Brentford vs Leeds United. Premier League.
Gtech Community Stadium.
Free highlights and match report as Ivan Toney scores Brentford hat-trick as Bees beat Leeds 5-2; Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa also on target for hosts; Marc Roca, Luis Sinisterra net for visitors who see manager Jesse Marsch sent off
Saturday 3 September 2022 22:53, UK
It was the Ivan Toney show in west London as his stunning hat-trick earned Brentford a 5-2 win over Leeds in a breathless game at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Toney netted a superb treble of his own as a penalty, free-kick and 30-yard chip saw his one-man masterclass down a Leeds side who otherwise largely matched their hosts, and saw a frustrated Jesse Marsch sent off shortly after his third.
Lucas Sinisterra's foul on the Bees striker, awarded after a VAR review, lit the touchpaper as Toney got to his feet to keep up his 100-per-cent record from the penalty spot to send Ilan Meslier the wrong way after half an hour.
That put him one goal off 50 for the Bees - with all 49 coming from inside the box - and he celebrated reaching his half-century as he shocked the Gtech with a 25-yard free-kick which left Meslier rooted to the spot.
Sinisterra gave Leeds hope moments before the break when latching onto Ben Mee's poor header and finishing smartly, but Toney restored the two-goal lead with a hat-trick goal of real composure, latching onto a dreadful clearance from Meslier before bringing the ball inside and chipping it into the unguarded net.
Leeds could have had a penalty of their own as substitute Crysencio Summerville went down in the box, but after a VAR check cleared Aaron Hickey, Marsch was sent to the stands for his language directed towards fourth official Keith Stroud.
"When Brentford's penalty was given, which I probably didn't think was a penalty, I was trying to be respectful to the fourth official but when you don't see it reciprocated, the lack of a visit to the VAR [review monitor] is a lack of respect," he fumed.
From his new-found position among the home support, he would see Marc Roca bring Leeds back into the game again with a sliding finish from Luke Ayling's cross, but he would have been left apoplectic again as Diego Llorente's dreadful header allowed Bryan Mbeumo in to net a fourth 10 seconds after the restart.
Brentford were still not done and substitute Yoane Wissa celebrated his 25th birthday by netting a last-minute fifth after catching Llorente on the ball, as the Bees wrapped up a first win over Leeds in five attempts.
There was little sign of what was to come in the opening half hour of a game, with Kane Lewis-Potter's daisycutter the only shot on target as both sides held one another at arms' length.
Leeds were enjoying the better of the play at the moment vociferous appeals went up for a penalty when Toney went flying inside the box, and an unsighted Rob Jones had to be sent over to the VAR review monitor before awarding a spot-kick.
Toney stepped up to make it 18 out of 18 from the spot for the Bees, before he added a second from much less familiar territory - his first free-kick goal for the club - two minutes before the break.
Leeds now found themselves 2-0 down without much between the two sides in open play, but they refused to wilt. Sinisterra turned himself from zero to hero as he flicked the ball over Rico Henry's head and pulled one back in first-half stoppage time.
The half-time arrival of Patrick Bamford improved them further, and it looked only a matter of time until they would level things up after the break.
That was until Meslier's ill-judged clearance from a long ball forward fell perfectly for Toney, who raced away from the stricken goalkeeper and floated in a classy third.
A furious Marsch was given his marching orders after Summerville's hopes of a penalty of his own were turned down by a second VAR review against Hickey, but still Leeds pressed on and after Bamford had missed a superb chance to reduce the arrears again, Roca slid in to turn Ayling's cross home.
Any belief of a comeback was extinguished within 15 seconds of the restart as Llorente misjudged a high ball and nodded Mbeumo through to finish coolly at the near post.
The Bees were still not done as Leeds imploded late on, with Llorente then caught on the ball by Wissa to get in on the action.
The substitute was a whisker away from adding a sixth in added time after more calamitous defending, but it would have been merely the cherry on a very large cake for Thomas Frank's victorious side.
Leeds manager Jesse Marsch:
"I was calm even when Brentford were given the penalty, even though I didn't see it right away but normally when the phrasing is 'clear and obvious' and it takes that long to watch it and look at it then, for me, it's not clear and obvious.
"When I saw it at half-time, I didn't believe it's a penalty and if it is, it's an incredibly soft one. I was told by the referee committee and the League in our managers' meeting before the season started that the threshold for penalties was going to go up so that was not, for me, represented by that decision.
"Then there's an action where I think Summerville is actually more of an egregious foul and it doesn't even get looked at for VAR, I'm clearly dissatisfied. I've got to figure out how to have discussions with the League or with referees to help understand how some decisions get made.
"I was speaking with the fourth official, trying to be as respectful as I possibly could, even when a penalty was given that I probably didn't think was a penalty and then when you don't see it reciprocated, it's the respect. That lack of VAR visit is a lack of respect in the end."
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank:
"I haven't seen everyone, but off the top of my head, looking at in-form strikers, there's not a better striker right now [than Ivan Toney]. Kane is number one, of course, but after that there's not a better striker in form.
"There's other things, performances in the past, they earned their shirt or whatever, but I don't see a better one after Kane. England have been in a few penalty shoot-outs, if they want to win one they should pick Ivan."
Sky Sports' Ron Walker at the Gtech Community Stadium:
When then 18-year-old Ivan Toney's final-day goal helped keep Northampton Town in the Football League in 2014, he posted a celebratory tweet which became briefly iconic in Cobblers circles.
"Guess who's staying up, yes it's Northampton Town, and guess who's buzzing, yes it's Ivan Toney."
Some things have changed in eight years while others have not. Northampton remain in League Two, and after a second Premier League hat-trick to down Leeds, Toney is, presumably, still buzzing.
But what a rise from a player plucked from obscurity by Newcastle ahead of his time, only to rebuild the reputation his early promise had earned.
His stock has risen so far we can now ask the question of whether he could be on Gareth Southgate's England plane to Qatar and mean it. After 12 goals in his first Premier League season, Toney is at it again.
After such a starring individual performance from his talisman, Brentford manager Thomas Frank was always going to have to fend questions over his international credentials.
His answer was emphatic: "Off the top of my head, there isn't a better English striker right now apart from Kane. England have been in a few penalty shoot-outs; if they want to win one, they should pick Ivan!"
The 26-year-old is sensational from 12 yards - the best in the world, in Frank's eyes - but far more than that too.
Brentford were unfortunate not to add another to their tally from Toney's defensive work, tracking back to beat a Leeds centre-back to a pass and launch a dangerous counter. The second goal of his hat-trick was the first free-kick goal of his career, something Frank said came after hours of work on the training ground.
It is the kind of commitment which will be music to the ears of Southgate, whose demands on work-rate have hindered some clearly talented players during his England tenure.
With Toney in attack, Brentford are already considering waving away any worries of second-season syndrome. With Toney on the plane to Qatar, might England have a secret weapon?
Brentford's next game is away to Southampton on Saturday September 10, with kick off at 3pm. The Bees then host Arsenal on Sunday September 18, with kick off at 2pm - live on Sky Sports.
Leeds are next in action on Monday Night Football on September 12 when they host Nottingham Forest, with kick off at 8pm - live on Sky Sports.
Jesse Marsch's side then travel to Old Trafford on Sunday September 18 to take on rivals Manchester United, with kick off at 2pm.
