Igor Thiago became the highest scoring Brazilian in a single Premier League season after netting a double in Brentford’s emphatic win over Sunderland.
The in-form attacker bagged his 15th and 16th league goal of the season, overtaking Roberton Firmino, Matheus Cunha and Gabriel Martinelli in the record books.
Brentford welcomed Sunderland to the having won three of their last four matches in the league, while the visitors were unbeaten in their last five outings, but had drawn the last four.
The Bees started brightly and it took only 34 seconds to muster the first effort on target, but Robin Roefs was equal to the task.
They broke the deadlock in the 30th minute as Thiago netted his 15th league goal of the campaign after rounding the goalkeeper and slotting into an empty net.
The home side took a 1-0 lead into the break in an entertaining affair, with plenty to play for in the second half.
Sunderland were given a way back into the encounter after Brian Brobbey was fouled in the penalty box by Kristoffer Ajer, with the center referee awarding the visitors a spot-kick.
However, Enzo Le Fee produced a poor attempt as his panenka style penalty kick was comfortably saved by Caoimhin Kelleher in the Brentford goal.
That miss proved costly as the hosts punished the visitors with two strikes inside eight minutes to make the scoreline 3-0.
First, Thiago grabbed his second of the match and a record-breaking goal after he headed home from a Kevin Schade’s assist, before Yehor Yarmoliuk scored their third to cap an impressive performance from the entire team.
The 3-0 win moved the Bees up to 5th on the standings with 33 points and ahead of the likes of Newcastle United, Manchester United and Chelsea after 21 matches.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
