Brentford and Sunderland finished 1-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium, and Enzo Le Fée ended it with the sort of penalty that changes the mood of a trip. The Frenchman scored in the 82nd minute, turning a Brentford lead into a point for Sunderland after a match that had already swung on a disallowed goal and a VAR call.

Le Fée's redemption at the Gtech

Le Fée had missed a panenka on this ground last season. This time he made no mistake from 12 yards, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to earn Sunderland a draw and make amends for that earlier miss.

It was his first goal in 2 appearances this season, and only his second outing carried real attacking weight. The penalty felt bigger because Sunderland had spent much of the game chasing events rather than shaping them.

Dan Ballard had a first-half goal ruled out after a contentious VAR check, which left Sunderland with work to do before the break. Brentford then went ahead through Vitaly Janelt, who finished just before the hour with a well-taken strike into the top left corner.

Brentford's warning signs

Brentford still have not lost, but this was another game that got away from them late. Nathan Collins was forced off after 17 minutes, and the home side had to manage the rest of the evening without one of their defenders settling into the contest.

Janelt's goal was his second in 3 appearances this season, and Brentford looked in control for long spells after that. Keane Lewis-Potter was also part of the flow of the game, even with Sunderland's late pressure and the penalty decision hanging over the closing stages.

The penalty itself will divide opinion. Some will see it as a generous call on Wilson Isidor, while RTÉ's report leaned the other way and treated Le Fée's finish as a straightforward piece of redemption. The key fact is still the same: Sunderland left with a point, Brentford were held at 1-1, and Le Fée's 82nd-minute kick changed the result.

Brentford were listed fourth before the match, and Sunderland entered it 19th in the live table. The draw does not settle much beyond that, but Sunderland's next league task now comes after a point won the hard way at Brentford.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →