Janelt and Sangaré partnership excels in Leeds stalemate

Analysis: Janelt and Sangaré partnership excels in Leeds stalemate

Brentford's attacking trios have rightly earned plaudits over recent Premier League seasons - but the early indications are that their midfield will jostle for top billing this term.

The Bees had to share the spoils at Elland Road against Leeds United on Sunday, but head coach Keith Andrews declared he was "very proud" of his side's performance in an entertaining 1-1 draw in West Yorkshire.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin tapped home from close range late on to cancel out Kevin Schade 's 41st-minute opener and earn the hosts a point - their manager Daniel Farke afterwards describing Brentford's form as "red-hot".

Brentford were, indeed, excellent for large swathes of the contest and their midfield pivot of Mamadou Sangaré and Vitaly Janelt was central to an impressive performance.

Sangaré delivered another outstanding display to fuel his growing reputation as one of the star signings of the summer transfer window, and the Mali international has quickly forged an impressive partnership with Janelt.

Alongside Mathias Jensen , who was ruled out by injury against Leeds, Sangaré and Janelt bossed proceedings in the 3-0 opening-weekend win over Tottenham Hotspur and again stole the show for long periods at Elland Road.

Snapping into tackles and linking play superbly, the midfield duo set the tempo in a commanding first-half performance that saw the visitors deservedly lead at the break after Schade conjured up a delightful flick from Keane Lewis-Potter 's low cross from the left.

So far this season, Brentford's destructive tendencies without the ball have been balanced with control in possession in the middle of the park, and Sangaré and Janelt's statistics told a story on Sunday.

They combined to win seven tackles and eight interceptions over the course of the encounter, and also won three aerial duels between them. On the ball, Sangaré (56) completed more accurate passes than any Brentford player, while Janelt's tidy distribution was evidenced by an assured 85 per cent pass completion rate.

Brentford fired in 22 shots to Leeds' 12 and the way in which they penned back their hosts, particularly prior to the interval, bodes well for the rest of the season.

'Sangaré (56) completed more accurate passes than any Brentford player, while Janelt's tidy distribution was evidenced by an assured 85 per cent pass completion rate' Goalscorer Schade won a penalty during a typically high-energy performance against Spurs on the opening weekend, and the German's sublime finish against Leeds opened his account for the 2026/27 campaign.

The 24-year-old has scored 22 Premier League goals for the Bees since moving to west London at the start of 2023, and Schade now sits eighth on the division's all-time list of prolific German players after overtaking Leicester City cult hero Robert Huth (21 goals).

The draw also preserved Schade's status as something of a lucky charm: Brentford are still yet to lose a game in which he has found the back of the net.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →