Brentford

Phil Parry
BBC Radio London reporter

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The fact that there was disappointment at securing just one point against Manchester City and Liverpool last week is a clear indication of the level of performance in both matches from Brentford.

Thomas Frank insisted the draw with City was the first time his side had gone "toe to toe with a top-three side for 90 minutes" since being promoted to the top flight. He certainly was not wrong about a match they could have justifiably won.

Naturally, positive performances and outcomes help focus attention on the players, as well as the coaches, who are making a difference. The likes of Yoan Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo will attract attention due to their attacking prowess but there are others who deserve credit from the wider footballing world.

One such player is Keane Lewis-Potter, now in his third season with the club after arriving from Hull City in July 2022. Injury in his first campaign hampered his opportunities, while last season he admitted it was hard to deal with the mental challenges and frustration of starting just 15 games in the top flight.

Patience has paid off and this season he has become an invaluable part of the starting XI, displaying incredible adaptability. A winger who has played at wing-back, in 2024-25 Lewis-Potter has been deployed as a left back in a four-man defence - a position he admits he has had to learn.

He has done it extremely well, dealing on Saturday with the dual threat of Mohammed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold for example. He has shown great defensive acumen but also the capability to spring forward into a more natural attacking mode.

Fans will be keen to see Lewis-Potter used in a more offensive way from now on, but what he has shown covering for Rico Henry is that he is can play a variety of positions at a very high level.

That only bodes well for more starts and banishing that frustration.

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Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken has made 101 saves in 22 Premier League appearances this season, the most of any goalkeeper.

It is the most saves per game (4.6) by a goalkeeper to play 20 or more games in a Premier League season since Jordan Pickford for Sunderland in 2016-17 (4.7).

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Brentford's Mikkel Damsgaard says it was an "easy decision" to sign a new long-term deal with the club.

The 24-year-old has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract to keep him with the Bees until the summer of 2030, with the club having a option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

"I've enjoyed my years here so it was a no-brainer for me to extend - I'm very happy," Damsgaard said.

"This season has been a lot better for me personally with a lot more playing time, but I've always enjoyed the atmosphere at the club, time with my team-mates and the way things have been set up.

"With the playing time now coming, it was a pretty easy decision to extend."

Brentford boss Thomas Frank said: "This season, he is starting to show what we believed we'd get from him.

"He has been one of our best players this season; we are very dangerous when he is playing.

"But there is more to come from Mikkel. It has been half a season, now he needs to perform for a full season."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Brentford have agreed a new contract with midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard until 2030.

The 24-year-old has delivered three goals and seven assists in 27 appearances this season.

Damsgaard has overcome a difficult and injury-hit first two seasons - where he registered just two assists in 49 initial appearances after joining in a £12.6m deal from Sampdoria.

The Denmark international required keyhole surgery to overcome injuries that limited his impact in his early Premier League career, but is now being rewarded as one of Thomas Frank's most creative players.

He opened up on his difficult first season in west London in an interview with BBC Sport in 2023. "It was a tough period, but I got over it.

"So I'm happy and healthy now and really happy to be playing football every day with no problems.

"Physically, I didn't feel good. Even though I was training every day and I didn't necessarily have any problems, it was just my mind was going faster than my legs could move.

"It is very difficult and very frustrating to make mistakes you don't usually make."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Fiorentina defender Michael Kayode is on the verge of joining Brentford as he travels to London to complete his move.

The 20-year-old defender is expected to join initially on loan with an option to buy included for the summer.

Capped four times by Italy Under-21s, Kayode has made 12 appearances for Fiorentina this season.

Brentford will allow Danish defender Mads Roerslev to leave, with Wolfsburg known to be interested.

Thomas Frank's side are 11th in the Premier League table after 22 matches this season.

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Proud.

That's how Brentford fans are feeling after a week in which we held our own against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and champions-elect Liverpool - both matches we were expected to lose.

For large parts of last Tuesday's Man City game, it felt like a contest that could go either way, with both teams missing good chances.

Once City had gone 2-0 up it looked like game over as it's rare to come back from two behind against a big six club. However, the Bees ensured our hard work on the night did not go to waste to earn a deserved draw in a pulsating finish.

It was our first point against one of the big boys all season and nicely set up Saturday's visit from Liverpool.

The Reds dominated most of the first half and the start of the second, and a lot has been made of the fact they had 37 shots.

However, it is the quality of goal attempts which really counts and only eight of those efforts were on target. By contrast, more than 50% of Brentford's 11 shots were on target, and Alisson made more saves than Mark Flekken.

I am not saying the Bees necessarily deserved to win the game, but it does show that we could not have been begrudged a point if we had held on for another four minutes.

In both matches, Thomas Frank abandoned his regular 3-5-2 against top six clubs - partly but not totally because of available players - to play a more attacking 4-3-3, proving that, as usual, he wanted to win.

More performances like this should comfortably secure our second Premier League top 10 finish.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest have made an approach for Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.

The Bees value Wissa at far beyond the £22m reportedly offered by the Reds.

BBC Sport can confirm the approach with Forest targeting competition for in-form striker Chris Wood, who has 14 goals in the Premier League this season, as they look to maintain their surprise Champions League challenge.

Forest are third in the Premier League after Sunday's 3-2 win over Southampton.

Wissa, who has 11 goals in 19 Premier League matches this season, is highly valued in west London and has proven a worthy successor to Ivan Toney.

The Bees will not accept bids in the £22m price range Forest have reportedly offered, despite the 28-year-old having just 18 months to run on his current contract.

Meanwhile, Brentford are interested in Fiorentina defender Michael Kayode. The 20-year-old Italian is being looked at to fill a problem position this season at full-back for Thomas Frank.

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

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans:

George: Thomas Frank talked about finally being able to go toe-to-toe with a top-side after the draw against City - you can't say we didn't do that again. The final four minutes will have absolutely crushed the team's spirit. I hope the fans and staff are able to build it back up again quickly - playing like that versus any other team in the league would have given us three points.

Uzzi: About as cruel an ending you could expect. Played so well against an excellent side, had some good openings but the penny just didn't drop. Always felt one goal would settle it, unfortunately it wasn't for us.

Will: We held on and held on and held on but could not get over the line. We did admirably having played City just four days ago. Can't help but wonder if perhaps a couple more subs were needed (Mee for Mads? Rico for KLP? Carvalho for Wissa?). We could have maybe put more fresh legs on and had a better chance. A good game with a disappointing result but we go again… COYB!

Ben: Could clearly see the tiredness from an amazing game on Tuesday took its toll. But still so proud of another strong performance against a top side. Even with key players missing we still manage to be competitive. Credit to the manager, coaching team and the players. Keane Lewis-Potter (a winger) playing at full-back and keeping Salah quiet the entire game has to be one of the defensive performances of the season.

Liverpool fans:

Rob: Nunez man of the hour, could not be happier for him. Szobo was also excellent, as were the back four. Credit to Brentford - they defended very well, often getting the better of our starting front three.

Sean: What a surprise end to that game! Nunez is certainly a workhorse but he needs to keep that end product coming else he'll be gone soon. The fact that Alisson and Trent were by far the stand out players is quite a concern. Midfield seemed baffled by the low block. Salah was hardly noticeable (hasn't been for a few games now), while Diaz and Gakpo hold on for too long. Chiesa and Jota need to be starting games. Bench Salah.

George: Great energy and intensity with lots of possession. Needed to be more clinical in the last third. Seem to struggle to find a way through teams with a low block. Mo seemed very quiet, not making so many telling runs into the box. I thought Trent played well. We need to work on set pieces as we had so many corners and never looked like capitalising. Substitutions worked well. We deserved the win but it could easily have got away from us.

Yusuf: A solid display and one that was much needed after the past few matches. Credit to Nunez - won us the game and has eliminated all questions over his confidence. Something to note though - all players celebrated after the final whistle and went over to the fans but Mohamed Salah. Has transfer speculation affected him over the past few games?

Watch highlights and analysis from Saturday's five 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:

• Brentford 0-2 Liverpool

• Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa

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Brentford boss Thomas Frank told BBC Sport after today's defeat: "I thought we played a really good game against the best team in the world right now. We did a lot of things right. We defended very well. We gave the opportunities away but not too big.

"We probably lacked the final cutting edge. We had some good chances and opportunities that never became opportunities because of the last pass or touch. Their centre-backs were exceptionally good."

On the first goal: "It's a deflection that [could] drops anywhere else because he blocks the cross but it dropped perfectly for him [Trent Alexander-Arnold] to play into Nunez. Tough to take but pleased with performance.

"We always try to win the game from minute one despite who's coming here. We knew they'd have the ball a bit more but we believed we could win the game.

On if Liverpool are the best team in the league: "Yes. I think we just played City and Arsenal and now Liverpool, in a short amout of time. For me they're a level above the two teams. They're complete. Their work ethic, the way they track back, are good indicators. They're so good all over the pitch. Such a threat going forward. These are really, really good. It's the best team in the Premier League and the world. They're huge favourites to win it [the title]."

Bobbie Jackson
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Reuters

Brentford have relied heavily on home advantage to steer clear of the relegation zone this season, with all but five of their 28 points coming at the Gtech Community Stadium.

However, their bubble appears to have burst over recent weeks after failing to win when hosting in five matches across all competitions.

They employed a cautious approach to their meeting with league leaders Liverpool, sitting deep and trying to hit on the counter.

Bryan Mbeumo showed early glimpses that he could offer a threat but quickly cut an isolated figure and was well marshalled by Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Despite showing a lack of motivation to win, especially as the game moved into the last 15 minutes, it looked like Brentford, who were seeking their first clean sheet of the season at home, had done enough to take a share of the points.

Liverpool attempted 37 shots across the match and finally got their reward in injury time when Darwin Nunez registered twice.

It would be harsh to judge Brentford on their performance against a team in the driving seat to claim the title, but their next five games come against teams currently placed below them and Thomas Frank will be demanding a vast improvement.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Liverpool's display?

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

There are five Premier League fixtures on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action.

• Newcastle v Bournemouth (12:30)

• Brentford v Liverpool - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Leicester v Fulham

• West Ham v Crystal Palace

• Arsenal v Aston Villa (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

I thought Liverpool were really unlucky not to beat Nottingham Forest on Tuesday. They played well had enough chances to win, but Forest keeper Matz Sels made some excellent saves.

Now, with Arsenal winning on Wednesday, this game has become massive for Liverpool. If they don't win it, people are going to really question them.

Arne Slot's side have drawn their past two league games, and lost to Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

So, since the turn of they year they have only won one game in four - the home FA Cup tie against Accrington.

It is something of a mini-blip for them, and they need to get back on track. But they are still where they want to be - four points clear at the top of the Premier League and with a game in hand on the teams below them.

This is going to be another tough game for the leaders, though.

People might see Brentford's late comeback against Manchester City as justification for them resting players in their FA Cup home defeat by Plymouth.

I disagree with that, but the Bees have shown this season that they never lie down and I can see them scoring and keeping this close.

Unlike City, though, I believe Liverpool will find a way of getting over the line.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Thomas Frank says "he's very happy" at Brentford - but knows he won't be managing the club "forever".

Speaking to Gary Lineker for Football Focus, Frank said: "I'm very, very happy at Brentford - in many ways it's the perfect football club. You can still be ambitious. It'd be difficult to win the Premier League, but we can still build the club and have the chance to win something - a cup maybe.

"The environment, ownership and everything is so good, so my day-to-day job is extremely good - that means a lot.

"I won't be at Brentford forever. I may walk into another club that will be completely different and have to get everything sorted and it'll take time.

"I'm very happy here. What happens in the future? I don't know."

Frank, who is the second-longest-serving manager in the league, also believes the Premier League needs teams like Leicester in 2015-16 and Nottingham Forest this season to be challenging towards the top, and that these are "fantastic" kinds of stories.

"We need clubs like Leicester, Forest, Brentford and Bournemouth - clubs that are doing things differently and breaking into the so-called traditional squads," he said.

Watch Football Focus on Saturdays, 12:00 GMT on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app.

Listen to the Football Daily special: In Focus with Gary Lineker & Thomas Frank on BBC Sounds

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No players have scored more home goals in the Premier League this season than Brentford pair Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa (nine).

The only Brentford player to reach double figures at home in a Premier League campaign is Ivan Toney (11 in 2022-23).

Brentford and DR Congo striker Yoane Wissa is a target for Nottingham Forest if Taiwo Awoniyi leaves the club this month. (Telegraph), external

Dortmund are interested in Brentford and Germany winger Kevin Schade, 23. (Bild - subscription required), external

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

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Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at home to Liverpool (15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Frank said he has "no new injuries" to contend with and Rico Henry came through the game unscathed on his first league appearance for 14 months. Frank said: "Everyone is available that was available for the Manchester City game. It's the same squad as Tuesday."

• He also gave an update on Gustavo Nunes, who is yet to make his debut after joining the club in the summer due to a back injury: "He is not on the grass, so it will take him a bit longer before he's back. I don't know the exact timeframe if I'm honest. It's not that I don't want him back, but he is not available for the weekend."

• Frank was asked if there is any chance of selling Bryan Mbeumo in the January transfer window: "No! It's very easy to answer - no chance! It would need to be that big of a fee that I can't imagine the size of the fee."

• Asked what his priority is in the window, Frank said: "I'm not focused on keeping my key players, I'm just expecting them to stay. We are always in the market. We don't have a urgency to bring new players in but we are aware we certainly need some."

• On managing a busy week after the 2-2 draw with City on Tuesday: "We have been in the whole week, no days off. The whole group were in on Wednesday to recover; on Thursday it was a light session with some tactical bits, preparing for Liverpool. Friday will be light as well, with the squad hopefully feeling fresh and ready to go for Saturday."

• He has to vary his training methods given the packed schedule: "We train hard with high intensity every session but then we need to manage the workload with how long we train with that high intensity and what kind of extensive drills we build in."