Brentford

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after his side managed to clinch all three points at home: "Being completely honest, I am still irritated. In many ways we did not do well enough, so big respect and praise to Ipswich. They were by far the better team for the first 40 minutes. There was only one team on the pitch [in that period], it was one of our worst ever [periods] in the Premier League.

"The last five minutes [of the first-half] was better and then second-half we were clearly the better team. We got back to 3-2 up and then lacked that killer instinct to finish it off.

"To be fair, it was a brilliant cross and finish for 3-3, so well played to them. Then for 4-3, we had some margins go with us. We put a lot of crosses in and, if you keep doing that, then maybe there is a mistake at the end of one.

"Let's put it this way: when we play, it is exciting."

On seeing the game out for the win: "Massively important. It is fantastic mentality to come back from 2-0 down and then, in the end, to win the game right at the last moment is big.

"Last year, we had a long spell of games that we couldn't win, but this season we finally managed to win these sorts of games."

On whether or not his players can do better: "Yes, I said at half-time that I was angry. It is not often that I'm that irritated, but we were so poor. In the football, and the Premier League, we take nothing for granted, so we need to enjoy the win."

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Brentford forward and match-winner Bryan Mbeumo has been speaking to Premier League Productions following the last-gasp win: "I know this type of cross can be dangerous, either a flick or no one touches it and the goalkeeper has doubt. In the end, it was a goal and it was a really important win today.

"They gave it their all in defence [with 10 men], so it was really hard to find the gaps. It's not always easy, but I think we showed big character today."

On going two goals down: "They defended really well and they were really good on the counter-attack as well.

"We knew we had to stay in the game no matter what and that is what we did. We always try to stay together, stick to the plan. We know we have the quality to get back [into a game] and that is what we tried to show."

On whether or not complacency let Ipswich back in the game: "Maybe [there was] a lack of focus, but we need to enjoy this kind of win."

On Brentford's good home record: "It is really important to stay unbeaten at home and make it tough for the opponents to come here. We are going to try to continue to do it"

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brentford's performance, external

What did you make of Ipswich’s display?, external

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

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Aston Villa v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Brentford v Ipswich

• Brighton v Wolves

• Manchester City v Southampton

• Everton v Fulham - 17:30 - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

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

For week nine he takes on rapper Nemzzz, who supports Manchester United.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

A home win, no doubt about it. The Tractor Boys' tyres are well and truly punctured after last week’s home defeat by Everton.

I predicted Ipswich would win that game, but I am not doing that again this season.

I do have some sympathy for manager Kieran McKenna, though. I had an argument with Andros Townsend on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, because the longer it goes for Ipswich and Southampton without a win so far, the more confidence drains out of their players.

Some have not played in the Premier League before and it is only natural that they will wonder whether they can play at this level.

Losing to Everton was really damaging because it was a game they probably thought they could win.

Going to Brentford would be tough anyway, but I watched the Bees at Old Trafford last week and they must be pretty peeved to have lost after such a good first half.

Brentford are the better team, and they are more streetwise. They won't slip up here.

Nemzzz's prediction: 1-0

Ipswich still haven't won yet? That won't change here. Brentford gave us a few problems last week and they will take this.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford manager Thomas Frank is well aware of the threat posed by Ipswich Town as he prepares to face the promoted side on Saturday.

It will be the first time the sides have faced each other since 2019, when the Bees emerged victorious with a 2-0 win in the Championship.

"I know it is going to be a very tough game," Frank said. "We need to hit a high level and if we hit a high level, then I am convinced we can get the three points in front of our fans.

"In every game they [Ipswich] are competing - maybe they just lack those final bits in games or the margins to get over the line. They are running hard, they are working hard and they are well-structured in everything they do.

"Some of the games that impressed me the most are the away game at Brighton - the 0-0 draw - and the home games against Fulham and Aston Villa. They were very impressive."

An astute tactician himself, Frnak has identified the areas where Town will threaten, and he picked out key players his team will need to keep an eye on.

"On the counter-attack, we need to be very aware," he said. "They press well, they press aggressively and press high.

"Going forward, [Liam] Delap has done amazingly not only on counters, but in structured play as well. "[Omari] Hutchinson was such a threat last year. He is doing well but the more games he plays, the more he will be a bigger threat. [Leif] Davis has a very good delivery and I think they have a good threat in the box.

"All clubs know how much set-pieces are worth and how important they are, so we definitely need to defend well."

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Ipswich Town (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Frank confirmed Mathias Jensen will be back involved with the squad having been out with a calf injury since mid-September.

• On Rico Henry's fitness: "He's getting closer but not close enough. We want to get it right with him. When you've been out for a long time, we want to be sure when we put him out on the pitch that he's ready."

• On Mikkel Damsgaard's improved performances: "I think a part of our philosophy and strategy is to buy good young players, develop them and make them better. We have done that for many years and we are good at it. Some players it will happen after six months [or] one year and now Damsgaard is taking big steps after two years. Every pathway is different but patience is definitely a key word. A big praise for him and I'm so pleased for him."

• Frank has been "very impressed and very happy" with Bryan Mbeumo's start to the season, praising the forward's "fantastic mentality."

• He said the Brentford fans have been "fantastic" this season and has called on them to "push us forward" on Saturday.

• On his future at the club: "First and foremost, I'm very, very happy here. It's a fantastic club with fantastic players, staff and owners, but who knows what will happen in the future? It's impossible to say that I will stay here forever because life changes, things change - maybe they will kick me out. If we're talking about a bigger club - is a bigger club a bigger challenge? It's a different challenge. But it's irrelevant. I have a game tomorrow against Ipswich that we need to do our very best to try and win."

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

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna says Brentford can be used as a good example of how to get promoted from the Championship and grow into a solid Premier League team.

The Bees were promoted to the top-flight under Thomas Frank in 2021 at the second time of trying, while Ipswich achieved back-to-back promotions.

"I think they've done fantastically well- there's no doubt about it," said McKenna. "They've got their own model and though I think everyone's model is different, there's no doubt that they've done a fantastic job as a club and Thomas has done a fantastic job as a manager.

"Different clubs have their own context, but of course there's things that Brentford have done well that we can take some inspiration from.

"On the other hand, their journey is different than ours. The season before they got promoted, they lost in the play-off final. They had a couple of years pushing at the very top of the Championship. By the time they arrived in the Premier League, to be honest, they probably pretty much had their Premier League team already set.

"They've had their own journey. Our journey is very different to that with the speed of the ascent that we've made, but there's no doubt they've done some things very well and any newly promoted club can look at some of the things they've done and see it as an example."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you to tell us one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at Brentford.

Here are some of your comments:

Dave: We have one of the country's best left-backs in Rico Henry. He is inches away from his return and he was integral to our play before his injury. He is worth many points per season, but will he ever be the same player? If he gets back to it, he will feel like a marquee signing.

Wellsers: Injuries! We have been without Rico Henry for months, Aaron Hickey is almost a permanent fixture on the treatment table, and don't get me started on Josh Dasilva. It will be good to get Igor Thiago back to give us an out-and-out striker, after Ivan Toney left for the big bucks. I'm just amazed that we're not in the relegation zone. Frank is doing a fantastic job!

Chris: Getting good results despite still having seven first-team players out! When Thomas Frank has Thiago, Hickey, Henry, Nunes, Jensen, Dasilva, and a fully fit Wissa available - he will have a team to give him the results he deserves for six years of hard work, dedication and loyalty to our club.

James: The loss of points from winning positions over the course of last season and this season is far beyond the excuse of there being too many injuries. It is simply just not good enough from the players and the coaches. The mentality and strategies used need a shake up to try to stop this from happening so often.

CJ: How good Mark Flekken has been this season. Sure, we haven't kept a lot of clean sheets but, in a lot of games, he has done incredibly well. The Manchester City game was definitely his best performance - they could have scored nine otherwise.

Brentford fans - your club's knack of scoring early goals and Bryan Mbeumo's excellent form have got pundits' tongues wagging in the opening two months of the Premier League season.

But what is the one thing nobody is talking about?

Tell us here, external

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford are going to have to overcome our frustrating habit of throwing away points after taking the lead if we are to keep progressing this season.

The 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford, in which we took the lead for the seventh time in our eight Premier League games, means we have thrown away 11 points from winning positions this season - the league’s highest total.

Last season, we squandered 30 points after taking the lead in matches, which was again more than any other club.

It really was the proverbial game of two halves on Saturday in our second visit to Manchester in five weeks.

Both sides had spells of dominance in the first period, but United came out a different animal in the second half, and we could not cope.

At least the match saw the welcome return of Yoane Wissa - whose last appearance was across the city at Etihad Stadium, where he got injured.

And reports suggest that both Rico Henry and Igor Thiago may soon both be fit enough to return to the first-team squad.

Despite the impressive performances of Kristoffer Ajer at left-back, Henry’s return cannot come soon enough. We have missed his pace and all-round ability, and his comeback will give the side a more balanced look - and allow Ajer to play on his natural right-hand side.

As for new signing Thiago, who was injured on his debut in pre-season, he will provide more attacking options on a bench which, because of injury, is still lacking experience.

As long as the Bees can maintain our unbeaten home record, Saturday’s defeat is certainly no cause for alarm. It also means four hard away games are now out of the way.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

Arsenal are plotting a move for Brentford's 25-year-old Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo after his impressive start to the season. (Football Insider), external

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

Image source, Getty Images

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

Here are some of your comments:

Man Utd fans

Marcus: This was the first match that I've enjoyed watching United play for a long time. Still a little confused by the lack of intensity in the first 15 minutes but the rest of the game was a real pleasure to watch.

Jonty: Miles better today, especially second half. Rashford worked really hard on the right and didn't sulk when filling in at full-back when Dalot made his runs. Looked like there were some tactics in play, while De Ligt and Evans were great. Martinez looked comfortable at left-back. Zirkzee looked asleep, but Rasmus played a great number nine game. Onwards and Upwards.

Terry: Second half was easily the best performance of the season. De Ligt looking like the class act we were told he is. Garnacho outstanding but good performances all over the pitch including the much maligned Casemiro and Eriksen. Question is - can they keep this up into the coming weeks?

Brentford

Kyle: We played well, but overall I think Mbeumo’s sloppy performance maybe cost a goal or two. I think Schade played well at centre forward, and we missed Wissa (until the last 20 mins or so). We also missed Jensen with his creativity. Overall, our defence was at times scrappy and made a few mistakes, but it was expected to not get all three points against Man Utd.

Jason: I took my mate Jim to his first away game and it was disappointing for all of us. United were ripe for the picking and we let them off again. I hate to say it but it could be time to look for a new manager. Come in Mr Frank, your time is up!

Mikey: Brentford need a goalkeeper not a converted full-back. When Raya left I don’t understand why Brentford didn’t just trade contracts for Ramsdale. Massive blunder.

Gary Lineker brings 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:

• Man Utd 2-1 Brentford

• Bournemouth 2-0 Arsenal

Simon Stone at Old Trafford
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford have now scored the first goal in six successive Premier League games.

They have accumulated seven points.

However, you look at it, that is quite a disappointing return.

Thomas Frank made the point after the final whistle at Old Trafford that amongst those fixtures are away games at Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United, so judgement on his side should not be too harsh.

That is fair.

Yet, it is not unknown for all three clubs to lose at home. Brentford won at City and Tottenham two seasons ago.

Given the high standards in the Premier League, pinching points against the bigger clubs offers insurance when you have a bad day against an opponent you should beat, which is likely to happen at some stage to a club the size of Brentford.

The biggest issue at Old Trafford was against opponents with fragile confidence, Frank's side conceded at the start of a second period that could have quickly turned negative for the hosts if they had failed to equalise.

"To concede a goal after two minutes disappoints me," Frank said afterwards. "The momentum just changed."

He needs to find a way to stop it happening.

Image source, PA Media

Thomas Frank spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Brentford's defeat against Manchester United: "I think a lot of things went right in the first half. It was a game of two halves. It was fairly even in the first half but I thought we were slightly on top. Then we go 1-0 up and go in at half-time with that result. We knew they'd come out strong. It's not good enough that we concede after two minutes in the second half. If they don't score there then we know always it becomes more difficult. That was the disappointing thing.

On United's response: "Of course I give them credit, there's always two teams on the pitch. I think we can do better, we have to play two good halves. If you want to win here you have to have two good halves. So the second half was disappointing. Credit to Manchester United, some of their players stepped up. I think Eriksen was running the show, definitely!

On Brentford's opener: "I don't know exactly where De Ligt should have been. It's a corner kick routine that we have worked on and it paid off. We don't know if it would have helped if he stayed on the pitch. It is what it is. I always think if you flip it - Manchester United would have wanted to take the corner at the other end if one of our player were off the pitch. He was bleeding so I think it was good refereeing.

On his side's display: "I think we did a lot of things right in the first half, which was very impressive. Second half was disappointing because I know what these players are capable of. That's the frustrating part."

Image source, Getty Images

Since Brentford’s first Premier League season (2021-22), the only defender with more goals in the competition than Ethan Pinnock (eight) is Gabriel Magalhaes (14). Pinnock has netted in successive appearances in the competition for the first time, with this his 99th such match.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on United's performance, external

What did you make of Brentford’s display?, external

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

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

For week eight, he takes on legendary boxing manager Kellie Maloney.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

I was at this game last season and Brentford scored early, but Scott McTominay found the net twice in stoppage time to nick a win for Manchester United when they did not deserve anything from the game.

This time? Well, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag needs a win, with his side 14th in the table and the joint-second lowest scorers with five goals from seven league games.

Logic tells me that, while Brentford are yet to pick up an away point so far, they are the better team, and have been the better team all season.

We also know the Bees still love an early goal, so they will probably take the lead again... but I just have a gut feeling that United will edge this one again, somehow.

I can’t really tell you why, other than they have to, and also because Statman Dave said this would be 2-1 to Manchester United, so I am taking his advice. Hopefully he is better with his predictions than he is with his stats.

Kellie's prediction: I love what Brentford are doing. Thomas Frank is an excellent manager, who loves the club, but I think eventually he will get a bigger job. 1-3

Read the rest of their predictions, and have your own say here