JON WEST Ivan’s talk of the Tone
THOMAS FRANK hailed Ivan Toney as deadlier than Lionel Messi after his double penalty hat-trick pushed Norwich closer to the drop.
Toney became the first Brentford man to claim a Premier League match ball thanks to a first-half opener and two spot-kicks early in the second-half.
Ben Gibson conceded both penalties on a crazy afternoon that saw VAR rule out a goal for each side before Teemu Pukki scored in stoppage-time.
It was also Christian Eriksen’s first start – and 90 minutes – since his life was saved by CPR following cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 clash with Finland last June.
Victory also ended a dismal Bees run of just one point from their previous eight outings and made Norwich’s unlikely bid to avoid relegation almost an impossibility now.
Bees boss Frank (below) said of Toney: “The more penalties he scores the closer we are to the truth that he is the best penalty taker in the world.
“Name one player who has scored 19 in a row or how many it is. It’s not Messi and it’s not Ronaldo.”
Norwich should have taken the lead in the second minute after Brentford sloppily conceded possession.
Billy Gilmour fed Milot Rashica, whose toe-poke lacked conviction and bounced off keeper David Raya.
Gilmour latched on to the rebound but blasted over as defenders converged.
Eriksen soon showed his class at the other end with a curling pass for Bryan Mbeumo to flick over.
Mbeumo tested Canaries keeper Tim Krul from an angle before Eriksen picked him out with another bluechip pass.
Norwich were rocking, but Pukki perked them up with a low drive that Raya had to bat round a post.
Josh Sargent then went close with a 14yard snapshot that flew just over.
Kristoffer Ajer was booked for a cynical hacking down of Brandon Williams on the left flank and referee Anthony Taylor – in charge of the Euro tie that saw Eriksen collapse – had to step in when Toney felled Mathias Normann.
Toney’s next contribution was to open the scoring in the 32nd minute after Krul had tipped a fierce drive from ex-Canary Sergi Canos round an upright.
Ajer flicked on Eriksen’s
‘‘ corner to Toney at the back post for a simple side-footed finish.
Eriksen, of all people, was booked just before the break for hauling Williams down.
Manchester United’s onloan left-back reacted angrily before realising who it was and gave the Dane a hug!
The second period began with referee Taylor unmoved after Mbeumo barged Williams over in the box and then trotted to his monitor
to award a penalty at the other end. Gibson’s boot was high and caught Pontus Jansson in the face from another Eriksen corner.
VAR was right to recommend a review by Taylor, and Toney sent Krul the wrong way from the spot in the 52nd minute.
Incredibly, Taylor pointed to the same spot again six minutes later when Gibson slid in on Toney.
The striker put the penalty in the same place with the same result despite Krul guessing correctly. That made it six goals in his last five Bees outings.
Canaries boss Dean Smith fumed: “We should have had a penalty. I don’t understand VAR – those moments change games.
“I’ve also seen a replay of Brentford’s second one and Ben doesn’t touch him. They tell me VAR gets 98 percent right but I don’t see it.”
Rashica thought he pulled one back in the 67th minute by slotting home in a crowded box.
It just was not Norwich’s day as VAR ruled it out for a touch in the build-up by Pukki, who was offside.
Mbeumo was the next man to feel hard done by when he tapped in following a double save from Krul only to see that also chalked off by VAR because Ethan Pinnock was offside when he crossed.
Eight minutes of added time saw Pukki smash home a consolation goal following excellent work on the left by Norwich’s teenage winger Jonathan