Kevin Schade kept Brentford in the hunt for a top-eight finish and European football next season, as his goal secured a tight 1-0 win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday.
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Thomas Frank's side have now won each of their last four matches to set a club record in the Premier League. The last time they won as many top-flight games in a row was in 1939, when they had five consecutive victories.
Schade, who scored his fourth goal in three Premier League matches, netted the winner in the 18th minute with a well-placed glancing header from Bryan Mbeumo’s precise delivery.
Brentford had penalty appeals turned down on either side of half-time as Ipswich struggled to go up against the visitors’ strength.
The Tractor Boys searched for an equaliser in the dying minutes, with Cameron Burgess and George Hirst going close, but Brentford stood firm to pick up three valuable points.
The result takes Frank’s side up to eighth place in the table, which could provide entry into Europe next season. They are ahead of ninth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion on goal difference, and have two more points than 10th-placed AFC Bournemouth. Ipswich, who are already relegated, remain 18th.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
36 | +19 | 63 |
| 6 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
36 | +7 | 63 |
| 7 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
36 | +12 | 62 |
| 8 |
Brentford
BRE
|
36 | +10 | 55 |
| 9 |
Brighton
BHA
|
36 | +3 | 55 |
| 10 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
36 | +12 | 53 |
How the match unfolded
The hosts started the match promisingly when Omari Hutchinson sent a dipping cross into the box for Liam Delap, whose low header was promptly saved by Mark Flekken.
Sepp van den Berg then had a penalty appeal waved away, but it mattered little, as Mbeumo’s pinpoint delivery from the next corner enabled Schade to guide a brilliant header into the far corner.
Mbeumo then had a low shot blocked on the stroke of half-time, with Mikel Damsgaard sending the follow-up just wide.
Brentford had another penalty appeal waved away in the second half when Axel Tuanzebe tussled with Nathan Collins in the box. Referee Samuel Barrott’s on-field decision was again upheld following a VAR review.
In the 70th minute, Keane Lewis-Potter delivered a deep cross to the far post for Mbeumo, who forced Alex Palmer into another save with a miscued volley.
Ipswich pushed hard for a late equaliser, with Hirst firing a good chance wide. Flekken then tipped Hutchinson’s drilled shot onto the post before making a superb save to keep out Burgess’ first-time volley in stoppage time.
Brentford’s busy attackers keep European hopes alive
Frank’s side came into Saturday’s contest brimming with confidence after they managed to hold out Manchester United in a frenetic and incredible 4-3 win last weekend.
Schade, who was pivotal against Man Utd with two goals, was again at the forefront as he flicked Mbeumo’s cross up and over Palmer to put the Bees ahead in the 18th minute.
Earlier in the week, captain Christian Norgaard acknowledged that Mbeumo could depart in the summer, given his standout season and the growing interest from top Premier League clubs, and the Cameroon international showed exactly why as he probed to extend his side’s lead.
He was a constant threat running through on the right as he gave Jacob Greaves a great headache, with his attacking partners Schade and Yoane Wissa constantly testing Palmer with goal-bound shots.
The trio have all scored double-figure tallies this season, making large contributions to Brentford’s success. Frank will no doubt be relying on them to keep up their good form as the Bees look to keep themselves in the hunt for a European place.
After recording a fourth straight win, Brentford next host Fulham in their final home fixture of the season before a trip to Molineux to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day.
Ipswich’s Portman Road pain continues
Ahead of Saturday's clash at Portman Road, Kieran McKenna had said that neither he nor his players would accept anything but fighting for every game, despite Ipswich’s relegation already being confirmed.
With just one home win all season and none in 2025, McKenna would have been hoping for a strong performance in front of their fans in what was their penultimate Premier League home match, but it was not to be.
The hosts rallied well to come back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw with Everton last time out, and there were once again flashes of promise early on as Delap nodded Hutchinson’s cross on target, though Flekken was quick to react.
Ipswich rarely troubled Brentford from then on, with Mbeumo and Schade instead posing plenty of problems for the home side's defenders, who were forced to dig deep to keep the deficit to just one.
A late spell of pressure got the Portman Road crowd on their feet, but it was ultimately not enough for McKenna’s side to rescue a point.
The Tractor Boys now conclude their Premier League campaign with a trip to Leicester City before hosting West Ham United on the final matchday, when McKenna will hope his players can give their fans a winning farewell to the top flight.
Club reports
Ipswich report | Brentford report
What the managers said
Kieran Mckenna: "The players gave everything and we competed well against one of the form sides in the league."
Thomas Frank: "I see a strong team on form, we have got the momentum which is important. We are close to finishing eighth which would be the best position ever in the league. We are laser focused on what we can do. We have given very little away but still created a lot. We just need to push and enjoy it, the next two games, and then reset our target."
Remaining PL fixtures
Key facts
Brentford are now unbeaten across their last five league matches against Ipswich Town (four wins, one draw) and have won three in a row against the Tractor Boys for the first time, completing a league double over them for the first time in the process.
Ipswich have lost each of their last eight Premier League games at Portman Road, their longest ever home losing run in any division and have lost 13 home games in total this season, their joint-most in a single campaign (also 13 in 1994/95).
Brentford ‘keeper Mark Flekken saved all four of Ipswich’s shots on target today; he has faced the most shots on target of any goalkeeper in the Premier League overall this season (192), however, just 26.6 per cent of them have resulted in goals conceded, the best rate of any goalkeeper this term (minimum 30 shots on target faced).
Mbeumo’s assist for Schade’s winner was his 25th goal involvement in the Premier League this season (18 goals, seven assists), the most by a Brentford player in a single campaign in the competition, overtaking Ivan Toney’s 24 in 2022/23 (20 goals, four assists).
