Eight years ago, a young winger named Sergi Canós moved to England from Barcelona. He joined Liverpool’s academy, and made his senior debut for the club, on the final day of the 2015/16 Premier League season. Canós has written his names into the history books now, becoming Brentford’s first top flight goalscorer in over 70 years.
Sergi Canós Lifts Brentford to Win
Long Wait for the Premier League
It’s taken Brentford 74 years for a return to the top-flight. Relegated at the end of a torrid 1946-47 season, their last top flight game was against Arsenal. How fitting, then, that their return was also set against Arsenal. In 1947, they lost 1-0 to Arsenal; this time around, they pulled off an opening day upset.
Len Townsend was the last player to score a top flight goal for Brentford. Sergi Canós is next in that list. Canós joined Liverpool from Barcelona as an exciting star who many hoped would make it in the first-team. His first experience in senior football came on loan. The Spaniard spent the 2015-16 season at Brentford, scoring seven times in 38 appearances in the Championship.
He joined Norwich on a permanent transfer in 2016, but failed to break into the team. After making just nne appearances, he returned to Brentford in January 2017. He has slowly grown in stature at the club. Canós was excellent last season. Operating from either wing, he scored nine goals and provided nine assists as Brentford qualified for the play-offs.
Fantastic Goal in Fine Performance
Canós was asked to play in a rather unfamiliar right-wing back position. Manager Thomas Frank decided to go with a back three, giving Kristoffer Ajer his debut beside mainstays Ethan Pinnock and Pontus Jansson. He put in a great performance, linking well with his teammates and causing Arsenal all sorts of problems. It’s worth noting that his goal came from the left wing. He got the ball after Ethan Pinnock headed back a clearance. He burst into the box, created space, and lashed a menacing shot past Bernd Leno to give the Bees the lead at the Brentford Community Stadium. It was a cracking goal, and the Brentford fans could not have asked for a better opener. When Christian Norgaard headed in their second, the crowd went delirious.
Only Bradford City’s 77-year wait beats Brentford’s exile from the top flight. What a way to annouce their return! Bryan Mbuemo was unplayable at times, dancing through the Arsenal defence where Pablo Mari had a shocker and Ben White suffered. Mbuemo fashioned two fine chances, but his finishing let him down on both occasions. Centre-back Pinnock was a standout performer, capping an incredible journey. Released by Milwall at age 15, he was playing in the seventh tier of English football as recently as 2016.
Thomas Frank’s first Premier League 11 had zero top flight experience amongst them. You wouldn’t know it from the goals they scored, however. Their movement and connection unnerved Arsenal and the win was deserved. Keep an eye out for both Canós and Brentford this season, they may just surprise a few.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
