It was a dramatic and emotional afternoon for Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium as they came from behind to beat a desperate Burnley side 3-1, thanks to a late double from Igor Thiago and a stoppage-time strike from Dango Ouattara.
Burnley, fighting to climb out of the relegation zone, came to West London needing a result to arrest a slide, but in the end they were undone by late drama and a sharp finish from their hosts.
Going into the match, the first half was largely cautious. Brentford dominated possession, end-to-end chances were limited, but the hosts hovered in Burnley’s half, probing and trying to create openings without ever really breaking through.
Burnley, meanwhile, looked compact and ready to absorb pressure, hoping to hit on the break or exploit set pieces, a plan they seemed content to stick with early on.
Burnley had a moment to seize initiative when their defence nearly cracked, but their best chance ended in a yellow card rather than a penalty. A controversial moment saw Hannibal Mejbri go down under what appeared to be a challenge by Mathias Jensen inside the box, but rather than award a spot-kick, referee Sam Barrott booked Mejbri for diving after minimal contact was judged.
That decision perhaps summed up the first half – close, tense, but with neither side able to force a breakthrough.
The breakthrough finally came in the 81st minute. Ouattara was fouled in the box by Axel Tuanzebe, and after a VAR check the penalty was awarded. From the spot, Igor Thiago calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner, giving Brentford the lead.
Just as Burnley seemed poised to regroup and fight back, a second blow struck: a foul in Burnley’s box gave them a lifeline, and they took it. Zian Flemming stepped up and converted the penalty, coolly dispatching to restore parity.
It appeared as though the game might peter out as a draw, but not for long. Only minutes later, Brentford surged again. In the 86th minute, Thiago was inside the box, reacting quickly to a loose ball and firing a powerful strike into the top-left corner. The stadium erupted. Brentford were back in front.
And to rub salt in the wound, just into stoppage time, Ouattara capped the win. A precise assist from Jordan Henderson released Ouattara, who made no mistake, finishing coolly into the bottom-right corner to make it 3-1.
The final stats tell the story of a match that felt cagey for most of its duration but exploded into drama in the closing minutes. Brentford finished with 52.2% possession versus Burnley’s 47.8%, managed 14 shots to Burnley’s 6, with 4 on target versus 2.
For Brentford, the win represents a timely boost. It lifts them comfortably in the table, inching them closer to the fringes of Europe-spot contention, and perhaps more importantly, restoring confidence in their ability to see out tight games.
For Burnley, this defeat deepens a worrying run of form. They came into the match needing points desperately, but instead conceded twice late, underlining fragile nerves and defensive lapses at a critical moment. Their plight in the relegation struggle remains acute.