Bryan Mbeumo’s brace kept alive Brentford’s outside hopes of qualifying for Europe as 10-man Brighton were beaten 4-2 at the Gtech Community Stadium.
A first home Premier League win in four months meant a top-eight finish is within the reach of Thomas Frank’s side and the steely self-assurance with which they saw off another European hopeful would suggest they can carry the fight into the season’s final weeks.
They still trail Brighton by two points but they were the better side in west London, going ahead early when Mbeumo powered through the heart of Fabian Hurzeler’s defence to finish.
Danny Welbeck headed Brighton level at the end of the first half, Mbeumo then restored the lead immediately after the restart before Yoane Wissa’s deflected effort made it three.
Joao Pedro was foolishly dismissed for lashing out at Nathan Collins in the 61st minute before a late goal from Kaoru Mitoma gave the visitors hope, which was ultimately dashed at the end by Christian Norgaard’s clinching header.
The match ended, after more than 20 minutes of second-half stoppage time, with the concerning sight of Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke being carried from the pitch on a stretcher wearing a neck brace after colliding with Yunus Konak.
Brighton announced on Saturday evening that Van Hecke had been taken to hospital as a precaution but was subsequently discharged.
The hosts went ahead after nine minutes. Wissa had already been denied a goal by the outstretched boot of Bart Verbruggen but Brighton’s goalkeeper could do nothing about Mbeumo’s strike.
Brentford’s top scorer delayed his run to keep onside from Keane Lewis-Potter’s pass and then steamed between Brighton’s central defenders before firmly whipping the ball into the bottom corner.
The first half looked to be drifting to a tepid close when suddenly the match turned.
With the final play before the interval, Mats Wieffer swung over a cross that Welbeck, standing unmarked six yards out, cleverly angled downwards with a smart header and in past the flat-footed Mark Flekken.
Whatever affront Brentford felt at Brighton’s ambush was channelled into retaking the lead three minutes into the second half.
It began with a poor kick out by Verbruggen from which the ball came straight back and to the feet of Wissa in the right-hand channel. He reversed it Mbeumo, who opened his body up and curled a marvellous left-footed finish into the far corner.
Wissa’s contributions deserved a goal and one duly arrived 10 minutes later. Mbeumo this time was the provider, playing a pass centrally to meet his team-mate’s run, Wissa’s shot deflecting in off Van Hecke.
It had been an awful start to the second half for Brighton and it was about to get worse.
As the ball hung in the air from Verbruggen’s punt, Pedro tussled with Collins and in a fit of petulance flung an arm into the face of the Brentford defender. VAR judged violent conduct on the part of Pedro, who was dismissed to leave Brighton to endure half an hour with 10 men.
Mitoma came off the bench to roll a neat finish into the corner and set up a tense finish but Norgaard’s header in stoppage time ended the visitors’ lingering hopes.
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