Brentford 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday: Maupay and Watkins score in Bees win
- Published
Brentford continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable home victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.
French striker Neal Maupay put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot midway through the first half after Lewis Macleod was hauled down by Sam Hutchinson.
Owls forward Marco Matias broke the offside trap to force Bees skipper Dan Bentley into a save from a narrow angle before winger Sergi Canos curled wide for the hosts.
Maupay rounded Wednesday keeper Cameron Dawson from a swift counter-attack just after the hour mark to allow Ollie Watkins to double the lead with a tap-in, consigning the visitors to their second league defeat of the campaign.
The Owls have taken just one point so far and, after a 15th-placed finish last season and a transfer embargo over the summer, Jos Luhukay's side rarely threatened at Griffin Park.
Brentford have finished in the top 10 in the Championship in the past four seasons since winning promotion to the second tier in 2014 and appear well placed to challenge for promotion after taking seven points from their opening three games.
Watkins and Maupay constantly threatened as they both notched their third goals of the season and could have added to the scoreline in the second half, while Dawson had to be alert to deny substitute Said Benrahma in stoppage time.
Brentford head coach Dean Smith told BBC Radio London:
"We were very good and controlled the game for long periods.
"It should have been more emphatic, given the chances we had. Sometimes it is about good decision-making.
"There is good movement from the team, I know the players are good finishers and we will start taking our chances.
"We believe we have a squad which can go and compete in the league this season. but it is performances which get you results."
Sheffield Wednesday boss Jos Luhukay:
"All credit to Brentford. They deserved the win and were a better team than us.
"They had chances to make it a bigger defeat and we have to thank our keeper for keeping the score down.
"Realistically we have to try to finish higher than last season.
"We were strong in the last two months of last season and that spirit was not there today and that is very disappointing."