Brentford

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford have made an impressive start to their second season under Keith Andrews and are unbeaten in their opening five top-flight games for the first time, including big home wins over Tottenham and Chelsea.

The Bees' strengths are by now well known and it is no surprise they rank as the league's most effective side in the air, leading the way in cross success rate, headers on goal and aerial duels won.

Club record signing Mamadou Sangare caught the eye against Spurs on the opening weekend, but it is fellow midfielder Vitaly Janelt who has been one of their unsung heroes.

The 28-year-old has made 16 interceptions, more than any other Premier League player, while only Crystal Palace's Anan Khalaili has attempted more tackles.

The German has captained the side in the past two matches and leads by example with his work-rate. He has covered 58.8km, the third-highest total in the top flight, and ranks joint third when it comes to tracking off-the-ball runs by opponents.

He is also contributing going forward. No Brentford player has recorded more successful crosses, while his two goals equal his combined league tally from the previous two seasons.

Not bad for a player signed for a six-figure fee in 2020 when the club were still in the Championship.

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BBC Sport Brentford contributor and content creator Michael Johnston has given his verdict on the season so far, telling BBC Sounds: "Spurs at home was a game I don't think could have gone much better for Brentford.

"Leeds, I always look forward to Elland Road, one of the best fixtures in the Premier League. They couldn't get near us for 60 minutes and Elland road was quiet. Part of me thinks we should have come out with three points.

"Two back to back draws with Sunderland and Bournemouth - the less said about these games the better. Bad days at the office but valuable points gained.

"Chelsea was one of my favourite nights of being in the Premier League for a number of reasons. While Jordan Henderson's stint in West London was important for him and for us, getting one over on him after his antics at Liverpool on the last day of the season in May was sweet.

"I'm not going to pretend like Chelsea care about 'little old Brentford', but the game is what it is. A West London derby between a bus stop in Hounslow and the perennial winning machine that is, or was, I should say, Chelsea Football Club, and who knows, maybe the necessary spark to ignite a rivalry of sorts was this game.

"A goal from a corner and a first Premier League goal for Jadon Anthony, who's been solid since signing for us. Igor Thiago is off the mark, which was very much needed, and we saw Fabio Carvalho's first goal since returning from an ACL injury.

"We're unbeaten, we're fourth in the league, and looking really good. What's impressed me the most about Andrews this year is his willingness to make substitutions, which was a big part of the frustrations last season. Triple subs, changes at half-time, music to my ears."

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Liverpool have emerged as genuine contenders to sign Brentford forward Kevin Schade, who has also been linked with Manchester United. (Teamtalk), external

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Football finance expert Kieran Magiure, has been answering your questions after Manchester City were found guilty of all charges related to breaches of financial rules.

Gary: Is there any chance this could be resolved by the end of the season?

Kieran: There is a very high chance it will be resolved by the end of the season. Because if it is not, we could end up in another situation very similar to that of Burnley and Everton where a club could be relegated and Manchester City are not given a deduction. And next season, a club that finished in 18th could say had that deduction been applied earlier, we wouldn't have been relegated. So that would add to the complications.

Certainly looking at the Premier League's press release itself, it does seem that it is very keen to resolve it as quickly as possible. If you take a look at the length of time that it took the commissions in respect to Nottingham Forest and Everton, once they have heard the evidence, applying the sanctions is the quickest part. It's listening to evidence that is the torturous process.

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Dappy: Based on everything you read, what is the most likely punishment going to be for Manchester City?

Kieran: I agree that it could be a very hefty points deduction and a transfer embargo at the very least. On top of that, I believe there will be a very significant financial penalty added into the equation. The logic behind having a transfer embargo is that it then becomes a multi-season issue.

If we go back to 2013 when City were in breach of Uefa rules, they had a transfer ban, wage and squad caps, it did impact the club in the subsequent season.

Rehan: If Manchester City get a huge fine, what would the FA do with that money? Where would it go?

Kieran: It would be shared by the Premier League clubs, including Manchester City. And it will be offset against the league's legal bill. Discussions with lawyers suggest they think City could be liable for about two-thirds to three-quarters of Premier League's legal costs, which is estimated to be in the region of £50-60m.

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The Premier League has opened a Pandora's box of problems which cannot be closed. However well-intentioned, however morally upright they mean to be, the way the product is perceived around the planet by fans will be negatively affected.

This looks like a gigantic mess, but could also become a bit of a joke, especially if they attempt to rewrite history, and change the winners' names on the Premier League and cup trophies over these past 15 years. I wouldn't want the engraver's job.

I believe financial rules brought in to prioritise financial sustainability were also aimed at limiting the money being spent by the clubs, especially the staggering, ever-inflating sums spent on sometimes fairly average players. It could lead to a de facto salary cap, which many fans would approve of.

The long-term problem for the league is easy to see here: if the top players are then offered significantly more money to play elsewhere, they will be off before you can say 'man on'.

I always thought the Premier League had taken a huge risk going down this regulatory road. As with Manchester City's future, nobody knows what the real long-term ramifications will be.

I have a suspicion it could end up being the greatest own goal in the sport's entire history.

The big take: If City are cast out of England's top leagues, what might the owners do – hang around the lower reaches, or find something else? Wasn't there the idea of a Super League? Keep that thought in the back of your mind.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Most of the time it is not that big a deal if you go into the international break having just lost a club game if I am honest, as teams lose games frequently.

That is just the life of a professional footballer. You have to be able to cope with disappointment as an individual and as a team.

‌Admittedly, players will sometimes say that they want another domestic game quickly, but it is almost always specifically after a 'bad' defeat as opposed to just a run-of-the-mill loss.

‌However, if the team has genuinely played terribly, or lost a game they were expected to win comfortably, you will commonly hear the phrase "we want to have a chance to get back out there and put it right quickly".

‌Players who have had a stinker, even if their team won, might also want to get out again as soon as possible to put it right in front of their fans, or 'reset'. The 'reset' argument is just current football jargon to say, "we will try to get it right next time, and we blew it this week, sorry".

‌The international break can also have the beneficial effect of taking your mind away from a bad defeat. This is not to say that you don't care, it is just that you must compartmentalise your thoughts and feelings. Footballers are among the best at this.

‌You simply cannot go to play for your national team and spend the time brooding about what happened against Brentford last week. That way lies madness and another poor performance, only this time in front of the entire nation.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Unbelievably, sensible and well-informed people are seriously discussing Manchester City getting a huge points deduction or being demoted or kicked out of the English leagues completely.

‌There is also reasonable talk about them being sued by just about every other major club in the domestic game, and a few beyond that. That is before you get to the concept of titles being stripped and trophies retrospectively re-awarded to others.

There is still an appeal to be heard, but they have been found guilty already. Serious consequences must be considered. Following the draconian punishments handed to Everton and Nottingham Forest, among others, City might find they don't just have the book thrown at them, it is the entire British Library lobbed in their general direction.

Those other clubs cooperated in the process. City have faced more charges and they involve larger sums and over a longer time period. In short, things are not looking good for the club that dominated English football for almost a decade.

This may be the biggest story in the Premier League's history and it is going to run and run.

Other serious considerations will follow hard on the heels of the Blues' dilemmas – specifically what long-term effects will this have on the Premier League? They will not all be good ones.

Some reasonably argue that the financial rules City have been found to have broken shouldn't have been put there in the first place. They were brought in to safeguard the financial security of the clubs and the league, but try telling that to many City, Everton and Nottingham Forest fans just now.

Newcastle and Aston Villa have plenty of financial backing, but these rules have hurt their ability to grow and stay competitive with the legacy clubs. This all feels unfair if you are a supporter of those two.

The money that will now be frittered away by the English game on lawyers and legal fees is eye-watering, and it will grow exponentially as the litigation increases.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Brentford are in talks with forward Kevin Schade over a new contract on improved terms after his positive start to the season.

The 24-year-old Germany international has scored three goals in five Premier League matches and started both of Jurgen Klopp's first two games as national team manager.

Schade is understood to be open to extending his stay, although talks remain at an early stage and are not expected to progress quickly.

The situation is complicated by the fact his current contract has less than two years left to run as it expires in 2028.

The attacker joined the Bees for a then club-record £22m from Freiburg after an initial loan move was made permanent in 2023.

Newcastle United are keeping an eye on Rennes and Morocco defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, 20, but face competition from Brentford, Everton and Hull. (Teamtalk), external

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We asked you to rate Brentford's start to the Premier League season and tell us what Keith Andrews should be focusing on during the extended international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Ruby: The mighty Brentford have had an excellent start to the season. Keith Andrews has phenomenally built upon last season and it's great to have Schade back in form. If we can start to build momentum and be more clinical to beat mid- to lower-table teams then the dream of Europe is on. 8/10. COYB.

Stephen: Solid start. The wins over Spurs and Chelsea will grab the headlines, but the most important performances were against Sunderland and Bournemouth. They were the better teams and we got a point. That kept our momentum going.

Steve: We've made a great start to be sitting fourth at this stage in an incredibly competitive league. What's really amazing is that we could and maybe should be riding even higher. We've thrown away a couple of winning positions to draw a few and the brilliant performance against Chelsea turned what could have been a frustrating start into a great one. It shows what a fantastic job Andrews is doing that it feels like we can improve on fourth. Schade looks sharp again, Igor has opened his account and the midfield look like they can outplay any team on their day, so I'd just say keep doing what you're doing, Keith, and the sky's the limit!

Conor: How should I put this? Brentford's start has been nothing but amazing. Apart from the Sunderland and Bournemouth games we have looked so strong, despite losing Jensen and Collins to injury. The Carabao Cup will be ours to win. Schade and, most recently, Carvalho are looking bright for the rest of the season, and Thiago is off the mark also. Who says Brentford can't get Europe? Let's prove all our doubters wrong!

Alex: On the whole, very pleased. Good results, tactically adaptive and playing as a team. If anything, we do seem to have a 'wobble' and give the opposition a sniff of getting back into the game at times, but that's inevitable playing on the counter-attack, I guess. We do, however, look like scoring on every attack. One very happyBees fan!

As we enter the first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League season.

Brentford have had another strong start to the league campaign in Keith Andrews' second season in charge.

The Bees boss has guided his side to two wins and three draws, which sees the team head into the international break unbeaten in the top flight.

Brentford have also brought their form to the Carabao Cup after they successfully dispatched Birmingham City and Reading in the first two rounds.

How do you rate the Bees' start to the season and why? And what should Andrews be focusing on during the extended break?

Get in touch with your views here

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The fact that Arsenal are not invincible has clearly come as a bit of a surprise to some people.

They were thumped by Brighton at the weekend, while Brentford hammered Chelsea to go fourth and Bournemouth narrowly lost to Liverpool.

The three little Bs, who I wrote about more than once last season, are at it again, fearlessly going for blood against the big dogs.

Both Brighton and Brentford will sit in the top four for the three weeks of the international break, with Bournemouth finding their feet under a new manager.

Their success should now not be surprising. In the last four seasons Brighton have averaged an eighth-place league finish - astonishing for a smaller provincial club outwith the major cities.

Arsenal's three-goal capitulation was initially a shock, but should it still be a surprise down at Brighton?

This season, the Seagulls have also scored three against Chelsea and Manchester United, four against Tromso and Aston Villa while slapping Coventry with five.

This does not look like a lucky run of form or a purple patch on the pitch; this looks like who they are now.

Bournemouth were sixth last season and I think Brighton could do even better than that this time round.

The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Villa are each capable of getting their acts together after early stumbles, but the chance of reaching the Champions League has never seemed so achievable for the more pocket-sized Premier League clubs.

During the second half of the recent Carabao Cup demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford, I started to think "this team is very special".

The Reds had a few youngsters playing that night, but after going 2-0 down Fabian Hurzeler's men played some of the cleverest, quickest, most intricate passing football I have seen in years.

The incredible pace with which they pressed the opposition only added to the heady, unstoppable mix.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton says "it will be really interesting to see how far" Brighton and Brentford can challenge for a top-six finish in the Premier League.

Brighton and Brentford sit third and fourth in the Premier League table respectively following strong starts to the 2026-27 season.

"If you look at the start Brighton have had, the depth they have and the way they play then it will be really interesting to see how far they go," said Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"I am slightly reluctant about Brentford because I don't think they've done as much business as Brighton and had a big influx of players.

"That means they have to be on the right side of injuries like they were last season. That's a big deal because you need the strength and depth to really go deep and long into a season."

The Observer's Rory Smith added: "Brighton have said that because they are in Europe they set out to have a deeper squad than normal this season. Brentford just missed out on Europe so that might be the explanation for why one is busier [in the market] than the other.

"I think their models are different. Brentford aren't really about signing players to sell them on as much as Brighton are.

"Bryan Mbeumo was a big one, but it's not their priority.

"I'm sure Mamadou Sangare will go for a huge sum of money in the next year or two, and Igor Thiago if he can keep his scoring ratio up, but the market they shop in shows their priority isn't reselling like Brighton."

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Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

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Most squads in the Premier League these days are packed with international players, and Brentford are no different.

Most of the Bees' squad are away, but Callum Wilson and Igor Thiago are among about 12 players left at their training facility, including five who are coming back from injury.

Brentford have a longer break than almost every other team, given they hosted Chelsea on Friday.

Boss Keith Andrews has given his first-team players a week off with individual training programmes to follow. Those players will not have restrictions on leaving the country, but it is unlikely long-haul flights would be sanctioned.

The squad will reconvene on Saturday, 26 September to begin training again, before playing a behind-closed-doors game against another English club on the weekend of 3 October.

That friendly could potentially give the likes of Nathan Collins and Sepp van den Berg a chance to return to action, with the rest of the squad made up of under-21 players.

The second international break will look very different, with the Bees playing Brighton on Sunday, 8 November and back in action against Everton on Saturday, 21 November.

Players may be given the odd day off, but in general it will be a normal training programme with no friendly before the usual preparation for the fixture against the Toffees.

Read the full piece here

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Portsmouth defender Benjamin Arthur is set to be out for 12 weeks with a stress fracture in his back.

Arthur signed for Pompey on a season-long loan from Brentford in August and has played six games for the club this season.

But the 20-year-old was absent from the matchday line-up for their 2-2 draw with Blackburn.

"Benji's picked up a stress fracture in his back unfortunately; a massive blow to Benji, a massive blow to us as well," manager John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"That's going to be one that keeps him out for quite a few weeks - we're probably looking at at least 12."

We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Brentford and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Campbell: Fantastic win; Damsgaard outstanding, Keane Lewis-Potter was also very good. Took on and beat Chelsea in midfield and never reverted to a low block; a clear sign of the development of the team under Andrews.

Vivek: Brilliant game from the Bees. I think that we had conviction and shut down Chelsea really well and when we did, we found gaps and space for counters which is a strong point for us. Brilliant game and evening if you're a Brentford fan and I hope we see more.

Conor: Wow, wow, wow, just wow!! What a beautiful game of football. Schade on form is massive to see, Thiago's first league goal, incredible and Carvalho. Who says Brentford are the only team yet to get to Europe? The season is only getting started. My blood pressure has shot through the roof.

Sampson: Absolutely incredible performance last night. A deserved win, with most players having a great game, especially Damsgaard, Schade and Schuster. Bring on Villa!

Chelsea fans

Richard: All I have heard of the last three years is about the process, fed up with it tbh. When is this going to be sorted? We need to be braver going forward, and not be bullied like we were in the second half. I couldn't believe that second-half performance, so many players weren't at it. We had a decent first half to be fair. It needs to be sorted, and that's down to the management to get it right - no more excuses.

Alan: This was just about the worst match I've seen this season. The defence was a total unorganised mess with no leader. Lacroix was hopeless and Colwill ran circles round himself. As for Martinez, you can see why he was cheap to buy. Henderson played well for his first game back after injury, but where was James? It was a poor night for Palmer. He will need to be better than this to keep his England place. If we are going to win anything, a major sort out at the back is needed.

David: Chelsea were shown on the night the difference between a team of players that play with heart and a desire to win and a team of so-called skilful individuals who were second best and bullied off every ball. We are easy to beat.

Ash: So poor and zero cutting edge. The fact we are playing old men showed and these should be subs, not starters. Alonso needs to get a grip on the defence as they are easily the worst in the Premier League. The break actually helps somewhat as something needs to change and they can work on it.

Brentford starting XI:

Caoimhin Kelleher: An accomplished display, although he was never required to make any outstanding saves. 6

Michael Kayode: Played a couple of sloppy passes and rarely ventured forward. 6

Kristoffer Ajer: A sizeable presence at the back despite coming under significant pressure from crosses in open play and from set-pieces. 7

Jannik Schuster: The young defender excelled in his own box but looked nervous in possession on a few occasions, including an overhit backpass that could have led to an own goal. He then set up the winner. 7

Keane Lewis-Potter: A poor clearance led to a Neto chance in the 10th minute, but he was impressive on the counter-attack. That perhaps owed something to his experience of learning the left-back role after previously playing as an attacker. 6

Yehor Yarmoliuk: On his 100th appearance, he threatened with a powerful long-range effort in the 37th minute and created Brentford's best chance shortly after half-time. 7

Vitaly Janelt: Did just enough to halt a Cole Palmer dribble early on, although he risked conceding a penalty. He provided a physical presence in midfield, with a potential Germany debut on the horizon under new manager Jurgen Klopp. 7

Mikkel Damsgaard: The Dane was not at his usual level from set-pieces or with his shooting from distance until he delivered an incredible whipped corner that led to the opening goal. 6

Kevin Schade: The in-form forward produced several pressure-relieving dribbles and had a shot blocked in the first half. Played a part in the final two goals. 7

Igor Thiago: The Brazil international was on a four-game goalless run before kick-off and worked hard but struggled in front of goal. He eventually delivered with a late strike to seal victory and his celebration looked like a weight then lifted off his shoulders, along with his Brentford shirt. 7

Jaidon Anthony: After a quiet first half, he missed his side's best chance early in the second half but responded well to score the opener. 7

Brentford substitutes:

Mamadou Sangare (on 72, Yarmoliuk): Did his combative duties well. 7

Aaron Hickey (on 72, Kayode): A steady presence. 6

El Hadji Malick Diouf (on 81, Lewis-Potter): N/A

Dango Ouattara (on 81, Anthony): N/A

Fabio Carvalho (on 87, Damsgaard): Ghosted in nicely to add a goal late on in a very short spell on the pitch. 7

Subs not used: Ballcombe, Henry, Wilson, Frederick

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Brentford manager Keith Andrews speaking to MOTD after his side's 3-0 win: "I feel like I have played. It was a really good evening, it's important that you enjoy evenings like this because you work so hard and there are so many tough days in this game and when you play against a west London rival, and you build up to a game and you go on a bit of a journey with the team, there are always bumps along the way, but we were in a really good place and it's nice to see it come into fruition tonight."

On Brentford's versatility: "The second goal was crucial obviously. The first goal was from a set piece. I think with the way we play that we are unpredictable, and we can score and play in different ways. When we are in control of games, in possession we can look to create and cause chaos for the opposition, but even from defending deep from certain situations we have serious counter attacking threat so I like a lot of what we do."

On Chelsea: "I thought Chelsea set up in a really respectful way. They paid a lot of attention to our strengths. Igor Thiago being one of them. He found it difficult to get space at times in the first half. You have to be patience and do the right thing. With the boys habits and the values we have as a club and a team, I think it all comes out consistently, and you can start to see that now where we are as a team."

On a good start to the season: "It's amazing the way one game dictates if it's an okay start or a really good start, but yeah, it's been a good start. We have been competitive, we have had to dig deep, we have had to show loads of different traits in the opening weeks of the season which is what you always have to do in this league. We can have a little reflection now of the opening few weeks as the boys go off in their different directions."

Fabio Carvalho scoring in consecutive games after injury: "The worst part of being a footballer is when you're injured and he's been unbelievable in his approach to it, in his professionalism, and he's comeback really seamlessly into the fold. He looks really sharp, really strong. To get that important goal tonight was nice for him and really special."

Brentford defender Jannik Schuster speaking to Sky Sports: "I think when the second half began we played it more directly forward and we scored after that so I'm just happy.

On being player of the match: "I don't care about my performance. I just want to help the team, get the clean sheet and the three points. Hopefully I get many more minutes."

On the assist for the first goal: "They always tell me I have a potential on set pieces but there wasn't a lot of outcome on this until now. Hopefully I can score next time."

Did you know?

• Brentford have played seven Premier League games on a Friday and won six of them, conceding just one goal in the process. Their points-per-game average of 2.71 on Fridays is the best of any side to play 3+ games on a specific day of the week in the competition's history.

• Brentford have won three of their last four London derbies in the Premier League, as many as their previous 21 beforehand.

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

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Three weeks without a game is not something any Premier League fan is looking forward to, but Brentford supporters can at least spend the forthcoming international break reflecting on their side's excellent start to the season.

It is now six games unbeaten to start 2026-27 and, for now at least, they are looking down on all but Arsenal and Manchester City in the table.

Arguably, Brentford's biggest strength is their adaptability - finding the approach that is best suited for any given game or opponent.

On Friday, that largely meant keeping their discipline and picking their moments to hit Chelsea on the counter-attack.

For much of the first half, they struggled with the second part and yet they were rarely troubled with summer signing Schuster key at the heart of the defence.

The 20-year-old Austrian was invariably in the right place to snuff out Chelsea attacks, won his duels and even popped up with an assist at the other end.

Already he looks another shrewd signing.

At the other end of the pitch, there will have been a huge amount of relief around the Gtech when Igor Thiago calmly tucked away the second goal.

After playing a starring role with 22 league goals last season, the Brazil striker has looked short of confidence so far this campaign.

Having now got off the mark, the hope that he can kick on again when the league resumes in October.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Saturday for a selection of your replies.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Liverpool are speaking to external candidates as part of their search for a new sporting director, with Brentford technical director Lee Dykes among the candidates the club has met.

It is understood the Reds are minded to make an internal appointment, with current technical director Julian Ward believed to be a strong candidate to replace Richard Hughes, whose departure for Al-Hilal was confirmed at the start of the month.

Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon is leading the process.

As well as Dykes, Brentford sporting director Phil Giles is also admired, but luring him away from west London is likely to be difficult.

FSG has spoken to other external candidates in addition to Dykes, who has played a key role in the Bees' consolidation as a Premier League side following their promotion in 2021, having arrived at the club in May 2019.