Adam Wharton ends long wait as Brentford and Crystal Palace share the points

Adam Wharton finally scored his first goal for Crystal Palace, but Brentford still walked away with a point from a 2-2 draw that kept the European race tight. Wharton took aim from 20 yards early in the second half, and it arrived after 93 appearances for the Eagles since joining from Blackburn more than two years ago. Dango Ouattara then had the final say with an 88th-minute equaliser after also scoring in the 40th minute.

Wharton’s first goal came at a useful time

There was nothing fluky about the moment. Wharton had been involved in 33 Premier League appearances this season, so this was not a late cameo from a fringe player. It was a properly earned breakthrough for a midfielder who has been on the pitch often enough to justify more than one goal, even if the finishing had not arrived until now.

His season rating of 7.11 also backs that up. Wharton has contributed steadily without the headline moment, and that is why the goal mattered beyond the personal milestone. He had gone 93 appearances without scoring for Palace, which makes the strike feel overdue rather than surprising.

Ismaïla Sarr and Caoimhin Kelleher were also part of the match, but the story was driven by Wharton and Ouattara. Brentford twice came back from behind and still failed to turn the draw into a bigger step forward.

Ouattara kept Brentford in the race

Ouattara’s impact was the opposite side of the same game. His 8.3 match rating reflected a decisive attacking display, and the timing mattered as much as the finishing. The late equaliser denied Palace a win and stopped Brentford from taking the sort of point swing that can matter in a crowded European chase.

Andy Edwards of NBC Sports summed it up neatly: "Brentford came back from a goal down on two occasions to pick up a point in a 2-2 home draw with Crystal Palace, but failed to take advantage of Brighton’s defeat elsewhere in the Premier League’s hotly contested European race."

Brentford are 8th with 51 points, three points clear of 12th and two behind seventh-place Brighton. That is still a live position, but it leaves little room for missed chances. Palace’s build-up was noisy too, with the club entering the game on either a five-game Premier League winless run or their sixth game in 18 days, depending on the source, and the point suited them more than it did Brentford.

If Brentford are serious about Europe, they needed more from a game they twice dragged back into line. If Palace are just trying to steady themselves, Wharton’s first goal gives them something concrete to take from the night, and Brentford’s draw leaves the chase exactly where it was.