Brentford

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

• Everton v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

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

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

• Aston Villa v Burnley - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra (after Singapore Grand Prix)

• Brentford v Man City (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Nottingham Forest" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Wolves v Brighton", for instance.

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

Manchester City were up against counter-attacking Monaco on Wednesday, and Brentford will be playing in exactly the same way.

I was at the Monaco game for BBC Radio 5 Live and I am not fully convinced by City, despite their current six-game unbeaten run.

On the up side for Pep Guardiola's side, Phil Foden was excellent again and Erling Haaland's finishing was ridiculously good - his header for City's second goal was like watching me in the 1990s, and he looks unstoppable.

Foden looked sharp as anything, especially in the first half. Seeing him back in form is good for England boss Thomas Tuchel as well as for Guardiola, as opposed to last season when he was inconsistent and couldn't find his level.

I still think City have got issues in a number of positions, however. In the centre of midfield Nico Gonzalez has been disappointing since he came in, and the whole of their right flank is a massive problem.

Bernardo Silva had such little effect on the game, and behind him there is a lack of trust in the right-back area as well.

Brentford will try to hit them on the break and there is a chance they could sucker City, but Foden and Haaland should be the difference between the two sides.

It will be close, but I don't see the Bees beating another Manchester team after their win over United last week.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford are seeking back-to-back victories against the Manchester clubs, while City could extend their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes before Sunday's match.

"I thought we dovetailed nicely between enticing them and hurting them," said Brentford head coach Keith Andrews after his side beat Manchester United 3-1 last weekend.

It was undoubtedly the biggest win of the Irishman's short reign and it was underpinned by the performance of number nine Igor Thiago, who scored twice.

The Brazilian joined from Club Brugge for a then club record £30m in the summer of 2024 but barely featured last season because of injury. However, the 24-year-old has started this campaign impressively, with four goals in six Premier League outings.

Thiago lost his father at a young age and was required to provide for his family when he was just 13. Bricklaying and carrying fruit were some of jobs he did to earn money. Now he is one of Europe's most in-form strikers.

Of forwards to take 10 or more shots in the continent's top five divisions, only Harry Kane has a better conversion rate than Thiago and he is currently ahead of Robert Lewandowski, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland, his opposite number this Sunday.

Conceding late a concerning trend for City

Manchester City have not lost since August but travel to west London seeking to put the disappointment of Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw in Monaco behind them.

Pep Guardiola's side largely dominated the game in the principality but squandered the lead twice, with former Spurs defender Eric Dier's 90th-minute penalty denying City three points.

"Obviously it's a bit disappointing to concede this late," admitted Bernardo Silva after the match. "We were controlling the game."

It was the third time this season that City have been on the wrong end of a late goal, with an 89th-minute strike from Brajan Gruda condemning them to defeat at Brighton in August and Gabriel Martinelli's 90th-minute equaliser for Arsenal last month.

City only conceded two result-altering goals from the 85th minute onwards during the 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign, or one every 30.5 matches. That figure rises to roughly one every 11 games across the past two seasons and this term it stands at a concerning one in every three.

One thing that won't concern Guardiola is the form of Erling Haaland. His well-taken brace on Wednesday took this season's tally to 17 goals in 10 games for club and country and he's scored in each of City's four away fixtures so far. The Norwegian is yet to find the net at the Gtech Community Stadium in two previous visits, a record he will seeking to end on Sunday.

Brentford's head of academy goalkeeping Christopher Ramsey has died, the club have confirmed.

Ramsey joined the Bees in June 2023 as academy professional development phase goalkeeping coach before being promoted in July 2024.

Brentford will wear black armbands against Manchester City on Sunday and there will be a commemoration before kick-off.

Director of football Phil Giles added: Our fans may not realise the work he did here, and the important role he played helping Mark Flekken, Hakon Valdimarsson and our other goalkeepers in the last couple of seasons.

"We are incredibly saddened by his passing, but it is a moment in which we can also remember and acknowledge an excellent coach, a much-appreciated member of staff and, more importantly, a fantastic person."

Ramsey, who had bowel cancer, died on Wednesday.

Thomas Tuchel has named his England squad for the upcoming international break.

The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly on 9 October, before a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on 14 October.

Chelsea's Cole Palmer is absent after suffering an injury, while there is no place for Manchester City's Phil Foden or Jack Grealish, who is on loan at Everton from City.

Manchester United have added Brentford defensive midfielder Yehor Yarmolyuk to their list of transfer targets. (Caught Offside), external

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

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Dan Roan
Sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

A decision on whether to scrap the Premier League's controversial Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and adopt an "alternative system" is "coming up", says chief executive Richard Masters.

The current regulations, introduced in 2015-16 to prevent clubs from overspending, allow losses of £105m over a three-year reporting cycle.

However, they have been criticised by several top-flight teams for limiting their ability to invest.

BBC Sport has been told a decision on any changes is likely to be made at a meeting in November.

In February, clubs chose to continue with PSR for the current season.

However a squad cost ratio (SCR) system of financial control was adopted by the Premier League on a shadowing, non-binding basis.

SCR is similar to Uefa's existing financial rules and allows clubs to spend up to a percentage of their total revenues on squad-related costs.

Nine of the league's 20 clubs already have to comply with Uefa's SCR as a result of qualifying for Europe. Both Chelsea and Aston Villa were fined by Uefa in July for breaching the rules.

Asked about SCR at the Leaders sports conference in London, Masters said: "We are talking to our clubs about an alternative system. That's not to say we don't think the PSR system works."

He added: "It's about closer alignment with European regulation, which is squad cost ratio, which is a revenue test. In Uefa, it's now set at 70%. Our system will be 85% because we always want our clubs to have the ability to invest.

"The Premier League has been built on the back of investment in which international capital flows [are] coming in. We don't want that to be to be stifled off."

Read more here

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Andrews said they have had time "to reflect" and look at why they beat Manchester United last weekend and he thinks they "should take a lot from it".

• He described having an extra day for preparation as "a rarity" and it has helped contribute to a "nice week" at the training ground.

• On opponents Manchester City: "They are obviously an outstanding team with a phenomenal manager. They have a lot of players who can test us in different ways so we will have to be on it in every phase of the game. It's about concentration levels, connection and then causing them problems."

• He said they "need to try and make it uncomfortable" for City, but he is aware of how challenging that is.

• Andrews said he hopes his team "embrace the challenge and enjoy it" because "that's a big part of what makes us, us."

• On Igor Thiago's form: "He had been out for a long period of time so what you are seeing is what he is capable of. He's getting rhythm into his game and the attacking players around him are understanding more what his strengths are."

• He said being unbeaten at home "is key" to getting points on the board, adding: "The fans have been really engaged with the team and the way we are trying to do things. That really helps the players and helps me."

• He dismissed the suggestion they are poorer away from home and said: "I'm not making a big thing of it as it has only been a few games."

• In response to the Bees having the most long throws into the box so far this season, he smiled and said: "Well I was the set piece coach last season, so I was in charge of them! It remains a key part of what we do and how we try to create opportunities."

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

Listen to live commentary of Brentford v Manchester City on BBC Radio 5 Live from 16:30 on Sunday

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank wants to bring in Republic of Ireland defender Nathan Collins, 24, from Brentford. (TBR Football), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Keith Andrews needed to deliver a response to the dismal defeat at Fulham - and he did just that against Manchester United.

Gone was the five-at-the-back system to be replaced by a 4-3-3 line-up - and it paid off in the first 25 minutes as we blew United away to go 2-0 up.

Yes, we lost our way a bit after giving them a careless goal and did little until they got their penalty. But Caoimhin Kelleher's save inspired us and we dominated after that.

A lot of reports focused on United's frailties, but that shouldn't detract from Brentford's performance.

Of course we weren't perfect and still need to create more chances - although having eight out of our 10 shots on target is reminiscent of how we played last season.

But that is seven points out of nine at home, against teams who are - or expect to be - in Europe.

With Manchester City and Liverpool up next at home, and with Wolves and Aston Villa picking up points, this victory was vital.

Next job is to solve our miserable away form of three straight defeats.

A word for Bryan Mbeumo on his first Gtech return.

Warmly welcomed by fans in the warm-up - a welcome he reciprocated - he was quite rightly treated respectfully. There was applause both when his name was read out and when he went to take his first corner in front of the vociferous West Stand.

There was also some good-natured ribbing suggesting he "should have stayed at a big club" and asking him what the score was - but nothing wrong with that!

At full-time he greeted Bees staff on the bench and was embraced by former team-mates on the pitch.

I'm just relieved he wasn't the headline from this match - even though he is in my fantasy league team!

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

Where are Brentford's goals going to come from?

It was a question their fans have heard asked countless times over the past couple of years - a few might well have asked it themselves.

But even before it had been raised as a legitimate concern, the Bees have come up with a response.

Last summer Ivan Toney departed for Al-Ahli, but Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa not only helped fill the void, but impressively increased the west London club's goalscoring threat.

That duo, though, left this summer and the familiar attacking worries returned. But, once more, Brentford look to have it covered.

Step forward Igor Thiago.

The Brazilian, 24, has started the campaign in fine form with his double against Manchester United on Saturday taking his Premier League tally to four in six games, with another coming in the Carabao Cup.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer told BBC Sport: "He barely played last season because of injury but he got his two goals in that half and that's what a striker is going to get judged for.

"He looks like he can fill the void left by Mbeumo and Wissa."

We asked for your thoughts after Brentford's convincing 3-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: A total reverse of last week against Fulham. The team in the first half were on the front foot. Thiago's goals will give him and the team confidence. A tactical selection playing Hickey at left-back, which countered Mbeumo's threat of cutting in from the right on his left foot. Kelleher's penalty save will give him confidence. The Gtech is not an easy place for visiting teams to play at, long may it continue.

Don: We were excellent. We stormed the first 20 to 25 minutes of the game but we also rode our luck as Man Utd had plenty of chances. The penalty save was both expected and decisive. We genuinely enjoyed seeing Bryan Mbeumo back - forever a Brentford legend - and seeing him lose. It's too bad he left for the wrong so-called 'bigger club'.

Bobby: As a supporter of 60 years, I'm very proud of them. Well done. Jordan Henderson might prove the signing of the season in helping the club stay in the Premier League. Bees on fire.

Rich: My first time seeing the Bees in person this season. We bossed most of the game and Man Utd didn't deserve anything from it, but it could have been 2-2 and us down to 10 men. Hickey, Kayode, Yarmoliuk and Keane Lewis-Potter all played with guts. The biggest celebration was the saved penalty. I hope the win and recent performances lift the team and the staff.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday’s Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool

• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

This was another great day for 'little' Brentford and their 17,000 delirious fans at Gtech Community Stadium.

"You should have stayed at a big club" and "sacked in the morning" were the songs that echoed round this atmospheric stadium as they goaded Bryan Mbeumo, on his return to the club, and Ruben Amorim, who will not be coming back unless he can quickly find answers to his side's repeated failure to play to the potential created by their price tags.

Injury scuppered Igor Thiago's hopes of impressing in his first season at Brentford, but he is having a big impact now. Five goals in seven games in all competitions is in line with Mbeumo's 20-goal haul last season.

There can be few more deserving of success.

Thiago's development as a player in Brazil was stunted by the death of his father as a youngster, which led him into the world of work when he was only 13 years old.

Bricklaying, carrying fruit, working at fairs and general odd jobs were what he did to earn money for his family.

His status as a Premier League player probably means financial worries are a thing of the past, but that does not prevent anyone from feeling happy for him.

Brentford boss Keith Andrews spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side beat Manchester United: "It was deserved. It was quite dramatic at times - penalties, VAR, the usual. But if you scrutinise the game, we were very good and we caused a lot of problems. You are always going to get a reaction, but we stuck to it. The substitutes did brilliantly. It was a deserved win"

On the penalty: "That's the nature of the game. It swings one way or the other, I've got no complaints about it."

On centre-forward Igor Thiago: "He is a top human being. He had to suffer last year because of being injured for a significant amount of time. I know what type of a person he is and his qualities as a footballer.

"We are building new relationships now. You can see that with the front three, they will get better and better. It was a different front-line last year, but this is one that has a lot of potential and a lot of ability. I'm really excited about it."

On Brentford's third goal: "It was a nice way to finish. We didn't want to sit back in the second half and just absorb pressure. We wanted to take the game to them at the right times and get the third goal. I didn't anticipate it would be so late in the game, but from that base we sprung out really well, counter-attacked really efficiently and it was a great finish."

On his managerial philosophy: "You always pick ideas from elsewhere. I'm a learner, I've studied a lot of teams, a lot of coaches and people that I've worked with - that is only natural. I'm not the finished product by any stretch of the imagination and I'm aware of that.

"What I am big on is playing to the players' strengths and what they can achieve to get results. I have been in the game a long time so I know what that takes and I try to emphasise that on a daily basis."

On what Brentford can achieve this season: "Progression. We want to build a new team. The next chapter is well underway. The narrative around the club has been a certain way, but I'm pretty calm about the situation."

Did you know?

• Brentford have won four of their past six Premier League home games (D1 L1), having been without a win in their previous eight at Gtech Community Stadium (D3 L5).

• Igor Thiago became just the second player to score twice in the opening 20 minutes of a Premier League match against Manchester United, after Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal in October 2015 (19 minutes).

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 United's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Club record signing Dango Ouatarra returns to the Brentford side as Keith Andrews' men look to win only their second game of the season.

Aaron Hickey is also included as Keane Lewis-Potter and Ethan Pinnock drop to the bench as Andrews looks to halt Brentford's worst start to a Premier League campaign.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Hickey, Yarmoliuk, Henderson, Damsgaard, Ouatarra, Igor Thiago, Schade

Substitutes: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Henry, Lewis-Potter, Milambo, Janelt, Jensen, Onyeka, Ajer

Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot and Manuel Ugarte all return for Manchester United, who are trying to win a second consecutive Premier League game for the first time under Ruben Amorim.

Amad has been ruled out due to a family bereavement, Casemiro is suspended and Noussair Mazraoui is injured.

It is the first time Cunha has started along with Benjamin Sesko and former Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo in attack.

Manchester United XI: Bayindir, De Ligt, Maguire, Shaw, Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dorgu, Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko

Substitutes: Lammens, Heaton, Fredricson, Heaven, Mainoo, Mount, Yoro, Zirkzee, Leon

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

• Brentford v Manchester United (12:30)

• Chelsea v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Crystal Palace v Liverpool - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Leeds United v Bournemouth

• Manchester City v Burnley

• Nottingham Forest v Sunderland (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Tottenham v Wolves (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Liverpool" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Sunderland", for instance.

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

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester United travel to Brentford aiming to win back-to-back league games for the first time under head coach Ruben Amorim. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes before Saturday's lunchtime match.

Brentford continue to experience growing pains under rookie manager Keith Andews, with last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Fulham leaving them one point and one place above the relegation zone. They have already conceded 10 Premier League goals this term, which is the third highest total in the top flight and the most by the Bees at this stage of a league season since 2003.

After the loss at Craven Cottage, Andrews said his side need to improve their game management, pinpointing the concession of two quickfire goals before half-time as the turning point. He admitted lessons will have to be learned, adding: "It's a young squad and we need to analyse that period."

However, Brentford's inability to hang on to a lead is in danger of becoming an Achilles heel. They have dropped a league-high eight points from winning positions in the current campaign, scoring first in four of their five matches but winning only once.

With just four points on the board and 10 goals conceded, the Bees have made their worst start to a Premier League season. They will hope to kick-start their campaign with back-to-back home fixtures against the league's two Manchester clubs.

'Complicated' United back to winning ways

Manchester United rebounded from a sobering defeat against neighbours Manchester City by beating Chelsea 2-1 last weekend in a match both sides finished with 10 men. Casemiro's sending off in first-half injury time gave the Blues hope of a comeback and Amorim conceded afterwards his team need to stop making life needlessly "complicated".

While lapses of concentration are a recurring issue, Amorim can at least take heart from United's improved attacking displays.

The Red Devils have attempted 81 Premier League shots this term, more than any other side (Brentford rank last with 41). They average 16.2 shots per game in the current campaign, up from 13.9 under Amorim last season, while their expected goals figure has risen from 1.33 per game to 2.03.

However, supporters have yet to see the best of new striker Benjamin Sesko, who has had a quite start to life at Old Trafford following his £66.3m move from RB Leipzig. He has managed just one shot on target and eight touches in the opposition box in 205 minutes of Premier League action.

Brentford beat Manchester United 4-3 in this fixture last season, but that was a different Brentford - with Thomas Frank their manager and Bryan Mbeumo playing for them, not for United.

The Bees are a difficult team to predict now because Keith Andrews has had some mixed results since taking charge - they ended up being out-played by Fulham last week, but they are still unbeaten at home.

I am not sure what we will see from Ruben Amorim's side, either.

Robbie Savage was telling me on 606 that United have got the best xG (expected goals) in the Premier League, which suggests they have under-achieved so far.

I can see this being quite a tight game and while I didn't go for any draws at all last week - I got a bit complacent because I was finding it so easy to beat AI and decided I would pick a winner in every game - I am going to start with one this time.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here