Ivan Toney’s goal was enough to push Brentford to the 8th position in the Premier League table, just behind Brighton who also have 14 points so far.
Toney now has eight goals in 10 Premier League appearances this season — only Erling Haaland sits above the Brentford striker in the scoring charts after this double-downed Brighton on an emotional, occasionally fractious Friday night.
Ivan’s second goal was a penalty when he sent Robert Sanchez the wrong way after the striker himself was felled by Joel Veltman inside the area.
The first chance was created by the ingenuity of Bryan Mbeumo and the industry of Frank Onyeka. The finish was all Toney’s work — after a clever run to the front post, the striker flicked a backheel through the legs of Adam Webster and past Sanchez.
This victory, only Brentford’s second in eight matches, takes them up to eighth. For Roberto De Zerbi, meanwhile, the wait for a win in charge of Brighton goes on. His record now reads: one draw, two defeats.
Earlier, Brighton’s players had warmed-up in Mwepu T-shirts before both sets of supporters applauded, lamenting the tragic end to such a promising career.
Raya had to be sharp to keep Brentford on terms. He tipped over a rocket from Moises Caicedo and then, when a loose ball fell to Joel Veltman on the six-yard line, Raya stayed big to save.
It was lovely football. There wasn’t much of that in the half’s final minutes, when this descended into a fractious battle which produced a flurry of cards and one was given to the Brighton’s head coach.
They squared up, and both benches emptied for a shoving match, after Veltman clashed with Frank as the coach looked to control the ball.
