Former England and Real Madrid star Michael Owen attributed Brentford’s opening goal against Fulham on Monday night to a critical error by Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey.
Fulham hosted Brentford at Craven Cottage, concluding Matchday 10 of the Premier League season in a dramatic clash.
Nigerian internationals Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi both made their tenth consecutive starts for Fulham.
In the opening 20 minutes, teammates Emile Smith Rowe and Raúl Jiménez came close to scoring but were ultimately thwarted by Brentford’s defense.
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However, Brentford took advantage of a crucial mistake just minutes later.
Michael Owen Criticised Calvin Bassey
In the 24th minute, Bassey misplayed a pass that allowed Brentford to gain possession. A quick series of passes found Mathias Jensen, who set up Vitaly Janelt.
The German midfielder capitalized on the moment, firing a powerful shot from 25 yards out that sailed past Bernd Leno.
Michael Owen, commenting on Premier League Productions, noted:
“Nobody was closing him down, and of course as I said Bassey probably made the poor touch to start with to give the ball away. He found that little bit of space and some managers like encouraging their team to strike the ball from outside the box,” the one-time Ballon d’Or winner said as per Premier League Productions.
