Brentford 2-2 Crystal Palace: Ouattara Brace as Bees Held by Eagles

Match Details

• Competition: Premier League
• Date: Sunday 18th May 2026
• Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford, West London
• Final Score: Brentford 2 - 2 Crystal Palace
• Half Time: Brentford 1 - 1 Crystal Palace (4 minutes added time)
• Attendance: 17,213
• Referee: Sam Barrett
• 4th Official: Stephen Martin
• VAR: Paul Howard

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Brentford	Crystal Palace
Score	2	2
Half Time	1	1
Formation	4-1-4-1	3-4-2-1
Goalscorers	Ouattara 40', Ouattara 88'	Sarr 6' (pen), Wharton 52'
Yellow Cards	Kayode 90+5'	Richards 83', Lerma 89', Henderson 90+5'
Red Cards	-	-
Substitutions	Janelt for Henderson 63', Jensen for Schade 63', Ajer for van den Berg 82', Damsgaard for van den Berg 82', Yarmoliuk for Dasilva 89'	Pino for Johnson 46', Lacroix for Richards 61', Strand Larsen for Mateta 61', Riad for Lerma 74', Sarr for Guessand 90+3'
Attendance	17,213

Lineups

Brentford (4-1-4-1): Kelleher - Kayode, Ajer (82' van den Berg), Collins (c), Lewis-Potter - Janelt (63' Henderson) - Ouattara, Yarmoliuk (89' Dasilva), Jensen (63' Schade), Damsgaard (82' van den Berg) - Igor Thiago. Subs unused: Valdimarsson (GK), Hickey, Pinnock, Nelson, Furo.

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson (c) - Canvot, Lacroix (61' Richards), Riad (74' Lerma) - Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell - Sarr (90+3' Guessand), Pino (46' Johnson) - Strand Larsen (61' Mateta). Subs unused: Benitez (GK), Clyne, Hughes, Devenny.

The Story of the Match

BRENTFORD were held to a 2-2 draw in the London derby with Europa Conference League Finalists Crystal Palace at the Gtech Community Stadium in front of 17,213 fans in West London. Crystal Palace goals were scored by Ismaila Sarr in the 6th minute with a penalty given after a VAR decision - Sarr had been fouled by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher - and then the cultured Adam Wharton fired home with a left footed shot in the 52nd minute from an assist by Daniel Munoz to score the second goal of the afternoon for the South Londoners.

Brentford, who were trying to achieve a Europa League or Europa Conference League qualification place themselves via their final Premier League position, came back twice with goals both scored by the lively and excellent Dango Ouattara. First in the 40th minute from close range to make it 1-1 after a cross by Yehor Yarmoliuk into the Palace penalty area was headed by Jaydee Canvot against Ouattara's head and he headed in beyond the diving Dean Henderson. Then Dango Ouattara bagged his second goal of the game with a header to make it 2-2 from an assist by Sepp van den Berg in the 88th minute. There was eleven minutes of added time at the end of the game but neither side could obtain a winner so both sides had to settle for an entertaining draw and a point apiece.

Brentford were still in with a chance of European football in 2026-27. Crystal Palace had reached the Europa Conference League Final against Spanish side Rayo on 27th May in Leipzig. Brentford now need a result at Liverpool next week and hope other results go in their favour to attain European football next season.

Brentford came into the game off the back of one win against West Ham United (home) 3-0, two draws against Fulham (home) 0-0 and Everton (home) 2-2 and two defeats against Manchester City (away) 1-2 and Manchester City (away) 0-3 last time out. Crystal Palace came into the game off the back of two wins against Shakhtar Donetsk (home) Europa Conference League Semi-Final 2nd Leg 2-1 and Shakhtar Donetsk (away) Europa Conference League Semi-Final 1st Leg 3-1, a draw against Everton (home) 2-2 last time out and two defeats against AFC Bournemouth (away) 0-3 and Liverpool (away) 1-3.

Brentford were unbeaten in their last six home league games against Crystal Palace (won three, drawn three) since a 3-0 loss in the Third Division South in December 1957. Following their 2-0 win in November 2025, Crystal Palace were looking to complete the league double over Brentford for the first time since 1957-58 when they beat Brentford on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Brentford had won just five of their last 30 Premier League London derby matches (drawn nine, lost sixteen). However, two of those victories had come against Crystal Palace (three versus West Ham United). Crystal Palace had won six of their last nine away London derby matches in the Premier League (drawn two, lost one). Following wins at Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, Palace were looking to win three in a row on the road in the same top-flight season for the first time. Brentford had lost their final home league game in each of the last two seasons, last doing so in three successive campaigns between 2010-11 and 2012-13.

Crystal Palace had won their final away league game in just one of the last six seasons (drawn two, lost three), beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in 2023-24. Brentford had lost two of their last three Premier League games (won one), just one fewer than in their previous eighteen (won seven, drawn eight and lost three). However, at home the Bees had lost just two of their last fourteen (won six, drawn six).

Brentford's average of almost thirteen shots faced and over four shots on target faced per game this season are both their lowest in any of their five Premier League campaigns. However, the Bees are also averaging fewer shots (over ten and a half) and shots on target (nearly four) than in any other season. Brentford's Igor Thiago has scored two or more goals in six different Premier League games this season - the second most behind Erling Haaland. Other than Haaland, the last player to do so in more different games in a campaign was Harry Kane in 2017-18 (nine times). Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored eleven goals in Premier League London derbies - the second most of any Crystal Palace player behind Wilfried Zaha (fifteen).

Brentford manager Keith Andrews started with a 4-1-4-1 formation with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal, then a back four of Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Ajer, captain Nathan Collins and Myles Lewis-Potter, then Vitaly Janelt holding, then a four-man midfield of Dango Ouattara, Yehor Yarmoliuk, Mathias Jensen and Mikkel Damsgaard, then loan marksman Igor Thiago up front.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with captain Dean Henderson in goal, then a back three of Jaydee Canvot, Maxence Lacroix and Chadi Riad, then a four-man midfield with two wing-backs in Daniel Munoz, Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada and Tyrick Mitchell, then two attacking midfielders in Ismaila Sarr and Yeremy Pino, with one striker in Jorgen Strand Larsen up front.

Crystal Palace kicked off the first half defending the goal where the Crystal Palace fans who had travelled up to West London were seated in the corner of the stand for another London derby encounter. Brentford started well and in their first attack Dango Ouattara fired a right footed shot over the crossbar from an assist by Mathias Jensen.

With Crystal Palace's first attack Ismaila Sarr seemed to be brought down by Caoimhin Kelleher and after a VAR review referee Sam Barrett awarded a penalty kick to the visitors in the fifth minute after a close review of the replay television screen by the side of the pitch. Up stepped Ismaila Sarr and he calmly fired home right footed into the left hand corner of the goal to make it 0-1 in the sixth minute.

Crystal Palace went close again to adding to their score in the 16th minute when Jorgen Strand Larsen hit the post with a right footed shot from an assist by Yeremy Pino. Then Palace went close again as Chadi Riad headed wide from an assist by Adam Wharton in the 17th minute. Crystal Palace a goal up were in total charge of this end of season encounter which was Brentford's final home match of a terrific season which could still end in Europe next season.

Brentford came back into the game more after soaking up Palace attacks and in the 31st minute on a fast counter-attack Dango Ouattara crossed into the six-yard box for Nathan Collins his captain, who saw a close range effort saved by Dean Henderson. A Brentford corner in the 37th minute taken by Mathias Jensen was headed clear by Maxence Lacroix. Brentford equalised with a close range header by Dango Ouattara to make it 1-1 in the 40th minute. The initial cross by Yehor Yarmoliuk into the Palace penalty area was headed by Jaydee Canvot against Ouattara's head and he headed in beyond a diving Dean Henderson to level.

The teams went in all square at 1-1 at half time after a keenly fought opening 45 minutes in West London.

Brentford kicked off the second half. Crystal Palace replaced Yeremy Pino with Brennan Johnson in the 46th minute. Crystal Palace went 2-1 up after heavy pressure on the Brentford goal seven minutes into the second half thanks to Adam Wharton who fired home with a lovely left footed shot from outside the Brentford penalty area from an assist by Daniel Munoz in the 52nd minute.

Brentford seemed anxious after falling behind again as they were expected to win the final home game against a weakened Crystal Palace side who have the Europa Conference League Final to look forward to and a final home game against likely title-chasing Arsenal next Sunday at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace replaced Maxence Lacroix with Chris Richards and Jorgen Strand Larsen with Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 61st minute. Brentford replaced Mathias Jensen and Vitaly Janelt with Kevin Schade and Jordan Henderson in the 63rd minute. Chadi Riad was replaced by Jefferson Lerma in the 74th minute. In the 82nd minute Myles Lewis-Potter fired wide. Brentford replaced Kristoffer Ajer with Sepp van den Berg in the 82nd minute.

Brentford amazingly and deservedly equalised through Dango Ouattara in the 88th minute to make it 2-2 from an assist by Sepp van den Berg to send the Bees fans wild with delight. Crystal Palace replaced Ismaila Sarr with Evan Guessand in the 90th+3 minute.

There was eleven minutes of added time at the end of the game with a few yellow cards flying around for Kayode and Henderson, but neither side could obtain a winning goal in the time allowed so both sides had to settle for an entertaining draw and a point apiece.

Brentford end the season against Liverpool at Anfield whilst Crystal Palace host title-chasing Arsenal at Selhurst Park - both games kicking off at 4 pm - followed by Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League Final against Rayo on 27th May in Leipzig.

Half Time: Brentford 1 Crystal Palace 1 (4 minutes added time)

Full Time: Brentford 2 Crystal Palace 2 (11 minutes added time)