SAINTS suffered their third consecutive defeat on their return to the Premier League as Brentford cruised to a 3-1 win in London. 

Bryan Mbeumo punished two bits of sloppy play out the back in either half to ensure another comfortable home outing for the Bees against Saints.

Forward Adam Armstrong should have levelled the scores before the break but air-shot what was effectively an open goal in added time.

Yoanne Wissa scored the third just four minutes after Mbeumo's second, ending the tie in the 69th minute, as Thomas Frank's side deployed a long throw.

Yukinari Sugawara did spare Saints a third successive 3-0 loss to the Bees since they moved into their new stadium with a lovely added-time finish.

Aaron Ramsdale was handed a first Saints start just over 24 hours after finalising an initial £18million permanent transfer to the club on deadline day.

Another new signing, Ryan Fraser, was not registered in time to play but travelled with the group to the Gtech Community Stadium.

Manager Russell Martin named an unchanged side otherwise, despite some impressive attacking displays in the 5-3 midweek cup win over Cardiff City.

There were slight tactical tweaks, after Martin took responsibility for the last 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, to get Armstrong into the penalty box. 

Ramsdale was forced into his first save hardly more than 60 seconds after he had applauded the fans to his right, getting low to deny Mikkel Damsgaard. 

Joe Aribo did not know much about it but could have put Saints ahead shortly after when he flicked onto the woodwork from a corner with his back.

Brentford applied pressure to keep Ramsdale busy and the England international denied Yoanne Wissa a chipped finish with a slight touch at close range.

The Bees had mounted several attacks but failed to make anything clear cut of them, with Mbeumo seeing a cross and shot both sail well wide and over.

However, they were gifted the two best chances before the break when Kyle Walker-Peters and then Taylor Harwood-Bellis turned over the ball in their half.

Harwood-Bellis was punished for the latter in added time, as Kevin Schade's resultant shot landed at the feet of Mbeumo in the box to put Brentford ahead.

Armstrong should have drawn Saints level before half-time but when Sugawara's fell in his lap with the goal gaping, he struck into his own planted foot.

Martin responded with two changes during the break, introducing Cameron Archer and Mateus Fernandes in place of Armstrong and Will Smallbone. 

Harwood-Bellis was then replaced after 55 minutes with Tyler Dibling on for the defender, who had risked the ball in possession one too many times for the boss.

Saints had looked better without testing Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken, winning a couple of set-pieces before and after switching to a 4-3-3.

However, they handed Brentford the momentum back as Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens - who made a goal-saving block seconds earlier - were caught playing out the back.

Mbuemo snatched the ball, performed a one-two with Mathias Jensen and beat Ramsdale with a low finish into the corner in the 65th minute.

Ramsdale tried his best to prevent the third less than five minutes later, but he parried a Nathan Collins header into the path of Wissa on the goalline.

Dibling dribbled through three defenders to set up a shot, Sugawara went close with a free-kick and Flekken denied Fernandes inside the box.

Dibling then lofted for Lallana in six minutes of added time, and the experienced man headed down to Japanese international Sugwara to produce a lovely consolation finish. 

Brentford: Flekken, Pinnock, Norgaard, Schade (van den Berg, 75), Jensen, Wissa, Mbeumo, Ajer (Roerslev, 40), Collins, Damsgaard (Carvalho, 82), Janelt (Lewis-Potter, 75).

Unused subs: Valdimarsson, Mee, Yarmoliuk, Konak, Trevitt.

Booked: Mbeumo, Pinnock. 

Saints: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis (Dibling, 55), Bednarek, Stephens, Walker-Peters; Downes, Smallbone (Fernandes, h-t), Aribo (Lallana 82); Armstrong (Archer, h-t), Brereton Diaz.

Unused subs: McCarthy, Bree, Taylor, Ugochukwu, Amo-Ameyaw.

Booked: Harwood-Bellis.

Referee: Josh Smith.

VAR: Paul Tierney.