Brentford

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

This week, he takes on musician Emma-Jean Thackray, who is a Leeds fan.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

I am worried about Arsenal without Bukayo Saka, who has been ruled out for more than a couple of months.

On top of that, Brentford away is obviously a very tough test when you consider how phenomenal the Bees have been at home this season.

But I am backing the Gunners to run Liverpool close in the title race this season and, because of that, I am going with them to win this game, somehow.

Emma-Jean's prediction: 1-1

Something is telling me this is not going to be a good watch, it could be quite stodgy. Most of my friends are Arsenal fans so I hope they don't give me any stick for this prediction, but I am going for a draw.

Read the full predictions and have your say

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game at home against Arsenal (kick-off 17:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Frank confirmed that Christian Norgaard "can play", while Sepp van den Berg and Matthias Jensen will also be in the squad. However, Ben Mee will be out for "a couple of weeks" with a muscle problem and Mark Flekken will be assessed on Tuesday.

• On if injuries mean Bees will need to be active in the January transfer window: "We will assess it. We have got a plan for every scenario that can happen. We will be ready to act if we need to. I have said many time we have a very strong squad when everyone is fit and available. We won't do anything early, but if it doesn't improve in the next month then we might need to do something."

• On what he would say to those interested in trying to sign Bryan Mbeumo: "In January? I would say good luck. We love Bryan. He loves playing here. He has had a fantastic season so nothing will happen."

• The Brentford boss still believes that Joao Pedro's attempted elbow on Yehor Yarmoliuk in their last match should have received a red card, but accepted: "Mistakes happen from the referee and VAR and everyone is very focussed on trying to improve things. Howard Webb and his team want to do everything to improve it so hopefully there will be improvements going forward."

• Frank said it has been a "good year for everyone involved in the club and for every Brentford fan" as they try and "find the balance" between being happy for every year they are in the Premier League but still having "ambitions to do more".

• He therefore sets achievable and incremental targets: "To have layers, to develop the team and club, to play some interesting football, develop players and people and keep moving forward. I think we do that. There have definitely been more ups than downs this year so I am pleased with that."

• On how it would feel to kick-off 2025 with a win over Arsenal: "It would be amazing. That is the aim - to do what we can to try and win the game. We are facing a very good Arsenal team. In a way, they have gone a little under the radar. There has been much talk about Manchester City, [Manchester] United, Liverpool because they are doing fantastic and Chelsea as they have done more than people expected, but I think Arsenal have performed consistently well. A well run machine and team."

Listen to commentary of Brentford v Arsenal from 17:30 GMT on Wednesday, 1 January on BBC Radio 5 Live

Christmas is boxed off.

We're almost through the confusing days before New Year and January is within touching distance.

And we need your help - what is Brentford's New Year's resolution?

It could be a new player to sign, a tactical system to implement, an off-the-pitch matter or something else entirely.

Let us know

Image source, Getty Images

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

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: Another statistical triumph but only one point gained. We need to be more dynamic rather than trying to work a perfect goal. We end up toothless in the box in terms of striking at the opponent's goal and rarely take a chance from long range.

Washy: Frustrating! We generally played OK, but seemed to slow our play down when we got to the edge of their box, allowing them to get organised and close down the space. Julio Enciso missed a few, but at least he had a go. Good to see Solly March back.

Bill: Since Danny Welbeck has been injured, the forwards couldn't hit the goal if they were twice the size!

Sarah: We headed to Amex Stadium quietly confident we would end our bad run. The first half looked promising, especially when they lost their goalkeeper too; we had most of the possession and were passing well, then it all fell apart. Again and again, we had the ball, in the box but missed opportunities to shoot, preferring to pass out to the right. I have no idea why, unless lack of confidence to score. On the final whistle, their goalie celebrated the 0-0 scoreline - Brighton fans were not so happy!

Brentford fans

George: While few neutrals will be clamouring to watch the highlight-reel of a 0-0 draw compared to our usual home game fireworks, this performance was exactly what our fans needed. We were resolute and focussed defensively against an away team that, quite frankly, is a more successful version of ourselves in terms of its financial and managerial mindset.

Mitch: Absolute heroes this evening. Every player gave every piece of energy in their bodies. Could have nicked it, but happy with a point.

David: What a fantastic match. So frustrating to not score on any of the brilliant counter-attacks, injuries worrying as always, but some standout performances with Mikkel Damsgaard man of the match.

Matt: Accomplished performances from the back-up players but the fact we have a starting XI in the physio room is by far our biggest concern. Another point on the board but with our run of fixtures there won't be too many more in the next few weeks.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist at the Amex Stadium

Image source, Reuters

Iceland international goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson made his Premier League debut - and earned praise from Brentford boss Thomas Frank for the role he played in his side's hard-fought goalless draw at Brighton.

The 23-year-old, who joined the Bees in a £2.6m transfer from Swedish side Elfsborg in the summer and who only made two appearances in the Carabao Cup, against Colchester United and Leyton Orient, got his big chance when Mark Flekken suffered an injury to either the top of his right thigh or his hip late on in the first half.

Flekken picked up the injury when he had to twist sharply to save Kaoru Mitoma's deflected cross and the hosts would have fancied their chances of getting a win, especially with Brentford's poor away record.

But Valdimarsson kept a clean sheet and was not overly troubled as Brentford picked up only their second point on their travels this season.

"I said to our goalkeeping coach that I thought Hakon had been doing very well in training and then he gets on the pitch," said Frank. "I was very impressed. I thought he was composed and a calming influence when dealing with crosses."

With the extent of Flekken's injury not yet known, Frank may have to rely on Valdimarsson in some big matches, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool all set to face Brentford in the next month.

Image source, Getty Images

Thomas Frank spoke to Amazon Prime after Brentford's draw against Brighton: "I never play for one point in any game but sometimes you have to look into the circumstances. We played a good Brighton team who I think were better in the first half - we were better in the second.

"They had some chances in the first half but not clear cut. I think we were really on top in the second. We just missed that clear cut pass.

"When you lose your number one keeper - I was just lacking a keeper to have a full team out injured but now I have 11 out - and then Ben Mee it is tough.

"The mentality to dig in when needed is remarkable."

On being difficult to break down: "We definitely work on it. We should have worked on it more this year because we need more clean sheets. Today we were very good at it in spells.

"When we are low block we are good but high pressure situations we need to improve.

"Our front four have a lot of pace and ability going forward but I must demand a bit more to win games like this. It was not disappointing, I just want a little more."

On whether Joao Pedro should have been sent off: "I've seen it. I think it's a red card. You can't swing your arm like that. It's like if you want to swing your arm - hit or no hit - it's a red card.

"My obligations to you guys [the media] mean I haven't been able to speak to the referee yet. I'll have a good conversation. I understand it's not easy to get everything right."

On support from fans: "It's not about me, it's about the players first and foremost. They can recognise when players are trying hard. The bottom line is work ethic and they are showing that."

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson spoke to Amazon Prime about making his Premier League debut: "It was unbelievable. It's always surprising coming on as the second goalkeeper.

"Coming into a fast game, my first Premier League game, it was quick but I managed to figure it out. Getting a clean sheet is nice too."

Bees defender Nathan Collins also spoke to Amazon Prime about Valdimarsson's debut: "He was class and a top professional.

"In this squad we work so much together and are best friends off the pitch, so having that relationship really helps."

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford's Mark Flekken made six saves before having to be substituted in the 36th minute with an injury. Of goalkeepers to play 45 minutes or fewer, this is the most saves made on record (since 2003-04) in a Premier League match.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Come back to this page on Saturday to find a selection of your replies

There are two matches in the Premier League on Friday, and we will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Brentford (19:30)

• Arsenal v Ipswich (20:15)

Kick-off times GMT

Follow all the action and reaction

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

This week, he takes on Eats Everything, aka DJ and producer Daniel Pearce.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Brighton have been patchy of late but they should have beaten West Ham on Saturday and I don't feel like they have dropped off quite as much as their run of five games without a win suggests.

There will be goals in this game, because the Seagulls are leaking them and Brentford always look dangerous, but I am going for a narrow home win.

Eats Everything's prediction: 1-1

Brentford have been terrible away and unreal at home - at least until they lost to Nottingham Forest on Saturday anyway. I was going to give this to Brighton but they have been so hit and miss that I am actually going to go for a draw.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford boss Thomas Frank was in full praise of Brighton before Friday's Premier League game between the teams at Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls have not won since 23 November, but the Bees remain without a league victory on the road this season and Frank is expecting a competitive match.

"They have so many threats going forward so I expect a difficult game," Frank said.

"Every away game is a chance to turn the away form. We go there with belief that we can win. That said, Brighton are a strong team.

"Fabian Hurzeler has done a good job, They've got a very good squad, a more or less fully firing squad, available.

"[Kaoru] Mitoma is finding his form again. [Joao] Pedro we know is a top player.

"[Carlos] Baleba is an excellent midfielder. He will go to one of the bigger clubs in the future, for sure."

Image source, Getty Images

For me, wherever I played, I'd always see where the first game was, where the last game was, and where we were at Christmas.

There is such a big difference between being at home on Boxing Day versus being away because, depending on what your manager is like, if you've got an away game there is a chance you're training on Christmas Day.

Some of the toughest times I had was when we had away games on Boxing Day and we had to come in to train at four or five on Christmas. That's when everything is just starting at home and everyone is really enjoying themselves and you have to leave.

If you lose you are sat in the hotel having walked away from friends and family all for no points. It's not the best feeling and as a consequence you bring home some of that disappointment with you.

But, in reality, you just know it is the busiest time of the year. The floodlights are always on for the games, the conditions get that little bit tougher, you've got games it feels like every three or four days.

I think it's an exciting part of the season because you can gain real, significant momentum but ultimately it comes down to are you winning games.

I think the Christmas period itself can be tough if you have got family but in reality it always feels nicer when you get that win on Boxing Day. The atmosphere in the stadiums is a little bit different, the atmosphere among the players is a bit different.

You're very thankful to get the chance to do what you do, but if you end up losing on Boxing Day or around that spell it is rubbish because it almost feels like it was a waste of time with all the efforts you put in.

But, I get it. The fans love it, there is a lot of clamour around it. You lose track of days just like everyone else does after Christmas and before New Year but it is great to play in front of those types of crowds and it just does feel different playing during that week or two.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford's moment of the year has to be when we scored in the first few seconds of a game for the third week in a row.

Yoane Wissa at Manchester City and Bryan Mbeumo at Tottenham had put us ahead within 25 seconds of the first whistle in each of those matches.

So, when we returned home to face West Ham the following week, nobody really expected another rapid start.

We all laughed when there were cries of 'shoot!' from the crowd within seconds of the kick-off against the Hammers. But, with only 37 seconds gone, that was exactly we did do as Mbeumo's hooked volley, from close to the penalty spot, found the back of the net.

I was at all three games and the feelings ranged from shock at Manchester City, to shock and amazement at Spurs, to laughter against West Ham.

Nobody could believe we had done it again and that our opponents had not learned from our previous two games.

The only shame was that our fast start did not lead to a win in any of the above matches, with defeats at City and Spurs and a draw against the Hammers.

We were only a bit slower the following week, when Nathan Collins scored the opener against Wolves after 75 seconds, but at least we won that match.

We have gone on to score other goals straight from kick-offs this season but they have been when we have restarted the game after conceding, rather than right at the start.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Brighton (kick-off 19:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Frank confirmed that Ethan Pinnock will still be out for "weeks" with his hamstring injury, while Sepp van den Berg's issue is "minor" but the turnaround for Brighton is too short for both him and Mathias Jensen.

• He also confirmed that Kristoffer Ajer will also be out for a number of weeks after picking up an ankle injury "similar to Yoane Wissa's earlier this season".

• On if he is concerned by the growing number of injuries after struggling with them last season: "What I will say is I have got a very strong starting XI on the sideline with players out. But it is part of football, we need to deal with it, we have no complaints about that."

• He added: "I think we have just been unlucky again. A pattern we would need to look into is if it is too many soft tissue injuries, then we would have to look into training and methods, but that is all good. We are now working on how to turn them around quickly."

• Frank joked that Mikkel Damsgaard is "finally starting to listen to me" when asked what has clicked for the midfielder this season, before continuing: "I thought he was man of the match against Nottingham Forest. I thought he was the best player on the pitch. What I liked from that game was he said 'give me the ball, I will make things happen'. He was dangerous and very positive and creative. I'm really happy with that. Things do seem to have been clicking more."

• He added: "He has been built the past two years in the gym physically [after injuries] and he is in a good place, playing with confidence and we are now seeing the good player we hoped we had signed."

• The Brentford boss said the defeat by Forest "hurt a bit more" after it ended their unbeaten run at home, but that it is "a big credit to us that they changed formation because of us".

• On if they need to look to strengthen in January with Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey still out with long-term injuries: "We are always looing into the transfer window where we can strengthen. It is a valid question on the full-backs. Of course we would like to have Rico and Hickey back as soon as possible but right now they are not. We showed last year we are not afraid to get loan payers in, so maybe we do that again. But, I'm not saying we definitely will do that, we will see in the next weeks."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Ian: Forest did a job on Brentford. Two chances, two goals - and goals win matches. Mbuemo, Wissa and Schade were well marshalled by the Forest defenders. Damsgaard had another great game, but his efforts in midfield could not unlock the Forest defence. Both of these teams will finish the season mid-table.

Will: It's a game of fine margins. We had chances that we couldn't convert. I feel like there was a bit too much dancing around the box and a bit too little of taking a shot to make a chance happen. Credit to Forest, they defended really well and were clinical when they had a chance. We are really missing some of the key players who are off injured. We need to make the best of what we have, as we move on with a tough run of games coming. Come on, you Bees!

George: It's clear that the sting we are missing this season is through impact substitutions. Wissa was once a bullet from the bench, but now he can't get any rest. We started strong but we had nothing up our sleeves for a second-half 'second wind'.

Jed: Our bubble has burst and. If we don't start picking up away points, we are going down the table.

Forest fans

Shaun: The way we started, a lot of teams might have scored and fortunately Brentford were not able to take advantage. We then grew into the game, mostly letting Brentford have the ball in non-dangerous areas but we had the much better chances. Once we got the second goal they tried getting back into the game, but our defence did enough to deservedly win the game. Good to see Elanga back into the groove again.

Raymond: When I looked at the line-up for this game, I thought: "That is a team with intent!" For me, that is our strongest team.

James: Solid going forward, solid defending, not a foot put wrong all game. We won quite convincingly. I'm so happy with the past year under Nuno - and long may it continue.

Stuart: Our success is built on the defensive strength of Murillo and Milenkovic. They truly give us something to build on going forward, where there is enough talent higher up the pitch to be a threat to any team.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, including Manchester City's visit to Aston Villa and the London derby between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• West Ham 1-1 Brighton

• Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal