Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford have never beaten Plymouth in the FA Cup in nine previous meetings (drawn three, lost six) - most recently a 2-1 defeat in a first-round replay in 1998-99.
Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesParis Maghoma's slalom-like dribble and pass late on to set up Yoane Wissa's fifth goal against Southampton was the highlight of his career to date.
That moment was building as Thomas Frank has been increasing the minutes for the midfielder, 23, who began the season with an ankle injury but is now getting regular minutes from the bench.
Cameos against Aston Villa, Newcastle - in the league and cup - and against Nottingham Forest and Arsenal led to his latest substitute display.
Of course, those first displays in the Premier League have been building for his lifetime - from when Maghoma began following in the footsteps of his footballing idols: his brothers.
Christian, who is four years older, would take Paris for football on the local London estate but they each came through the finishing school at Tottenham's academy, following in their eldest brother Jacques's footsteps.
Christian now plays Aldershot Town, while Jacques has retired, with both being international players for DR Congo during their careers.
But it is Paris, who has spent time on loan at Wimbledon, MK Dons and most recently Bolton, taking his game to the highest level.
Brentford offered Maghoma a pathway through their B team in 2020, playing against non-league and EFL clubs, instead of the usual academy football, through their unique development programme.
B team head coach Neil MacFarlane and his assistant Sam Saunders have been key in Paris's development, taking him from a wide forward or striker to become the ball-carrying midfielder he is today, capable of doing his defensive duties - as well as making an impact in attack.
Maghoma will hope for his first start for Brentford comes against Plymouth in the FA Cup third round.
Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo, 25, is on Arsenal's shortlist for a summer transfer. (Florian Plettenberg, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Thurday's full gossip column
Brentford have started 2025 with a bang, beating strugglers Southampton 5-0 and signing Keane Lewis-Potter up to a long-term deal at Gtech Community Stadium.
After Saturday's FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle, the Bees must face Manchester City in the Premier League next followed by Liverpool.
With that first away win of the season finally secured - and given our fan writer Ian Westbrook's helpful insight (12:32, 7 January) on the fixture schedule - we want to know the one thing - good or bad - that no-one seems to be talking about right now.
Have your say - and come back on Thursday for a selection of replies
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford boss Thomas Frank said there is a "big future" for Keane Lewis-Potter with the Bees after the midfielder signed a new long-term contract with the club.
The 23-year-old has agreed a deal to stay in west London until the summer of 2031, with the club having the option to extend it by a further 12 months.
Lewis-Potter has featured in every game for Brentford this season, scoring two goals and making two assists in 24 appearances across all competitions.
Head coach Frank said: "I'm very happy that we've agreed a new contract with Keane. He has been through a great development over the last couple of years.
"He can play all the front four roles; what he's also turned out to be is a very flexible and versatile player that can play multiple other positions, which he has shown this season by playing games at left-back, where he has done fantastically.
"One on one, he is fantastic, his crossing is very good, and the way he helps the team is also so good. There is a big future for him here at Brentford."
The winger told club media that it "feels amazing" to sign the new deal and he "can't wait for the future".
He added: "It's such a great club. Since I've joined, they've been so good with me. I also feel like I've developed so much, especially this season. The togetherness everyone has got - it's such a good club to be at."
Ian Westbrook
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIf you are going to end a long wait for an away win, then a 5-0 victory is the way to do it.
Brentford finally finished the long fruitless run on the road with the thrashing of Southampton on Saturday. The Saints' weaknesses should not detract from a superb Bees performance, except for a quiet period either side of half-time.
However, all the talk about Brentford's wonderful home record and lousy away record is actually a red herring.
What people should really be focusing on is our performances against the top and bottom teams, not where they have happened.
That provides a truer picture of our season so far and reflects our 11th place accurately.
Of our seven home wins, five came against teams currently in the bottom six in the table.
Of our seven away defeats, five have been against teams currently in the top half, with the other two at so-called big-six clubs Spurs and Manchester United.
Context is everything!
Our home and away form in the second half of the season could well be a mirror image of our results in the first half of the campaign.
The Southampton performance on Saturday was like some of the home wins, with 20 shots, 11 of them on target, and a high expected goals.
Once again the stats prove the club's philosophy of only trying to score from high-quality chances.
It is rare to see a Brentford player try to score from 25 yards – the thinking being that you rarely find the net from there. We will always try to get as close as possible to goal before shooting. As a result, our on-target percentage of shots in a game is often around the 50% mark as a result.
Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford have triggered a contract extension to keep midfielder Myles Peart-Harris with the club until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
The 22-year-old, who is on loan at Swansea City, was initially out of contract at the end of the season. The club have now exercised the option to extend this contract for a further year.
Peart-Harris has featured 23 times for the Championship side this season, scoring three times and providing a further three assists.
He joined Brentford in 2021 after over a decade with Chelsea, and made his Premier League debut in December 2023.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Southampton and Brentford.
Here are some of your comments:
Jeff: Brentford were in total control all game. We could have scored more after hitting woodwork and having an excellent goal controversially ruled out by VAR.
George: A wonderful three points. Last season, both Sheffield United and Burnley beat us when we faced them away, so it's nice to see just how much our forward play has improved. Mikkel Damsgaard, Mads Roerslev and our midfield kept the ball constantly cycling up the pitch. While we were a little wasteful with chances in the first half, the Bees were relentlessly swarming around the box throughout the second half.
Sandra: Everything clicked into place for the Bees. Excellent to watch. I really enjoyed the game and the contrast between us and them was worlds' apart. Keep playing the attacking football Thomas Frank - that's the Bees' way to play.
Ian: An all-round top team performance from the Bees. In the Premier League you need to win away! Damsgaard again conducted the performance with nice cameos from Vitaly Janelt, Paris Maghoma, and Yehor Yarmolyuk in the second half.
Mel: My heart goes out to the Saints, but the Bees deserved this emphatic win. It encapsulates everything about this squad, who are still with 10+plus injuries, the support, the management and of course Thomas Frank. To use his own words on the BBC: "Wow!" Who knows how long we can keep Thomas and our front men? But, for the moment, let's continue to be excited and look forward, especially to our January fixture list. I can't wait!
Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.
If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford had picked up just two points away from home all season but a trip to St Mary's changed that.
The Bees scored after six minutes against Southampton and dominated throughout the match in a five-star performance.
Two goals in stoppage time really stuck the boot in on a Saints side who looked down and out after conceding the first goal.
Bryan Mbeumo was in inspired form, scoring twice and providing the assist for Keane Lewis-Potter's first Premier League goal of the season.
The Cameron international has scored 13 league goals this term, behind only Mohamed Salah (17) and Erling Haaland (16).
All of Brentford's attacking players looked like they could score at any minute as they ran rings around the Saints.
This was the Bees' biggest winning margin in the competition, and their biggest league win since April 2021 vs Preston North End (5-0).
It's no wonder manager Thomas Frank said the victory was "very, very close to perfection."
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford won their first Premier League away game of the season, ending their nine-game run without a win on the road (D2 L7).
This was the Bees' biggest winning margin in the competition and their biggest league win since April 2021 against Preston North End (5-0).
Bryan Mbeumo has scored in 10 Premier League matches for Brentford this season, with only Mohamed Salah (14) and Alexander Isak (11) netting across more games in the competition this term.
Yoane Wissa netted his 36th Premier League goal for Brentford, becoming the joint-top scorer for the Bees in the competition alongside Ivan Toney.
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford manager Thomas Frank has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the win at St Mary's: "That was very, very close to perfection. We gave nothing away throughout the 90 minutes, defended extremely well and then we created chance after chance after chance. It could have easily been more than five goals.
"I am extremely proud of this performance in many ways because Southampton are struggling a little bit.
"We haven't won away on the road, but the performance we put out there is fantastic and I think it speaks about the culture we have got in the changing room and among the players. The commitment, the focus, the attitude - wow."
On how his side creates chances: "We are always happy when the offensive players score goals because those are the ones who need to be reliable, and then other players need to chip in occasionally. But basically we played with five very offensive players.
"Keane Lewis-Potter, Kevin Schade and Yoane Wissa scored, Bryan Mbeumo scored two. Mikkel Damsgaard created a lot of chances and opportunities, at least one assist today.
"We are very dangerous and we had a very good day."
On Mbeumo and Wissa's chemistry: "Some players can click on the pitch, but they have a very good relationship on and off the pitch. You can see that in a lot of the goals.
"Our group of players really like each other, work hard for each other and they care about each other - I think that's extremely important."
On how he will enjoy the win: "I think I will get a very good glass of red wine."
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford forward Bryan Mbeumo has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day about the win: "I think we, and the fans, have been waiting for a while for our first away win. We worked a lot for it and we are very happy."
"Today we have put in a good performance and we just worked really hard."
On trying to get his first Premier League hat-trick: "Of course. When you hit two goals, you always want to try and get a hat-trick - but I just keep working and it is going to come."
On how he is able to get the best out of himself: "It is mental. I just try to run hard and help my teammates and I think we are doing really well. I just want to help the team."
On his friendship with Yoane Wissa: "We have a really good relationship off the pitch and that's why maybe we perform well on the pitch."
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
Saints fans - what did you make of the match?
Brentford supporters - let us know your thoughts
Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies
There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday, and we will bring you every moment.
Tottenham v Newcastle (12:30)
Aston Villa v Leicester
Bournemouth v Everton
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
Man City v West Ham
Southampton v Brentford
Brighton v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.
For week 20, he takes on The Zutons frontman Dave McCabe, who supports Liverpool.
Sutton's prediction: 1-2
This is a tough one to call because while Southampton are adrift at the bottom and absolutely desperate for points, Brentford are not in great form either.
Saints' new boss Ivan Juric has been quite feisty since his appointment, and his side have only been narrowly beaten in both his games in charge.
It is noticeable how often Southampton like to lump it now under Juric, compared with their possession-based style of play under Russell Martin.
However, while it is also clear they will put up a fight I don't see much changing for them results-wise.
Brentford are a battle-hardened Premier League team, so a direct approach will not faze them, and they also have goals in their team.
The Bees are yet to win on the road this season and only picked up their first away point against Brighton last time out but, this time, I see them taking all three.
McCabe's prediction: 1-2
Brentford all day.
As we enter a new calendar year and the halfway point of the season, the Opta Supercomputer has been busy making its predictions.
But who is looking most likely to be playing their football outside the top flight next season?
It is bad news for fans of the teams who made their return to the Premier League this campaign.
According to the Opta Supercomputer's simulations, Southampton - rooted to the bottom of the table on just six points - are all but guaranteed to be playing Championship football again next term with a 99.47% chance of being relegated.
The picture is also not a rosy one for Leicester City and Ipswich Town supporters, who occupy the other two relegation spots. The Supercomputer does not see too much change there - the Foxes and the Tractor Boys having a 74.61% and 70.81% chance of relegation respectively.
It is better news for Wolves under new head coach Vitor Pereira, with Wanderers now having only a 39.21% chance of a Championship return, while Everton fans will be pleased to see they have just a 12.52% chance as they hope to see Premier League football in their new stadium next season.
Crystal Palace, West Ham and Brentford can all breathe easier with Opta predicting just a 1.68%, 0.81% and 0.72% chance of relegation respectively.
And what about Manchester United after new boss Ruben Amorim declared them to be facing a relegation battle? Well, it is good news for Red Devils fans as the chance of them actually playing Championship football next campaign is just 0.11%.
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford scored 62 Premier League goals in 2024 but none of their first 10 goals were scored or assisted by Bryan Mbeumo or Yoane Wissa.
However, 33 of the other 52 goals in the calendar year featured either Mbeumo or Wissa involved in the goal (63%).
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at Southampton (15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Mathias Jensen, Sepp van den Berg and Mark Flekken "came through well" in their returns from injury in Wednesday's loss to Arsenal and will all be available again for selection on Saturday.
However, Fabio Carvalho "has a minor groin injury" and will likely miss the visit to St Mary's. Frank had nothing extra to add on Brentford's longer-term absentees.
The Bees boss wants to take his side's first half performance against the Gunners into upcoming games: "Except for one moment where they equalised, we played the perfect half which I'm very pleased with. We pressed aggressively high [and] we defended very compact. We were very good on the ball [and] scored a fantastic goal. That was top."
On the challenge posed by the Saints: "I watched the two games under the new manager. They have changed a bit - they don't take so many risks in build up. There's a few tactical tweaks we need to be aware of. We need to bring our A-game and be unbelievably focused."
Frank believes more wins will come soon after just one in seven games: "We are halfway through the season and have 24 points which is a good foundation to stand on. The aim is to get more away from home but we need to look into performances. In the 19 games we have played, we had one bad 90 minutes. There have been spells but overall we have been good. If we keep those performances up, we will win games."
He believes the Bees will have their "eyes wide open" in the transfer window: "I expect us to be proactive as we always are, to be out there in the market. The injury situation is what it is - the medical staff are working very hard. It's not like we need some but let's see what is happening in the next three or four weeks if players are not turned around to be able to play."
