Summary:
- Both sides name unchanged starting XIs
- Eze fires straight at Flekken early on
- Schade cuts inside and rifles Brentford ahead on 18 minutes
- Ayew and Eze enjoy half-chances as Palace look to hit back
- Wissa heads over and Collins wide from Brentford corners
- HT: Brentford 1-0 Palace
- Hosts start second-half sharply, Guéhi making important block
- Palace begin to pen Brentford back
- Edouard has free-kick tipped over the bar
- Flekken produces remarkable double save to deny Lerma and Ayew
- Andersen beats Flekken to loose ball to prod in equaliser
- Brentford forced back and almost net own-goal
- Both teams press for late winner but run of draws continues
- FT: Brentford 1-1 Palace
The curious goal – which saw the Danish defender stretch to beat goalkeeper Mark Flekken to a ball running out of play, turning it over the line – was nonetheless a fair reflection on a dominant second-half Palace display, after Kevin Schade's solo effort saw Brentford go in ahead at half-time.
The stalemate saw Palace and Brentford become the first two teams in Premier League history to draw their first five meetings in the competition, and was perhaps a fair reflection on proceedings overall - although both sides will feel they could have won it.
Roy Hodgson named an unchanged starting XI for Palace’s second London derby in the space of six days, as his team sought a first win over their hosts since 1977.
Just four goals across those meetings between the two sides suggested a tight game was in order – and so the case proved in a stop-start first-half in west London.
Palace were up against a Brentford team whose free-scoring had caught the eye at Fulham the prior week, but it was defences who were on top for much of the opening period.
The Eagles’ best early opportunity stemmed from a low Ebere Eze strike after the playmaker had won the ball high – but his low effort did not truly test Flekken.
After the match had began in glorious sunshine, it was replaced by a sudden torrential downpour – the heavens opening signifying what was to come moments later.
Pathetic fallacy took prime effect as the first real moment of attacking quality from either side led to Brentford’s opener: Kevin Schade, isolated on the left, jinked between two Palace defenders and rifled in a top-corner finish which left Sam Johnstone with little chance in goal.
The game remained scrappy, but Jordan Ayew – with a near-post header – and Eze – at the end of a signature slalom run from the left wing – both enjoyed half-chances which went wide of the mark.
Set-pieces produced the best of the first-half chances, but Brentford's Yoane Wissa and Nathan Collins both wasted decent opportunities to double their lead after escaping their markers.
