Yoane Wissa bagged a first-half brace as Brentford beat Luton Town 5-1 at Kenilworth Road – the club’s joint-biggest win in the Premier League.
Ethan Pinnock, Keane Lewis-Potter and Kevin Schade all scored after the break before Luke Berry netted a late consolation for the Hatters.
Brentford lead at the break thanks to Wissa’s well-taken brace
Thomas Frank made three changes to the side that lined up against Sheffield United last weekend.
Kristoffer Ajer, having recovered from a minor calf strain, was selected at right-back in place of Mads Roerslev, while centre-back Pinnock made his first start since February with Zanka dropping to the bench.
Neal Maupay was the other player to make way, with Lewis-Potter chosen on the left side of a front three alongside Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo.
Striker Ivan Toney was not included in the matchday squad due to injury.
Brentford created the first chance of the game with three minutes on the clock. Mbeumo worked the ball to Vitaly Janelt on the left, and the German’s in-swinging cross was headed over by Pinnock who rose highest in a crowded penalty area.
The Bees had a big opportunity to take the lead five minutes later. Mikkel Damsgaard cut open the Luton backline with a perfectly weighted through ball, sending Lewis-Potter racing through on goal, but the former Hull City man pulled his shot wide under pressure from a recovering Issa Kaboré.
At the other end, Mark Flekken stood firm at his near post to palm away Alfie Doughty’s first-time effort from a tight angle inside the box after the wing-back’s low cross rebounded back to him.
Luton had Thomas Kaminski to thank on 19 minutes. A blistering Brentford counter, triggered by some quick thinking from Flekken to set Mbeumo away following a Hatters corner, led to Sergio Reguilón receiving the ball on the left. The wing-back’s deep cross was met by Lewis-Potter, whose header was clawed off the line by the keeper.
But Kaminski would be beaten five minutes later. Mbeumo shifted Ajer’s pass on to Wissa who, having peeled in from the right channel, struck first time beyond the keeper and into the top corner from 20 yards.
Tahith Chong, found in space in the Brentford box by Jordan Clark, blazed over the bar as Luton looked to get back on level terms.
Kaboré almost turned Ajer’s low cross into his own net just after the half-hour mark, before the Norwegian’s downward header, connecting with Mathias Jensen’s corner, was blocked.
Lewis-Potter, slid in by Wissa on the left, cut back on to his right and saw his well-struck effort blocked by Mengi on the edge of the box.
Luton were struggling to get to grips with the Bees’ fluid frontline. On 44 minutes, after a neat combination on the edge of the box between Reguilón and Wissa, Mbeumo opened up his body and went for goal with a first-time effort. The ball looked destined for the top corner but instead rattled the crossbar and the Hatters eventually hacked to safety.
But Brentford’s pressure would pay when Wissa doubled his tally two minutes later. Reece Burke failed to clear Mbeumo’s low cross from the right of the area and the DR Congo international was perfectly placed to poke home from six yards.
Carlton Morris then brought down Gabriel Osho’s cross and pulled the trigger, but Ajer’s block took the power off his effort and Flekken gathered with ease.
Pinnock, Lewis-Potter and Schade on target as Bees run riot at Kenilworth Road
Brentford, full of pace and purpose, picked up where they left off at the start of the second half.
On 56 minutes, Ajer nodded Reguilón’s curling free-kick wide of Kaminski’s left post.
Three minutes later, Kaminski parried Damsgaard’s low effort and then pounced on the loose ball just in time with Lewis-Potter advancing in search of a rebound.
With frustration setting in amongst the Kenilworth Road crowd, Brentford extended their lead just after the hour mark. Pinnock won his duel with Osho to meet Reguilón’s out-swinging corner and his header flew beyond a rooted Kaminski.
Brentford had a fourth goal moments after the restart. Mbeumo, latching on to Damsgaard’s lofted ball over the Luton backline, crossed first time to the back post and Lewis-Potter showed great instinct to beat Fred Onyedinma to it and head home.
Frank’s side continued to probe despite their commanding lead. On 74 minutes, Reguilón shaped to shoot but instead played a delicious cross into the box. Ajer rose highest to connect with it and his powerful header was well saved by Kaminski.
On 79 minutes, Mbeumo raced on to Janelt’s ball over the top and saw his low effort well held by Kaminski. Moments later, Kevin Schade darted beyond Daiki Hashioka and his low cross from the byline was cleared.
Osho then made a last-ditch intervention to prevent Neal Maupay from having a clear sight at goal after a flowing Brentford move from back to front.
Schade was looking dangerous and it was he who added a fifth with four minutes of normal time left to play. Mbeumo waltzed beyond Ross Barkley and found Janelt, and the German’s cutback was slammed into an open goal by the substitute.
Following speculative efforts from Maupay and Reguilón, Luke Berry intercepted Janelt’s pass to Norgaard, rounded Flekken and netted Luton a late consolation.
Luton Town (3-4-2-1): Kaminski; Burke, Mengi, Osho; Kaboré, Lokonga (Hashioka 71), Barkley, Doughty; Clark (Mpanzu 81), Chong (Townsend 71); Morris
Subs not used: Shea, Berry, Woodrow, Krul, Onyedinma, Johnson
Brentford (4-3-3): Flekken; Ajer (Roerslev 76), Collins, Pinnock, Reguilón; Janelt, Damsgaard (Nørgaard 71), Jensen (Yarmoliuk 82); Mbeumo, Wissa (Maupay 82), Lewis-Potter (Schade 71)
Subs not used: Strakosha, Zanka, Ghoddos, Onyeka
Attendance: 11,877
Frank: Not one team has done what we’ve done to them
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank labelled the Bees’ performance against Luton as “fantastic” and reserved special praise for Yoane Wissa who bagged a first-half brace during the 5-1 win at Kenilworth Road.
“It feels very, very good,” said the Bees boss. “The win, the performance. It’s been a long season and it’s not been going our way. We’ve gone five games unbeaten.
“I hugely respect Luton. What the players and Rob Edwards have done here at Kenilworth Road has made it very difficult for every team. Not one team has done what we’ve done to them today.
“The performance the players put in was fantastic. We had to earn the right to attack by defending well, which we did. We were very good going forward and at playing behind.
“We kept our focus, kept our intensity and scored the goals we needed. I didn’t expect us to be this dominant, so that’s credit to the players.”
On Wissa’s opening goal – a first-time strike from 20 yards – Frank said: “Fantastic magic. A really well-taken goal by Wissa and a good ball from Bryan. I’m so happy that Wissa scored two. He has been on the up for a while and I’m pleased with his performance.”
Wissa happy with first Premier League brace
On his two-goal contribution at Kenilworth Road, Yoane Wissa said: “I think the first one is a good goal, but the second one is the best one. I am happy to score two goals in one Premier League game, it’s the first time for me.
“For the second, at this point it was very important because you don’t know what Luton can do. After that, everyone was on top of their game and we really controlled the it.”
Bryan Mbeumo played a key role in Wissa’s double at Kenilworth Road, and Wissa admitted he wasn’t surprised.
He said: “I know Bryan and he knows me, how I play. We talk a lot in training and during games. He knows how and where and when to find me, that makes him easy to play with.
“I am grateful to have a guy like this on the team. We have four games to go, hopefully it continues until the end of the season.”