by It’s back, it’s back, it’s back, announced the rather hubristic billboard outside the Gtech Community Stadium. So it was. After spending eight months in the football tundra after being banned for 232 betting offences, Ivan Toney returned as both a scorer and a creator.
As Brentford dispatched Nottingham Forest to win their first Premier League game after five consecutive wins, Toney scored his side’s opening talisman with the cheapest of free-kicks and curled a superb cross-field ball for Neal Maupay’s winner. Meanwhile, he infuriated his colleagues, infuriated his rivals and lifted Brentford to the industry-free boom they had before he was forced into office.
At the final whistle, after 10 minutes of extra time, Toney pumped his fist and, for the first time all evening, showed the widest grin before joining his team’s lap of honour. Back? He couldn’t be more back.
Resplendent in a shirt emblazoned with the Hollywood stakes logo, Toney was greeted predictably with the enthusiasm of the home support for the returning heroes and the away contingent booed like pantomime villains. Toney, as is his way, barely shrugged.
At the moment, the uncomfortable truth is that Brentford need Toney more than they need him. The more this season progressed, the more they missed last season’s 20 goal hitter. The five victories, when they scored only four goals, plunged them towards the abyss of relegation.
Toney himself remains a riddle. In the run-up to the Euros, his midweek declaration that he wanted to join a “top club” was disingenuous at best, but unlike his intentions, no one doubted his desire to return to predatory level last season immediately.
Since being cleared to return to training in October, Toney has built himself back up to game fitness, through a personalized program involving practicing penalties from 13 yards and increased game time behind closed doors. , finishing with a hat-trick against Southampton last time out. out.
Socks at the level of the ankle, short sleeves, sans pony-tail and first playing in the channel inside the left alongside Maupay – standing in for Bryan Mbeumo, the chosen sidekick Toney but injured – after a minute without contact, Toney tracked on back to Rob Callum Hudson – Ode. But before Toney, who was captaining Brentford with the injured Christian Norgaard, could add much, Nottingham Forest scored when Vitaly Janelt’s wild clearance from Ben Mee’s head went to Danilo on the edge of the penalty area,
With one touch, the Brazilian picked himself up and with the second volleyed brilliantly past Mark Flekken. Danilo ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with the Forest fans, but their thoughts were mainly on Toney. “Toney, Toney, what’s the score?” they sang and, more beautifully “Ivan Toney? He’s definitely broken out.” Again, Toney faltered, but the ferocity with which he ran back and his humiliation of his less-talented teammates indicated that he wasn’t squirming inside.
Then came his goal. Toney drove to the right to send a cross up to the back post and, in other situations, it might have been him. Well shacked by Andrew Omobamidele and with Brentford’s three-man defense clearly rickety, Toney looked frustrated until Orel Mangala hacked down Mikkel Damsgaard on the edge of the area. There was only one candidate for the free kick receiver.
The forest wall was large and protected by Danilo as a draft exclusive. Toney took two steps back, expanded his options and stepped forward. Hudson-Odoi lost an odd foot, Ryan Yates moved irresponsibly out of the way and the low free-kick went into the back of the net by Matt Turner. In that moment of supreme catharsis, the home support wavered their KING OF KINGS: WELCOME HOME IVAN TONEY! flag when Toney hurtled towards his head coach, Thomas Frank. The pair hugged like long lost lovers before Toney revealed a Brentford shirt emblazoned with the words For You Uncle Brian.
Toney’s strike snapped a game that was slipping away from his team. Toney switched channels with Maupay and when Toney got out a flamingo leg to guide the ball into the six yard box from the right, Keane-Lewis-Potter spun and his shot smashed against the bar. Toney had another shot shortly before the break, but, as the buzzer ended, Toney’s 20-yard effort was so high and wide, Turner just had to watch it sail into the ether.
If Lewis-Potter wasn’t unlucky with his first try, it was made worse when Toney once again showed his skills as a provider with a delightful cross that Lewis-Potter gently slotted into the arms of Turner before Mee converted the deficit with a header over Murillo’s weak challenge from. Mathias Jensen corner.
A forest was not yet formed. They leveled when Chris Wood ghosted in ahead of Ethan Pinnock to nod Hudson-Odoi’s cross past Flekken.
Toney had one last twist. A strong Omobamidele challenge was just met when he set up the winner with a pinpoint ball to Mads Roerslev, who crossed for Maupay to turn and fire past Turner from the edge of the area. Toney was back and so was Brentford.
