Free highlights and match report as Bournemouth extend their unbeaten Premier League run to four matches under Gary O'Neil; Ivan Toney misses best chance to break deadlock while Cherries were denied first-half penalty despite VAR review
Saturday 1 October 2022 19:06, UK
Bournemouth extended their unbeaten run under interim boss Gary O'Neil to four games as Brentford were held to a 0-0 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
In the first top division encounter between the two sides, following 109 previous meetings, Ivan Toney had the best chance of the game as he hooked a second-half effort off target.
Bournemouth felt they ought to have been awarded a penalty in the first half when Kristoffer Ajer challenged Jordan Zemura, but referee Thomas Bramall stuck to his original decision, having been advised by VAR John Brooks to consult his pichside monitor.
On the penalty decision, O'Neil said: "They were really tough calls, I don't think either were stonewall, blatant ones, but I also think they both could be penalties.
"Nobody's perfect, it's a tough job, and today's I thought were tough calls for him."
The result leaves Bournemouth in 12th position in the Premier League on nine points, while Brentford sit two places above them in 10th.
Bournemouth have now registered an xG value of less than one in each of their eight Premier League matches this season, the most frequent of any side in the league this season.
Bramall took charge in the Premier League for just the second time, and his move to stick with his original on-field decision of no penalty was met with clear derision by the Cherries.
Bournemouth's ire grew still further at the final whistle, as Bramall gave no second thought to the ball striking Mathias Jensen's arm in the area. The last-gasp skirmish should not have yielded a penalty, but Bramall struggled to control the situation as the Cherries' players surrounded him.
Interim Bournemouth boss O'Neill will still have been delighted to extend his side's unbeaten run to four Premier League matches. US investor Bill Foley's proposed Bournemouth takeover remains in the works too, leaving plenty of optimism in the autumn air.
Brentford were at least able to steady proceedings off the back of their 3-0 defeat by Arsenal, with the Bees well below their best but still grinding out a point.
The first half was low on quality, but not without a contentious incident after 20 minutes when referee Bramall decided to overrule VAR Brooks by sticking to his original decision of not awarding Bournemouth a penalty.
Marcus Tavernier found Zemura just inside the Brentford box, but Ajer came across to challenge and appeared to just about get part of his boot on the ball. After a lengthy VAR delay, Bramall ignored the suggestion a clear and obvious error had occurred.
Brentford had plenty of possession but lacked intensity in the opening 45 minutes, with Mikkel Damsgaard their only bright spark on his first start as his curling effort was palmed away by Neto. After that, Bournemouth very rarely looked like being breached before the restart.
Jefferson Lerma's looping header offered moderate threat to open the second half, but Toney nipped in to nod clear with no genuine alarm. The man overlooked on international duty with England then blasted a half-volley high and wide, and saw a cute free-kick deflected by the wall.
Brentford survived a last-ditch Bournemouth onslaught, with Jensen riding his luck as the ball struck his arm, before the final whistle called time on an insipid affair.
Bournemouth interim boss Gary O'Neil:
"I went in to the referee's room after the game to ask him what he thought, what he saw. I didn't see any footage of the last one being reviewed, which you usually do.
"So I asked if it definitely was, because when he blows that final whistle in that moment that adds some confusion to whether it's going to be review, is the game done, do the boys shake hands, walk off, stay on the pitch?
"So I felt he could have not blown the whistle at that moment and we could have done the check before the game's over.
"But he assures me there was a check and it was taken very quickly. I understand as well why they took a while to review the first one.
"I think Ajer obviously slips and his trailing foot does make contact with the ball. It looks to me like he gets to Jordan (Zemura) before he gets the ball.
"Once they are sent to the screen they generally stick with the VAR decision, so I was hopeful at that moment that he would give the penalty. I would have liked it but I think it's tough.
"We've had four VAR reviews go against us in my four games, and this is the first time I go home a bit frustrated."
Brentford boss Thomas Frank:
"I'd like to praise Thomas Bramall for his job today, he's a young referee, and every Premier League game is important. His character and calm head was important in a very, very stressful moment, when you're called over to the monitor.
"It's a decisive decision for the game, and nine times out of 10 most likely it's a pen. But he sticks to his decision and that says a lot about him. I'm not in doubt that's not a penalty, so very well done for him."
Sky Sports Ben Grounds:
"This was Bournemouth's first home game since the end of August - an uneventful stalemate against Wolves as the Cherries began life after Scott Parker in cautious fashion following a 9-0 hammering at Liverpool.
"Back then, Boris Johnson was Prime Minister, the Queen was alive and the UK economy hadn't received a bashing.
"There are certainly signs of progress, despite the same scoreline here, and Gary O'Neil's decision to make only one change during the second half underlined his faith in his selection.
"Mikkel Damsgaard showed glimpses of his quality and glides when he is in possession. His ability will come to the boil and make a difference for Brentford with more minutes under his belt.
"That said, this wasn't a classic. After a fortnight waiting for the Premier League to return, this was not the fixture this writer requested to cover and very little over the ensuing 90 minutes convinced me it was a hidden gem in the first set of games after the international break."
This was a game where there was definitely a case to be made for Thomas Bramall as referee being the best performer on show, given how he wasn't affected by the outside noise in only his second Premier League game.
But it was also one in which the defences were on top, and Wales boss Rob Page will be very encouraged by how Mepham performed alongside Marcos Senesi in defence.
Despite shipping nine against Liverpool, Bournemouth have actually been very resolute defensively, and their third clean sheet of the season was built on Mepham's ability to keep Toney relatively quiet.
The Welshman, playing against his former club, won both of his tackles and made four blocks - two of which came in quick succession to deny Brentford a late breakthrough.
It was a very subdued first half for Ivan Toney, who was looking to take out his frustration at not featuring for England despite his first senior call-up on Bournemouth, but ended the opening 45 minutes by being booked for kicking the ball into the crowd.
Thomas Frank had even urged his talisman to prove people wrong, clearly in disagreement with Gareth Southgate's decision not to turn to his striker during the Nations League fortnight.
Toney cut an irritated figure before the restart but came alive in the second when his snapshot was just off target. A free-kick in a dangerous area failed to beat the wall. It was just one of those days, however, for everyone in a Brentford shirt.
Toney failed to score despite having an xG value of 0.51, just the second time he has failed to score in a Premier League game for the Bees where he has had an xG value above 0.5 (versus Crystal Palace in August 2021).
The deadline for Gareth Southgate to name his squad is October 19. The World Cup begins on November 20, with England's first game against Iran on November 21.
Bournemouth host Leicester and Brentford travel to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday at 3pm.
