Josh Dasilva chose the perfect time to net his first Premier League goal as Brentford fought back from two goals down to take a point from an absorbing opening-day outing against Leicester City.

When Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made it 2-0 seconds after half-time, adding to Timothy Castagne’s first-half header, it looked all set for a defeat, but Thomas Frank’s Bees rose off the canvas to grab a point.

Firstly, Ivan Toney converted from close range with 20 minutes to play and then Dasilva curled a trademark effort home to send the 3,000 travelling Bees into delirium.

A point apiece was probably fair given the dominance that both sides had in stages of the contest.

Summer arrivals Aaron Hickey and Ben Mee both made debuts for the Bees at a sunny King Power Stadium while Keane Lewis-Potter was named among the substitutes.

The early stages were cagey. With Leicester’s advanced trio of James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, and Dewsbury-Hall matching up against Christian Norgaard, Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen, space was at a premium in central areas.

Leicester’s width was being provided by their wing-backs; James Justin and Wesley Fofana, up against Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo.

The first chance of note fell to Brentford. Mathias Jensen’s fine ball released Rico Henry into space down the left. When his centre was cleared, Vitaly Janelt recycled it to Mbeumo at the back post but his right-footed volley was well held by Danny Ward.

After trying to play through the middle, Leicester started to get more joy by looking to create from deeper, either through long shots or deeper crosses. Tielemans’ tested Raya with a well-struck 25-yard effort. Moments later Janelt had to make a crucial interception as Dewsbury-Hall tried to get on the end of Castagne’s cross from deep.

Brentford’s best moments were coming when Jensen and Janelt were able to turn Leicester’s defence to get the front three in behind. From one of those passages of play, Toney had a golden chance to open the scoring but he took a heavy touch with only Ward to beat and the Leicester stopper was able to sprawl at his feet and save.

The hosts went close again as Maddison beat Jansson to Tielemans’ cross but sent his header skipping just wide of Raya’s right-hand post. Unfortunately for the Bees, Maddison’s next contribution would be more telling. His wicked corner to the near post was perfectly met by Castagne and his flicked header from six-yards gave Raya no chance.

Straight from the kick-off, Brentford could have been level. Jensen cut open Leicester’s backline allowing Wissa in behind. Brentford’s No. 11 drove into the box and looked to find Toney but Jonny Evans was perfectly placed to cut out the cross.

However, that was a rare moment of Brentford pressure as Leicester dominated the closing stages of the half. Maddison’s volley from the edge of the box was held by Raya before Tielemans struck the foot of the post from range; Jansson’s crucial recovery tackle the only thing that then prevented Dewsbury-Hall tucking home a second.

Having worked hard to get in only one down, that work was undone within seconds of the restart. Mee’s clearance landed at the feet of Vardy and he laid it off for Dewsbury-Hall to crash an effort from all of 30-yards in off the foot of the post.

It could have got worse for the Bees, who had changed to a 5-3-2 at the break. Mbeumo dropped into right wing-back and Wissa joined Toney up top, but fortunately Tielemans’ long-range effort was straight at Raya.

Frank freshened the pack just before the hour, bringing Keane Lewis-Potter on for his debut alongside Dasilva, and four minutes later we pulled one back.

Under no pressure in the middle, Rico Henry found Toney inside the area, he took one touch to control it under pressure from Daniel Amartey, and his second sent it past Ward and into the back of the net from eight yards.

Leicester nearly restored their two-goal advantage with just over 20 minutes to play but Fofana’s looping header from a Tielemans’ free-kick bounced back off the post and into Raya’s arms.

The closing stages were all Brentford. Wissa shot high and wide following Toney’s flick-on before Toney looked like he had passed up the golden chance to level. Mbeumo’s flighted cross found Ivan at the back post but he agonisingly sent his header the wrong side of the post with only Ward to beat.

Lewis-Potter and Halil Dervisoglu injected fresh impetus into Brentford’s attack in the closing stages as Leicester sought to protect their lead. Twice Dervisoglu was crowded out as he looked to get a shot off but there was nothing anyone in blue could do with four minutes to play.

Cutting in from the right, Dasilva glided across the edge of the penalty area before sending the ball curling towards the far post with a flick of his left foot. From the second it was struck, Ward in the Leicester goal knew where it was headed and, once it got there, Dasilva ran straight for the bedlam that was the 3,000 travelling fans in the corner of the stadium.

It could have got even better for the Bees as Henry tapped home at the start of the injury-time, but the offside flag had already been raised in the build-up. Leicester had one final opening from a corner but Shandon Baptiste and Lewis-Potter both hurled themselves in the way of Tielemans’ effort to preserve the point we had worked so hard to earn.

Brentford: Raya; Hickey (Bech 84), Jansson, Mee (Lewis-Potter 58), Henry; Norgaard (Baptiste 73), Janelt, Jensen (Dasilva 58); Mbeumo, Wissa (Dervisoglu 84), Toney

Subs not used: Strakosha, Onyeka, Roerslev, Stevens

Leicester City: Ward; Castagne, Fofana, Evans, Amartey, Justin; Ndidi; Tielemans, Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall (Daka 73); Vardy

Subs not used: Iversen, Soyuncu, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Ayoze, Mendy, Praet, Thomas