of European football
- Southampton stay bottom of the Premier League after defeat to Brentford
- First half goals from Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo saw Bees take all three points
- Mathias Jensen added a third goal ten minutes from the end of the game
- The win sees Brentford sit seventh in the table just six points off the top four
- Saints gave debuts to January signings Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu
Brentford hammered Southampton to fuel their fans dreams of going on a European tour but leave Nathan Jones with a supporter revolt on his hands.
The away fans turned up the heat on their under-fire manager with a string of anti-Jones chants as the side they had travelled to watch unravelled defensively once again and offered little in response.
Take your pick from which one would have been the hardest for Jones to hear in what is looking like an increasingly doomed attempt to win round his doubters.
‘You don’t know what you’re doing,’ rained down from the away section after Jones withdrew promising midfielder Romeo Lavia, admittedly not long after he has been booked.
There was also an airing of ‘Nathan Jones, your football is s***’ and the taunts did not end there as the atmosphere in a small section became increasingly toxic.
Nathan Jones is under pressure after Southampton’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday
The Bees struck twice just before half time and enjoyed a pretty comfortable afternoon
Jones was urged to get out of the club while Southampton fans also joined in as Brentford’s chanted about their manager getting sacked in the morning and team going down.
This looks like some situation for Jones to try and salvage, arguably even tougher than keeping them up.
Southampton remain bottom but it is so tight at the foot of the table that even after this latest deeply-concerning display and winning just one of Jones’s seven Premier League games in charge they finished still only three points from safety.
In comparison to Southampton, the mood at Brentford is as opposite as the two clubs’ league positions.
The GTech Community Stadium was jumping once more after another brilliant home win and performance that saw them climb up to sixth.
Ben Mee, Bryan Mbeumo and Mathias Jensen were their scorers and three of their standouts.
But there were many in Thomas Frank’s side who outclassed their opponents to heap more pressure on Jones.
Brentford’s threat was evident almost from the off. Seven minutes in a brilliant ball over the top from Ivan Toney sent Yoane Wissa through.
Mathias Jensen added a third late on to see the Bees move into the Premier League’s top seven
He took a touch to go round Gavin Bazunu but with the ball running away from goal, was unable to wrap his foot around it enough and could only fire against the post.
Toney was then denied by a sprawling block by Mohammed Salisu following another inventive move before Southampton had an opportunity that would have given them a real shot in the arm.
MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS
Brentford (4-3-3): Raya 7.5; Hickey 5.5 (Roerslev 61, 6), Pinnock 7.5, Mee 8, Henry 8; Norgaard 7.5, Jensen 8.5 (Damsgaard 82), Dasilva 7.5 (Janelt 61, 6); Mbeumo 8 (Zanka 82), Toney 7, Wissa 8 (Schade 74, 6.5).
Subs not used: Cox, Ghoddos, Ajer, Lewis-Potter.
Scorer: Mee 41, Mbeumo 44, Jensen
Booked: Toney
Manager: Thomas Frank 8
Southampton (4-2-3-1): Bazunu 6; Bree 6, Bednarek 6, Salisu 8, Perraud 6, Lavia 7 (Alcaraz 65, 6), Diallo 6 (Onuachu 46, 6); Edozie 6.5 (Walcott 65, 6.5), Ward-Prowse 6.5, Elyounoussi 6.5 (Sulemana 46, 6); Adams 5 (Armstrong 82).
Subs not used: Caballero, Maitland-Niles, Lyanco, Aribo, Armstrong.
Booked: Lavia, Salisu
Manager: Nathan Jones 6
Referee: Darren Bond
Attendance: 17,501
A ball over the top found James Ward-Prowse who controlled expertly and fired across goal.
It was begging to be put in but Che Adams’s run had taken him ahead of the ball and he could not readjust to convert.
How costly spurning that big opportunity was eventually became clear. First came a couple of warnings from Bryan Mbeumo and Toney, denied by an outstanding last ditch Salisu tackle.
But Southampton could not hold out. Four minutes before half-time, Ben Mee rose highest to head Mbeumo’s cross into the top corner.
He did so bravely, clashing heads in worrying fashion with Salisu in the process and it was not until Mee rose to his feet it felt safe to celebrate.
And they were doing so again three minutes later when another fine Brentford move ended with Mbeumo converting Wissa’s cutback.
Just as against Newcastle in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg defeat, two goals in quick succession – this time even closer together – had given Southampton an uphill task.
And with goals needed, Nathan Jones chucked on his two attacking deadline day signings, winger Kamaldeen Sulemana and striker Paul Onuachu.
Sulemana was quickly involved, firing in a shot David Raya had to deal with but Mee provided another reminder of his threat with a header just wide from Mbeumo’s cross.
And only a goalline clearance from the alert Salisu prevented Toney adding a third for Brentford.
Southampton gave debuts to Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu but they couldn’t make an impact in the second half
Southampton and Theo Walcott then had two quickfire chances to set up a tense finish. Raya spilled a cross that fell to Walcott but his goallbound shot was blocked by Mads Roerslev on the line.
Walcott’s pace then saw him speed onto a through ball but Raya raced off his line to block with his chest.
But Southampton’s misery was complete when the excellent Jensen was allowed to ghost into the box and head in Rico Henry’s cross to make it 3-0.
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