Football isn't always about the highlight reels. Sometimes, it’s about the sheer grit of holding onto a lead while your opponent hoards the ball like a prized possession. That’s exactly what we saw when Crystal Palace vs Brentford kicked off at Selhurst Park on November 1, 2025. Honestly, if you just looked at the possession stats—Brentford pushing over 70% in the second half—you’d think the Bees had walked away with it.
But they didn't.
Palace basically gave them the ball and said, "Go on then, try and break us." Brentford couldn't. Oliver Glasner’s men were rock-solid, extending their unbeaten home run to 11 matches and climbing to seventh in the table. It was a tactical masterclass in efficiency over style.
🔗 Read more: Top Premiership Goal Scorers: What Most People Get Wrong
The Jean-Philippe Mateta Factor
Let’s talk about Mateta. The man is a handful. On the half-hour mark, he did what he does best: found space and made it count. Yeremy Pino, who was a constant nuisance for the Brentford backline, clipped a cross in from the right. Jefferson Lerma climbed highest—because of course he did—and his header fell perfectly for Mateta. A glancing header, a looped trajectory over Caoimhin Kelleher, and Selhurst Park erupted.
It was Mateta’s sixth league goal of the season. The guy just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Brentford, led by Keith Andrews, looked stunned. They’d been huffing and puffing but hadn't even registered a shot on target by the time the halftime whistle blew.
Nathan Collins and the Captain’s Nightmare
If there’s one player who’ll want to delete the tape of this Crystal Palace vs Brentford clash, it’s Nathan Collins. Being a captain is tough, but scoring an own goal just six minutes after the break is a special kind of misery.
It came from a classic Palace weapon: the Jefferson Lerma long throw. It’s not pretty, it’s not sophisticated, but it’s terrifying to defend. Lerma launched it in from the left, and in the scramble, Collins inadvertently glanced it past his own keeper. 2-0.
Things nearly got worse for him minutes later. He coughed up possession to Ismaïla Sarr, who really should have made it three but saw his strike rattle the base of the post. Collins ended his afternoon with a yellow card for venting his frustration at referee Peter Bankes. Rough day at the office.
👉 See also: Scores in the Ryder Cup Explained (Simply)
Why Brentford Couldn’t Find the Sting
Brentford fans were probably feeling optimistic before kickoff. They’d just come off a huge win against Liverpool and a drubbing of Grimsby in the cup. They were unchanged for the third game running. But at Selhurst, they looked flat.
Maybe it’s the lack of a cutting edge. Igor Thiago and Dango Ouattara were starved of service. Jordan Henderson tried to pull the strings from midfield—even picking up a yellow card in the process—but the final ball was missing.
- Shot count: Palace 11, Brentford 8
- Shots on target: Palace 3, Brentford 2
- xG (Expected Goals): Palace 0.72, Brentford 0.54
When your xG is barely over half a goal after 90 minutes, you aren’t winning many Premier League games. Reiss Nelson came off the bench and forced a decent save from Dean Henderson late on, but it was too little, too late.
The Tactical Chess Match: Glasner vs. Andrews
Oliver Glasner has turned Selhurst Park into a bit of a fortress. His 3-4-2-1 setup is remarkably disciplined. They’re happy to let teams have the ball in non-dangerous areas. Against Brentford, they only had about 30% of the ball in the second half, yet they never truly looked like conceding.
Keith Andrews, standing in for the Bees, admitted after the game that they huffed and puffed. "Players aren't robots," he said. And he’s right. Brentford’s quality just wasn't there. They missed the spark of someone like Bryan Mbeumo or Yoane Wissa at their clinical best. Instead, they were met by a Palace defense anchored by Marc Guéhi and Maxence Lacroix that refused to budge.
History Repeating Itself?
For a long time, this fixture was the "Draw Derby." Between 2021 and 2023, these two played out five consecutive draws. It was predictable. It was, frankly, a bit boring for the neutrals.
But the tide has turned. Since December 2023, we’ve seen results. 3-1 to Palace, then Brentford grabbed revenge with a 2-1 win on the opening day of the 24/25 season. This latest 2-0 win for the Eagles suggests that the tactical gap is widening when they play in South London.
Real Talk: What This Means for the Season
Palace moving to seventh isn’t a fluke. They’ve managed to balance a European campaign in the Conference League with domestic consistency. For Brentford, sitting around 12th or 13th, the worry is the lack of "Plan B" when their primary attacking transitions are shut down.
If you're looking at the Crystal Palace vs Brentford stats, don't be fooled by the possession. Palace were the better team because they knew exactly what to do with the few chances they created.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the Lerma long throw: Seriously, teams are going to start scouting this like it's a corner kick. It’s becoming a primary goal source for Palace.
- Monitor Mateta’s fitness: He’s the focal point. Without him, the Palace 3-4-2-1 loses its teeth.
- Brentford’s Set-Piece Defense: Usually their strength, they conceded twice from dead-ball/static situations. Keith Andrews needs to tighten that up before they face Newcastle.
- Mark May 17, 2026: That’s the return fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium. Expect Brentford to be much more aggressive on their own turf.
Crystal Palace has figured out how to win ugly, and in the Premier League, that’s often the difference between a mid-table finish and a European spot. Brentford, meanwhile, needs to find their sting again before they get dragged into the muddy waters of the lower half.