Highlights, report and reaction: Brighton 0 Brentford 0 | OneFootball

Brentford finished their calendar year with a goalless draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on Friday night.

The Bees lost both Mark Flekken and Ben Mee to injury at the American Express Stadium, but put in a positive display to secure a second away point and clean sheet of the Premier League season.

Thomas Frank made one enforced change to the starting XI from the home defeat to Nottingham Forest prior to Christmas, with Mads Roerslev - who recovered from a nasty cut sustained in the same fixture - replacing the injured Kristoffer Ajer (ankle).

Brentford B defender Benjamin Arthur, who is yet to make his senior professional debut, was included in the matchday squad.

Brighton could, and perhaps should, have opened the scoring after just four minutes. A Flekken pass was picked up midway inside the Bees' half, with Jan Paul van Hecke playing the ball first time to João Pedro inside the area. He laid it off to Julio Enciso but the latter's curling effort came off the outside of the post.

Flekken got down well to his left to deny a drive from Carlos Baleba not long afterwards, with Nathan Collins then blocking a Matt O'Riley shot from close range after Brajan Gruda had reached the byline and squared it to the midfielder.

Enciso was the next to try his luck but, after getting on the end of Kaoru Mitoma's cross from the left wing, he headed straight at Flekken.

Yoane Wissa thought he had put the visitors in front at the other end on 13 minutes after being played in on goal by Mads Roerslev and firing into the top corner, but the Bees striker's effort was ruled out by VAR for being offside.

Flekken comfortably collected Gruda's free-kick from 25 yards before, midway through the half, he parried Joël Veltman's effort from inside the box with a strong right hand.

The Dutch keeper managed to flick out his right boot to turn away Mitoma's low cross, which took a deflection off Mee's leg and was squeezing in at the near post after 30 minutes, at the expense of what appeared to be a groin injury. Flekken tried to continue but was replaced by Premier League debutant Hákon Valdimarsson five minutes later.

Valdimarsson was involved in Brentford's next chance as his lofted pass was flicked on by Kevin Schade to Wissa, who drove into the box before seeing a shot blocked.

At the other end, O'Riley's effort from distance came off the top of Mee's head and flew wide, before Mitoma blasted into the side netting from the resulting corner.

The final chance of the half went the way of the west Londoners, with Mbeumo driving at his man before curling wide of the goal from the edge of the area following great work from Roerslev.

Frank's side had the first opening of the second period. Following some patient build-up play down the right side, Mbeumo passed the ball inside to Vitaly Janelt, who squared for Wissa, however, his shot from close to the penalty spot was blocked.

Christian Nørgaard saw an acrobatic volley deflect just wide before a short corner routine led to Mikkel Damsgaard's teasing ball being just of the reach of Keane Lewis-Potter at the front post.

Brighton continued to search for the opener at the other end, too, with Collins hammering clear from inside the Bees' area before a counter from the resulting corner led by Damsgaard and Mbeumo saw Wissa's tame effort picked up by Seagulls stopper Bart Verbruggen.

João Pedro avoided a red card after VAR looked at an incident where he appeared to swing an elbow towards Yehor Yarmoliuk, before the west Londoners were forced into another substitution with 12 minutes remaining. After Mee couldn't continue, Ji-soo Kim became the second Premier League debutant of the night.

Georginio Rutter met a deep Lewis Dunk cross and headed just wide late on for the hosts but neither side could find a winning goal in a frantic finish.

Brighton: Verbruggen; Veltman (March 88), van Hecke, Dunk, Estupiñán; Baleba, O’Riley (Ayari 68); Gruda (Minteh 68), Enciso, Mitoma (Adingra 68); João Pedro

Subs not used: Steele, Lamptey, Igor Julio, Georginio, Moder

Brentford: Flekken (Valdimarsson 36); Roerslev, Collins, Mee (Ji-soo 78), Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard (Yarmoliuk 72), Janelt, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade

Subs not used: Carvalho, Meghoma, Konak, Maghoma, Yogane, Arthur

Attendance: 31,548

Frank: Draw was a fair result

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was pleased with his side's performance as they picked up a point at Brighton in their final game of 2024.

"It was a very even game so a point is probably fair," said Frank.

"We never play for one point but, in many ways, it was a good point; on the road, a clean sheet with the injuries in the game, and the injuries we have overall.

"I thought it was a game of two halves. It was a first half where we were struggling to get on the ball, but we defended very well.

"In the second half, I thought we were better and on top in big spells. We were really aggressive but we lacked enough cutting edge with the cross or the pass to create bigger chances.

"I'm happy with the performance."

Roerslev: A good away performance

Brentford defender Mads Roerslev reflected on Friday evening's goalless draw at Brighton in the Premier League.

"[It was] a very even game with two good teams," said Roerslev.

"There were a few too many mistakes in the first half but we were better in the second half, created our own chances, and could have had a goal or two.

"If we had the final pass or the final finish then maybe it could have been different but, that said, we know that Brighton is not an easy place to come.

"Overall, it was a good performance."