His first taste of captaincy in the Premier League didn't yield the desired result, but Vitaly Janelt led by example during Brentford's 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday night.

The Bees took the lead courtesy of Bryan Mbeumo's coolly taken penalty midway through the first half, but Pascal Groß equalised five minutes later and the Seagulls clinched a 2-1 win thanks to Jack Hinshelwood's second-half header.

After the game, Janelt spoke of his pride at wearing the armband being tinged with disappointment - and the need for Brentford to quickly digest the defeat and move on.

“Today we did well in some spells, but in some spells they were on top and showed us how to play. We’re disappointed we didn’t get any points today, but we have to look ahead,” said the 25-year-old.

At Amex Stadium, Janelt earned a Playmaker rating of 7.5 - second only to Ethan Pinnock (7.7) among Brentford players - and he turned in an influential display that included a driving run into the box that won the Bees their penalty.

With an impressive pass completion percentage of 86 per cent, Janelt was a pivotal figure in the middle of the park as his head coach Thomas Frank opted to deploy a 4-4-2 formation.

The RB Leipzig academy graduate wasn't dispossessed all evening and didn't take a single bad touch, also winning four tackles as he balanced control with tenacity in the Bees' engine room.

Currently 11th in the Premier League, level on 19 points with Chelsea, Brentford sit an unwanted second in the top flight's injury table - goalscorer Mbeumo joining seven other Bees on the sidelines with a twisted ankle that saw him withdrawn after 40 minutes against the Seagulls.

Particularly in this context, Janelt's versatility is a godsend for Brentford - and this season the talented technician has featured on the left side of defence on four occasions, in addition to 13 starts in midfield.

Ranking third for tackles won (23) and key passes (19), fourth for accurate passes (393) and first for crosses blocked for Brentford this season in the Premier League, Janelt is a reliable and effective performer and his stats across his time in west London underline how important he has been to their recent success.

Although the likes of Ivan Toney and Mbeumo have often made the headlines, Janelt has been integral for the Bees since his debut in a 2-0 Championship win over Coventry City in October 2020 - only Mbeumo (138) playing more games across all competitions for Brentford over this period than the German.

In fact, since his debut against the Sky Blues, Janelt has featured in more Brentford victories (59) than any player - an impressive statistic that he will hope to garnish with a win at Sheffield United this coming Saturday.