After a 74-year absence from the English top-flight, Brentford finally have the feeling of what it feels like to be playing among the elite.
And what better way than to start the season with a resounding 2-0 home win over one of the Premier League’s biggest sides in Arsenal.
The Gunners have been chasing shadows for a couple of seasons and reached a new low of not making it into Europe for the first time in more than two decades.
This certainly gave Brentford some hope of causing an upset and they didn’t disappoint thanks to strikes in either half by Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard.
While credit has to go to the goalscorers for making the result happen, credit is also due to one player in Frank Onyeka.
The Nigeria International is a new signing, joining from FC Midtjylland in the region of £9 million. The 23-year-old, who signed a deal until 2026, put in a dominant display in midfield to ensure Brentford kept a clean sheet.
Onyeka is an embodiment of all the attributes needed in a midfielder. From tenacity, vision to intelligence, passing, making accurate tackles and reading the game well, he’s got it all.
“He has done well, made forward passing runs, earned him a standing ovation. Solid first performance from him,” Former Arsenal women winger Karen Carney said of Onyeka’s performance against Arsenal.
Indeed, Onyeka’s performance resonates well with the Brentford fans who have already coined a song for him.
Brentford coach Thomas Frank is already feeling the impact of Onyeka in midfield which will be crucial in their upcoming games.
“It is fantastic to have Vitaly Janelt and Frank Onyeka doing an unbelievable job alongside Christian Norgaard of course,” the Danish coach said.
“We need to have that strength in depth and also players to play different games. For Arsenal, it was good to have Frank and Vitaly who are two pressing machines; they are constantly going and must be a nightmare to play against. They were a big part of why we were successful on Friday night.”
Brentford are a very good scoring side. They scored 79 goals during the regular Championship season last term, which was the highest of anyone in the English second tier. They also scored five goals in the playoffs en route clinching Premier League promotion. Also in preseason, they scored in all but one of their matches, finding the back of the net against giants in Manchester United and Valencia.
Staying put in the Premier League will not only be dependent on goals, but also solid defending and Brentford will not be afraid to do that.
Smaller sides always have a tendency to score first in games but end up losing from those winning positions because the defensive unit isn’t astute enough.
This happened with sides like Blackpool during the 2010-2011 campaign, and most recently Norwich City who are back after relegating during the 2019-20 season. These sides boasted of immense firepower, but the same couldn’t be said at the back and it led to their ultimate downfall into the Championship.
With Onyeka, Brentford look guaranteed of having a very solid season which will not only add to their pedigree, but the player as well.
Expect to see the bigger clubs come for his signature should he maintain such strong form.
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Kunle is an avid writer with interest in topics on sports, politics and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.
Follow him on Twitter: @kfayiga