Brentford

Phil Parry
BBC Radio London reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The summer's significant changes at Brentford led to some suggesting that the coming season would be difficult. After all, the club had to cope with the departure of Thomas Frank, a rookie gaffer and the loss of other members of the backroom team as well as the sale of some big players.

Keith Andrews has told us that the criticism from some was not motivation. He says the club knows how to cope with change and manages it well - his role was to help with the current flux.

It appears that they have coped well. Eleven games in and they have 16 points with five wins. The list of those that they have taken maximum points from is pretty impressive: the reigning champions, the League Cup holders and a European finalist from last season among them.

Those who have filled vacated gaps have performed well. Jordan Henderson has proven to be a positive addition, Caoimhin Kelleher has settled in quickly and Igor Thiago is currently the Premier League's second highest scorer.

All this has helped the side climb to 12th, not bad for a team tipped by some pundits for the drop.

Of course, it is only a start and the away form, one win and four defeats, is still a concern. The style and approach on the pitch is still being debated by many observers and could well be a case of evolution with patience required.

Some observers point to the numbers of goals scored through set-pieces, long throws, counter-attacks or passes played over the top of defences. Mikkel Damsgaard, who picked up the player of the year award last season, seems to be less influential this season and has just one assist through 11 games.

But it would be churlish to suggest it has been anything other than a solid start for the Bees and provided a platform for the season, and for the coaching staff and players to develop.

There will more of that to come I am sure and, after all the churn of the past few months, the first objective was to calm the waters. That has certainly been done.

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Brentford, Everton and Leeds are chasing Celtic's Daizen Maeda, 28, with the Japan forward keen on a January move from Scotland. (Teamtalk), external

Wolfsburg have set their sights on a move for Brentford's 27-year-old Norway centre-back Kristoffer Ajer. (Sky Sports News), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We wanted your suggestions for Brentford's all-time best Premier League XI.

And you delivered!

Here's a first bunch:

Phil: 5-3-2. Raya, Kayode, Collins, Pinnock, Mee, Henry, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Janelt, Watkins, Mbeumo. Solid defence, creative but combative midfield and an attack that i clinical and effective.

Andy: 4-3-3. Raya, Henry, Jansson, Pinnock, Kayode, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Jensen, Benrahma, Toney, Mbeumo. A mixture of the players that got us there, kept us there, and who continue to excel.

Saanidh: 4-2-3-1. Raya, Kayode, Collins, Pinnock, Henry, Norgaard, Henderson, Damsgaard, Mbeumo, Wissa, Toney (soon to be Thiago). Brilliant team that mixes players from over the years.

Alan: 4-3-3. Raya, Kayode, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry, Norgaard, Henderson, Damsgaard, Mbeumo, Toney, Wissa. We play our best football in 4-3-3. Difficult call to include the treacherous Wissa. Head ruled heart there.

Namish: 4-3-3. Raya, Kayode, Mee, Jansson, Henry, Jensen, Damsgaard, Norgaard, Mbeumo, Toney, Schade. Thomas Frank's 4-3-3. Most of these players qualify as legends for the club, and as such, I obviously couldn't dirty it by including Wissa.

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier we told you the story of former Brentford boss Martin Allen going for a swim in a river right before taking charge of an away match against Hartlepool.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Sacked in the Morning podcast, the charismatic manager also revealed his successes - and failures - when it came to organising a club trip to Abu Dhabi.

"I had asked some of the club's directors to take all of us away as a reward for playing so well in the FA Cup," Allen revealed.

"I remember being sat in the local travel agents one afternoon, after training, sorting out the whole trip. I had it all sorted out but the deal was that all our focus had to be on Colchester away on the Saturday afternoon, which was just before our flight.

"But I had got the flight time wrong by an hour and we still had to travel from Colchester in Essex all the way round to the other side of London to Heathrow Airport.

"It was going to be tight so after the full-time whistle blew there was no team-talk, no warm down, no showers. The players literally just put their tracksuits on and threw their dirty kits on the floor."

Once they got to the aeroplane though, Allen said there was a surprise in store for his players.

"We made it on the aeroplane and the captain came out to greet us," he said. "He told me that he watched Brentford a lot and offered myself and three of my staff members business-class seats.

"So we were lording it up with champagne but, when I turned around and saw my players, I just didn't feel comfortable.

"I went up to the cockpit, knocked on the captain's door and told him that there were around 20 spare seats in business class. I asked him for a favour, which was to allow my players to sit in business class and us staff members would sit in economy.

"He said to me: 'You don't want to do that!' but I told him that my players deserved it and luckily he agreed.

"The players loved it - imagine Brentford players going to Abu Dhabi back in those days!"

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

It's international break so let's have a bit of fun to pass the time.

Now we know football existed before 1992 but for the purposes of this little exercise, keep it Premier League please.

So tell us, who would be in your dream Brentford Premier League XI?

The debate starts here.

Send your suggestions

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Former Brentford manager Martin Allen has been revealing his favourite memories from his managerial stint at Griffin Park.

The Englishman took charge of the Bees in March 2004 before eventually announcing his resignation in May 2006 over a perceived lack of backing from the club's board.

A compromising manager, Allen told BBC Radio Scotland's Sacked in the Morning podcast about a time when he challenged his players into some unusual pre-match preparations.

"One time I swam in a river just before an away game at Hartlepool on a Friday afternoon," he explained.

"The players were all on the river bank saying whoever goes into the river for a swim would win £1 each. So I told them: 'If you say you're going to swim it then swim it' - and everybody thought it was crazy.

"It was just after I had joined the club and we went on to win our game the next day. It was also actually the first away game Brentford had won all season.

"At 10:20am on the Monday morning, just before going out to training, I took a phone call from a withheld number. It was Tottenham manager David Pleat, ringing me to ask me why I had done it.

"The reason I did it was to show if you say you're gong to do something, you've got to do it. I don't know where those little psychology moments have come from in my managerial career, but somehow I've always been able to find them."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Sin bins? Bonus points? Two goals if you score from distance?

Imagine a world in which you could reinvent football.

It's a dream, of course. Just a bit of fun. But stick with us.

What if you had the power to change any of the game's laws and potentially bring to an end countless hours of discussion about handball, offside, video assistant referees, or anything else you want to?

Some of BBC Sport's familiar football faces have offered their own potential rule changes.

Watch them above or read more here

The latest Sacked in the Morning podcast has landed.

BBC Radio Scotland's Amy Irons and former Scotland manager Craig Levein are joined by special guest Martin Allen to discuss the highs and lows of his extensive managerial career.

The former West Ham United player and ex-Brentford boss reveals his unique man-management style, how his upbringing influenced him, plus the treat he gave his players that turned them into little boys on Christmas Day.

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

It was another great afternoon at Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday.

So-called "relegation favourites" Brentford have now deservedly beaten Champions League sides Liverpool and Newcastle, Europa League team Aston Villa and arguably the biggest club in the country Manchester United at home.

We've also drawn with world champions Chelsea there.

After a sluggish first half, which was not much better than the previous week's display at Crystal Palace, in the second period the intensity was back as we took the game to the Magpies.

We showed we are about more than just long throws as we caused them plenty of problems, forcing Dan Burn into rash tackles which earned him a red card.

Igor Thiago once again grabbed the headlines with his double. He did brilliantly to ignore the fuss during a seven-minute wait to take his penalty to coolly give us the lead.

If only he'd been allowed to take the penalty at Sunderland in August, we could be even higher up the table.

However, despite all this he still was not my Bees man of the match.

That once again was Michael Kayode. Newcastle were the latest team who could not cope with his rampaging runs or his throws.

But these things are all a bonus on top of his primary job of defending. Kayode is not often beaten by wingers but when he is, his powers of making a recovery tackle are excellent.

He times all his tackles brilliantly, makes great blocks and clearances and has extraordinary energy levels - shown particularly by the amount of times he crosses from wing to wing to take throws.

Sunday's win means that we have exactly the same record after 11 games as we did last season - five wins, one draw and five defeats with a zero goal difference.

It is also the first time this season we have gone into the international break on the back of a win.

Happy days!

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

A number of current and former Premier League club sporting directors have featured in the top 10 of a study ranking the value they have added to their club's squad from incoming transfers.

Departed Manchester City executive Txiki Begiristain came out top, while ex-Crystal Palace director Dougie Freedman, Newcastle's Ross Wilson and Brentford's Phil Giles also ranked inside the top 10 in the review carried out by industry advisors Transfer Room.

Freedman, who left Crystal Palace for a position in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, placed third in the study - behind Begiristain and Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Timmo Hardung.

The Scot, who was responsible for the signings of Eberechi Eze, Michael Elise, Marc Guehi, Daniel Munoz, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Adam Wharton among others, added a net value of €374m (£328m) to the Eagles' roster from the €436m (£382m) spent on 29 transfers.

Current Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson placed in fifth, adding a net value of €319m (£280m) from a €366m (£321m) investment on 36 transfers during spells with Nottingham Forest and Rangers.

Brentford's sporting director Phil Giles, who played a key role in the signings of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoann Wissa and Ollie Watkins for the west London club, ranked seventh - adding a net value of €300m (£263m) to their squad following an investment of €114m (£100m) on 20 players.

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Brentford and Newcastle.

Here are some of your comments:

David: We're really turning the Gtech into a bit of a fortress. Even being one goal down, we kept our shape and Andrew's kept to his game plan. A good all-round professional performance. The subs saw the game out and it's always good to go out on a high before an international break.

Saan: A very well organised win from the Bees. We were better than Newcastle in almost every aspect, and the eventual scoreline reflected that. Front three looked very good, and solid in defence mostly.

Ian: Brentford are proving the pundits wrong time and time again. IgorThiago was a monster, as was Jordan Henderson. Henderson's experience and influence is spreading throughout the team and getting results. Six home matches, four wins and a draw, only losing to Manchester City. Well done Keith Andrews and team.

Mark: A classic game of two halves. Shaky in the first half dealing with a very physical Newcastle side but dominant in the second half. Kayode, Ouattara and Thiago were excellent but the whole team put in a fantastic shift resulting in another great result.

Phil: A really heartwarming performance we didn't let our heads go down after conceding first. Real passion and commitment and Thiago is on fire!

Image source, Getty Images

Currently uncapped by Brazil, Igor Thiago's form at Brentford must mean he is on the radar of Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti - but the 24-year-old is also eligible to play for Bulgaria.

Thiago turned down the opportunity to represent Brazil at under-23 level in an attempt to keep his international options open.

He has previously expressed a desire to represent the Selecao, external, telling the Daily Mail: "I've always dreamed of being able to play for Brazil.

"I always ask God that when he takes me to the national team, I don't want to go just for the sake of it. When I get there, I want to stay."

But competition in attack for Ancelotti's side is incredibly high - with Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Raphinha among the options.

Other names in the frame include Willian Estevao, Richarlison, Matheus Cunha and Joao Pedro, who are all playing in the Premier League.

But with nine goals across all competitions this season - more than of the other players mentioned - Thiago could become impossible for Ancelotti to ignore.

His match-winning double against Newcastle on Sunday took the forward to eight Premier League goals for the 2025-26 campaign - just one short of Brazil's called-up strikers combined.

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Aston Villa 4-0 Bournemouth

• Brentford 3-1 Newcastle

• Crystal Palace 0-0 Brighton

• Nottingham Forest 3-1 Leeds

• Man City 3-0 Liverpool

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle's players will have been well-briefed about Brentford's threat from long throws, as well as keeping a very close eye on Thiago.

But this battling Brentford side are a force on home soil, having already defeated champions Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa this season, with Manchester City the only team to win at the Gtech so far.

There was no undue panic from Brentford when they went behind and, crucially, the the hosts did not let brittle Newcastle settle into the game after the break - instead going at them from the restart.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews aimed to "imprint our gameplan on them to make it the type of game we need it to be" - and that's exactly what his side did.

They bullied Newcastle's giants from Michael Kayode's long throw in the build-up to Schade's leveller. They did not get frustrated after Dango Ouattara's previous penalty appeal was waved away. And, in Igor Thiago, they have a striker capable of stepping up in the big moments as he did late on with his eighth and ninth goals of the season - all but one of them in the league.

By the time Thiago made it 3-1, Brentford fans felt assured enough to ask their former forward Yoane Wissa, who pushed for a move to Newcastle, what the score was.

This was another memorable home victory to add to a growing list.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews speaking to BBC Sport after their 3-1 victory over Newcastle: "We had to react to going a goal down and we edged the first half. We didn't want to chase it in the second half, and we looked more calm in and out of possession. Ultimately, I felt we were relentless."

On the VAR calls: "I have come in pretty quick, but the one thing I will say is the officials have a tough task on their hands. Ultimately, we got the result that we deserve so that's the biggest thing in my head."

On Brentford's home form: "We want to make it an uncomfortable place to come and we did that today. You have to fight and respect the opposition. I think we are doing that really well at the moment."

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 Newcastle's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Aaron Hickey returns for Brentford as manager Keith Andrews makes one change for the visit of Newcastle United.

The Scot makes his first appearance in over a month after recovering from a knee injury he suffered on international duty last month.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Hickey, van den Berg, Collins, Kayode, Henderson, Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard, Schade, Thiago, Ouattara

Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Pinnock, Jensen, Nelson, Carvalho, Onyeka, Lewis-Potter, Janelt

Newcastle forward Jacob Murphy comes into the starting line-up in place of the absent Anthony Gordon.

Gordon, who has been called up for England's internationals against Serbia and Albania, misses out completely with a hip issue as head coach Eddie Howe makes one change from the team who defeated Athletic Club in the Champions League midweek.

Newcastle XI: Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Murphy, Woltemade, Barnes

Subs: Ramsdale, Hall, Schar, Lascelles, Krafth, Elanga, Willock, Ramsey, Miley

There are five games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Aston Villa v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Brentford v Newcastle - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Crystal Palace v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Manchester City v Liverpool (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction from the 14:00 games here

And go here for Man City v Liverpool

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Aston Villa v Bournemouth" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Liverpool", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

I didn't recognise Newcastle when I watched them lose at West Ham United last weekend.

They were better when they beat Athletic Club at St James' Park in the Champions League in midweek, but their away form - or lack of it - must be a concern for boss Eddie Howe.

They are still solid defensively, most of the time, but scoring goals seems a particular problem for them when they are on the road. I can see why from watching that West Ham game because they just didn't work the goalkeeper enough.

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews is happy to set his side up to play on the counter-attack, even when they are at home, and I can see Newcastle struggling to break them down too.

I've gone for a few draws already this week, but this game smells of another one to me.

Sutton's prediction: 0-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford were tipped to struggle by some pundits this season, but sit a point ahead of Newcastle prior to their clash on Sunday (14:00 GMT). BBC Sport looks at some of the key talking points surrounding this game.

Goals galore

When these two meet there are always goals and it should come as no surprise that Brentford won 5-2 in their first-ever meeting with Newcastle in 1934.

The emphatic victory for the Bees at St James' Park helped Harry Curtis's side clinch the old Second Division title that season and the result set the tone for years to come.

No Premier League fixture that has been played at least eight times has produced more goals than this one. A total of 33 have been scored across the past eight top-flight meetings between the clubs at an average of 4.1 per game.

Striker Igor Thiago is responsible for six Premier League strikes for Brentford this season, with three of those coming in his past three top-flight home appearances.

Brentford's Brazilian top scorer has commanded a lot of attention for his recent performances, but Kevin Schade's excellent form also hasn't gone unnoticed and he has earned a recall to Germany's squad for the forthcoming international break. His last cap came more than a year ago.

Both of Schade's league goals this season have come at the Gtech Community Stadium and he scored in Brentford's last home fixture – a 3-2 win over defending champions Liverpool.

Travel-sick Newcastle

Newcastle's only away win this season was an emphatic one in the Champions League against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.

Their impressive 4-0 victory in Brussels at the start of October appeared a turning point, but they have lost at both Brighton and West Ham in the league since.

Defeat on Sunday would be the first time they have suffered three successive away losses in the top flight since a run of five between November 2023 and January 2024.

"For whatever reason we have not been winning the games away from home that we should have," said Howe this week. "Now we're sort of caught in that trap where it's becoming a topic of conversation and we're probably becoming more aware of it."

The Magpies are in fact winless in their past eight away Premier League matches (D4, L4) – a run dating back seven months – and they've failed to score more than once in any of those fixtures.

No European hangover

One major positive for Howe's men is that they are yet to lose a domestic fixture that directly follows a Champions League match this season.

The Magpies are flying high in Europe after three wins from a possible four and they appear to be carrying that continental form into the league.

Image source, Getty Images

England boss Thomas Tuchel has named his 25-man squad for the final time this year ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

The Three Lions have already secured qualification.

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle).

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Newcastle United at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "I've just seen Antoni Milambo around an hour ago, he's on crutches but looks good. The operation went well so we'll look after Antoni and make sure he gets up to speed, and really integrate him into the football club, which we're big on. Josh Dasilva is back on the grass and he's doing pretty well."

• Andrews is eager to see Brentford rediscover the form they displayed in strong performances against Liverpool and West Ham. He acknowledged that "styles of play and game plans" would influence how the team approaches upcoming matches but emphasised that "some of the performances were very good" and that he is "really happy with the way the team is growing and developing".

• On Jordan Henderson: "He's been brilliant, he's clearly done a bit in the game and when our captain left this summer to go to Arsenal, we were quick to highlight that somebody that could come in and make an immediate impact, that had experience of the league, know-how, and when Jordan's name came known to me that he was available, did the due diligence on that and since coming he has grown in stature and his role within the group."

• Andrews also praised Henderson's professionalism and willingness to adjust to the club's demands, highlighting his ability to adapt given "what he's achieved in the game". The manager noted that the "shift of mentality" in what Brentford are aiming to achieve is "very different to former clubs," and commended Henderson for embracing that change.

• On Yoane Wissa not featuring for Newcastle this weekend: "Wissa is a very good player, so I am not too displeased that he is not going to be available because it's the nature of competing against teams. Around the transfer window, I was glad when it was closed; it wasn't enjoyable for a lot of people, I would imagine. I think the nature of that deal in particular - there was a lot made around certain aspects of it. Ultimately, they paid a really good fee for a player of a certain age, a really good player, but I think we as a club did pretty well out of that."

• The Brentford boss reiterated the importance of maintaining equilibrium when selecting his side, explaining that "you have to find the balance in rewarding players that are training very well and taking their opportunities, but you want to build connections". Andrews admitted that striking this balance remains one of the biggest challenges in establishing a settled starting XI.

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news