Brentford marked Thomas Frank's 300th game in charge with a gritty 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade were on target for the Bees during a frantic second half at Selhurst Park. Substitute Romain Esse pulled a goal back for the hosts late on.

There was one change to the Brentford side that lined up against Liverpool: Schade replaced Yehor Yarmoliuk as head coach Frank switched to 4-3-3.

Defender Kristoffer Ajer returned to the matchday squad after a six-game absence, while Rico Henry did not travel to south London.

The in-form hosts created the first opening with less than 20 seconds on the clock as Eberechi Eze dragged wide from outside the box.

Jean-Philippe Mateta then latched on to Eze’s clever flick around the corner and thumped the ball towards goal from the left of the area, forcing Mark Flekken into a smart stop.

On 13 minutes, Christian Nørgaard darted to the near post to meet Mbeumo’s in-swinging corner but the Bees captain couldn’t guide his header towards a team-mate and the ball dropped out for a goal kick.

Brentford came close to an opener midway through the half. Using a sodden Selhurst Park pitch to their advantage, Nathan Collins zipped the ball into Yoane Wissa on the edge of the area after a series of quick passes in the Palace third. The forward struck hard and low through Chris Richards’ legs and Dean Henderson got down quickly to push the ball around the post.

Mbeumo then dipped a free-kick narrowly wide of the upright after Maxence Lacroix brought down Mads Roerslev 25 yards from goal.

At the other end, following some positive play from Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell, Eze again tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort was tame and comfortably held by Flekken.

On 35 minutes, Collins made a last-ditch intervention to prevent Eze from pulling the trigger after Ismaïla Sarr had darted forward and found his fellow forward in space in the Brentford box. It was a perfectly timed challenge and it needed to be.

Just before the break, Will Hughes picked out Sarr on the right. With the penalty area still crowded after a Palace free-kick seconds before, the former Watford man whipped a low cross towards the back post which narrowly evaded Marc Guéhi at full stretch.

Moments after the restart, a long throw from the right led to some pinball in Brentford’s six-yard box and Jefferson Lerma hooked the ball over the crossbar.

Henderson was then equal to Wissa’s curling effort from the edge of the area after the DR Congo international had protected the ball well despite some pressure from two Palace defenders.

Bees captain Nørgaard limped off on 54 minutes and was replaced by fellow Dane Mathias Jensen.

Lerma, teed up by Eze, had a speculative effort held by Flekken, before Palace went close to an opener.

Having been fouled by Vitaly Janelt 20 yards from goal, Eze dusted himself down and took the free-kick himself. The midfielder’s curling effort struck Sepp van den Berg in the Brentford wall and came back out via the post.

Keane Lewis-Potter’s cross-shot was pushed over the bar by a back-pedalling Henderson as the second half continued at pace.

Then came a decisive moment. Lacroix fouled Collins in the Palace box, giving Mbeumo an opportunity to put Brentford in front from 12 yards.

Usually so reliable from the spot, the forward saw his effort beat Henderson but cannon out off the inside of the post.

With Brentford’s fans still dealing with the disappointment, referee Tony Harrington halted play for a VAR check for potential encroachment as Mbeumo’s penalty was being taken.

The decision was made in the Bees’ favour, a retake was ordered, and Mbeumo made no mistake at the second time of asking, sending Henderson the wrong way with a coolly taken spot-kick before racing over to the jubilant away fans in the corner of Selhurst Park.

Frank’s side doubled their lead on 80 minutes, and it was a move that began and ended with Schade.

The German laid the ball off to Mikkel Damsgaard on the right and continued his run into the penalty area. Damsgaard checked back on to his left and whipped in a cross which Schade powerfully - and bravely - headed beyond Henderson.

There was no celebration from Schade after a nasty mid-air collision with Richards and he was replaced by Yarmoliuk before play resumed.

The home side set up a nervy finish. On 85 minutes, Daniel Muñoz redirected Eze’s deep cross towards the back post and substitute Esse stole in to finish from close range.

Brentford stood firm during the closing stages - Eze’s floated free-kick the closest the hosts went during nine minutes of additional time - to earn their second away win of the Premier League season at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards (Kamada 84), Lacroix, Guehi; Muñoz, Lerma, Hughes (Esse 83), Mitchell; Sarr (Nketiah 72), Eze; Mateta

Subs not used: Turner, Clyne, Schlupp, Kporha, Devenny, Umeh

Brentford: Flekken; Roerslev, van den Berg, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard (Jensen 54), Janelt, Damsgaard (Mee 90+3); Schade (Yarmoliuk 84), Wissa, Mbeumo

Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Ajer, Carvalho, Konak, Maghoma, Ji-soo

Frank: It was a fair win

Head coach Thomas Frank insisted that Brentford were good value for their victory in south London.

“I learned when I arrived in England that there’s something about winning on a rainy Tuesday night in Stoke,” the Bees boss began.

“It was not Stoke on a Tuesday, but it was the kind of conditions I imagine they were talking about.

“It was a very even game that we, in the end, edged. It was a fair win. It was a good, solid away performance. We defended brilliantly throughout the game and played well. I’m very happy with three big points.”

Mbeumo: We battled like warriors

Bryan Mbeumo, scorer of Brentford’s first goal on Sunday afternoon, also praised the Bees’ fighting spirit at a wet and windy Selhurst Park.

“We are really happy; we know it is a hard place to play,” he said. “The atmosphere was great until the end and the conditions were not good.

“Everyone fought until the end - sometimes you win a bit more ugly. We had to battle like warriors.”