Thiago brace sends Brentford to eighth

Igor Thiago struck twice after the interval as Brentford defeated Burnley 3-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium. His second-half brace followed Zian Flemming’s penalty equaliser and Dango Ouattara added a late third to seal the win.

Thiago opened the scoring from the spot after 81 minutes when Axel Tuanzebe was judged to have hauled down Ouattara in the box. The penalty converted by Thiago took him to 10 Premier League goals for the season — achieved in just 13 appearances — making him the club’s fastest to reach double figures, eclipsing Ivan Toney’s 15-game mark in 2022/23. Almost immediately Michael Kayode was penalised for a foul on Jaidon Anthony and Flemming levelled from the spot.

Thiago restored Brentford’s lead within five minutes, meeting a loose ball from a cross to smash a high finish into the net. In the third minute of nine added on, Ouattara finished a superb Jordan Henderson pass to wrap up the victory.

The first half was largely uneventful, though Nathan Collins had a headed chance from a Brentford corner and, shortly before half-time, Caoimhin Kelleher tipped a long-range Flemming effort over the bar. Early in the second half an Ouattara effort was ruled out for offside in a move that would otherwise have given Thiago an earlier goal.

Brentford’s third consecutive home win moves them up to eighth in the table. Burnley remain in the bottom three after suffering their eighth defeat in 11 league matches. Both clubs now turn their attention to upcoming Premier League fixtures as the season continues.