ANALYSIS: IGOR THIAGO'S GOALS END BURNLEY FIGHT; BEES LOOK UP TABLE
Igor Thiago scored twice as Brentford beat Burnley 3-1 in a late goal blitz. The in-form striker now has 12 league goals, sparking talk of a Brazil World Cup call-up.
Igor Thiago shone at the Gtech Community Stadium again as Brentford cruised to a 3-1 win against Burnley, who are showing signs of improvement.
The game took almost 80 minutes to get going, with all four goals coming in a quick burst near the end.
Daily Mail Sport checks out the main talking points from a tough match in west London.
Brentford's Turnaround
After Keith Andrews' first game as manager ended in a rough 3-1 loss at Nottingham Forest back in August, many thought Brentford would be relegated. After all, they had just lost Thomas Frank.
But about 13 weeks later, few people think the Bees will be playing in the Championship next season.
Their style of play is very direct, and when it works, it's really hard to defend against.
Brazilian player Igor Thiago was the star once more as Brentford defeated Burnley 3-1 in London.
Only Manchester City and Arsenal have lost fewer home games than Keith Andrews' team.
A poor first half led to boos from the home crowd at halftime, but the Bees came out strong in the second half.
After Thiago's two goals, Dango Ouattara secured another win for Andrews' team with a well-taken shot with his left foot.
Only Manchester City and Arsenal have a better home record than the Bees, who are now looking up the table instead of worrying about being relegated.
Andrews hasn't changed much since Thomas Frank left. Why would he? Brentford's spot in the Premier League hasn't been in danger for a while, and it won't be anytime soon.
Thiago's Big Brazilian Dream
Andrews said this week that Brazil has contacted Igor Thiago, who has been great so far this season.
Two more goals today for the 24-year-old bring his league total to 12, which is more than any other Brazilian in Europe, even Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.
Many thought that selling Bryan Mbeumo in the summer would be a big loss, but Thiago has easily filled that role.
Thiago scored his first goal from a penalty and his second with a nice volley with his left foot.
Dango Ouattara later made it 3-1 with a good shot with his left foot in extra time.
For Scott Parker's Burnley, it's another loss, but easier games are coming up.
After scoring the first goal from the penalty spot, the confident Brazilian scored his second with a volley that he looked certain to score.
With the World Cup coming up, it might not be long before Brentford's number 9 wears the famous yellow and blue of his home country.
An Important January for Burnley
Despite the score, Brentford's win was not easy against a Burnley side that is improving and well-organised.
This Burnley is much better than the one that was relegated under Vincent Kompany, with only 24 points. They are willing to change their game, play long balls when needed, and build up an attack when it suits them.
But Burnley needs more attacking power. Lyle Foster and Zian Flemming, who scored, were good at times at the Gtech, but Scott Parker knows he needs more.
What signings Burnley can make in January will likely decide their fate, but they have an easier set of games coming up during the holiday season.
VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE
Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.
Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.
This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.
What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.
VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."
VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.
At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.
Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.
The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.
Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.
A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.
Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Referee: Sam Barrott
VAR: Craig Pawson
What: VAR check for a foul in the box
When: 11th minute
BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW
Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.
Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.
This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.
Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.
Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.
Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.
After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.
It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.
“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.
“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”
About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.
“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.
“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.
“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.