Brentford thrash Southampton in awful day for new Saints boss
Southampton 0 - 5 Brentford
Bryan Mbeumo’s double helped Brentford secure their first Premier League away win of the season with a dominant victory over struggling Southampton.
The visitors took the lead just six minutes in, as Kevin Schade finished off Mikkel Damsgaard's sublime defence-splitting pass.
Mbeumo doubled the advantage just after the hour mark, smashing the ball into the roof of the net. The Cameroon international added his second from the penalty spot after Chelsea loanee Lesley Ugochukwu fouled Sepp van den Berg.
Mbeumo then turned provider, setting up Keane Lewis-Potter for Brentford's first stoppage-time goal. Moments later, Yoane Wissa pounced on a poor header from substitute Yukinari Sugawara to complete the rout.
The victory lifts Brentford to 10th in the table, while Southampton remain rooted to the bottom with just six points.
Before this game, Thomas Frank’s side had only managed two points away from home – the joint-lowest in the league, alongside Southampton. However, they put that record firmly behind them with this emphatic display.
Schade’s opener marked his fifth league goal of the season, while Mbeumo’s brace brought his tally to 13 – only trailing Mohamed Salah (17) and Erling Haaland (16). Mbeumo also assisted Lewis-Potter, who netted his first goal since August, while Wissa’s late strike brought his total to 10 for the campaign.
This was the second time this season Brentford have hit five goals in a match, having done so against Wolves in October. They could have scored even more, with Christian Norgaard hitting the bar, Damsgaard narrowly missing the target, and Wissa firing over from close range.
For Southampton, this was another dismal chapter in a miserable season. Fans began leaving after Mbeumo made it 3-0, showing little faith in their team mounting a comeback.
More depressing stats for Southampton fans
New manager Ivan Jurić has endured a tough start, losing his first three league games – a feat matched by six previous Southampton bosses. Alarmingly, the Saints now have fewer points at this stage than Derby County in 2007-08, the season when Derby set the record-low Premier League points tally of 11. They had hoped to start the new year positively, but this was as bleak as it gets.
They have won just six points from their opening 20 Premier League matches this season. Thus equals the worst points tally by any side at this stage of a campaign in the competition since Sunderland in their disastrous 2005/2006 campaign.
A fantastic day for Brentford's players and fans
One Brentford fan told us: "That performance was very close to perfection. We defended exceptionally well and we created numerous chances. It could have easily been more than five goals."
Another added: "I am extremely proud of this performance for many reasons, especially considering that Southampton are currently struggling. The performance that the players delivered was fantastic and reflects the strong culture present in our locker room and among the players. Their commitment, focus, and attitude were truly impressive."
