Keith Andrews paid tribute to “top human being” Igor Thiago after the striker’s brace helped Brentford to victory over Burnley on Saturday.
The Bees climbed to eighth place in the Premier League with a 3-1 win following a dramatic conclusion at Gtech Community Stadium, where all four goals were scored in the final 11 minutes.
Thiago was at the double, taking his tally for the campaign into double figures (11), with only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (14) bettering his total.
The Brazilian bounced back after missing a last-gasp penalty against Brighton last weekend, not that Andrews ever doubted his ability to do so.
“Not surprised by his response,” the Brentford boss said. “He is a top human being, personality and character. Everything we stand for can be seen in abundance in Thiago. I just love the way he plays the game.
“We’re very respectful of the opposition. I think their performances probably haven’t given them the points that they deserve, because it’s a ruthless division.
“We framed it all week around the type of game I felt it might be. Sometimes, it doesn’t materialise in exactly that way, but I’ve got a lot of respect for the way they set up and Scott Parker as a coach, so I knew it was going to be very, very difficult.
“Today was always going to be a really, really good test for us and one we would have to earn the right to win, and eventually I think we did that.”
The Brentford. pic.twitter.com/kCQdDl0nAG
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) November 29, 2025
Meanwhile, Burnley’s fourth straight Premier League defeat leaves them 19th in the table and a point from safety.
The Clarets dragged themselves level through Zian Flemming’s 85th-minute penalty, but Scott Parker was left ruing his side’s subsequent loss of concentration.
“We get ourselves back in it and show real character to get 1-1 and – where I can be critical of us at that moment is – we concede a goal within 30 seconds of scoring,” he said.
“It’s happened a couple of times this year, so it’s definitely something that we’ve been working on or trying to understand, but I think that’s where the frustration comes today.
“We can accept losses in this division, you can accept losing certain matches, but I think the frustration and hurt comes with just [what happened in the] final stages.
“It’s a young, young squad and there’s a famous saying that you’re probably at your weakest when you score. In those moments, we’re taking hammer blows. We’re not even taking a little jab, we’re taking absolutely knockout punches.”