Brentford kept the pressure on the Championship’s top two with a comprehensive 3-1 win over West London rivals QPR. Goals from the ‘BMW’ combination of Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins ensured the Bees’ promotion push never looked like stalling.
Nahki Wells’ consolation just after the hour mark was too little to late for a Rangers side that was blown away in a blistering first 45 minutes.
Brentford took a 19th-minute lead as Benrahma smashed home Mathias Jensen’s set piece free-kick from 12 yards after Ryan Manning had hauled down Mbeumo by the byline. The hosts doubled their advantage four minutes later when Christian Norgaard picked up a poor clearance from Rangers keeper Joe Lumley and drifted a ball forward for Mbeumo to outmuscle Geoff Cameron before finishing cleverly.
It was 3-0 in the 33rd minute when Jensen’s floated free-kick found Ethan Pinnock at the far post and he headed back across goal for Watkins to head home his 18th goal of the season at full stretch. The 3-0 lead was no more than the hosts deserved for a scintillating first 45 minutes and they could have had more, with Watkins twice denied by deflections.
Wells gave the visitors a glimmer of hope in the 62nd minute when he touched home Bright Osayi-Samuel’s low cross in one of the few occasions QPR managed to get behind the home defence. The Bees continued to drop back and Rangers grew more into the game, enjoying a good 15-minute spell after the goal.
However, when, after the unmarked Osayi-Samuel bobbled a shot wide of the post from Ebere Eze’s cross and David Raya denied Eze from point-blank range Rangers seemed deflated . Brentford then began to re-exert more pressure in the middle, as substitutes Kamohelo Mokotjo and Emiliano Marcondes gave the visitors a different challenge to consider.
The final 15 minutes saw the hosts find a second wind and they started to manage the game better, Watkins looping a header over from Benrahma’s pinpoint left wing cross.
Joel Valencia almost gave the Bees a scoreline they deserved in added time but Lumley was equal to his swerving low drive from 25 yards.
