Brentford

Latest updates

  1. Brentford sign Schusterpublished at 11:06 BST 15 May

    Jannik Schuster holds a Brentford shirtImage source, Brentford FC

    Brentford boss Keith Andrews says the signing of Austrian defender Jannik Schuster adds a player with "a lot of potential" to his squad.

    Schuster, 19, will join from Red Bull Salzburg and has signed a deal until 2031, with an option for a one-year extension.

    Last week, BBC Sport reported the deal for Schuster to be worth £12m, plus a further £4m in add-ons.

    "I'm really delighted that we were able to get Jannik on board," said Andrews.

    "He's already played a lot of games for Salzburg at a high level. He's a player with a lot of potential, and we see that as something we can develop.

    "I really like him as a young man; he's determined to maximise his potential. He's going to fit in well with the first-team squad."

    Schuster has been capped by Austria's Under-21 side and - after making his debut for Red Bull Salzburg in one solitary appearance last season - has become a regular starter during this campaign.

    This is your Brentford page. Bookmark it and come back for news, stats, opinions and fan comment on the club.

  2. West Ham should have had two penaltiespublished at 11:06 BST 15 May

    Football issues correspondent Dale Johnson byline banner

    Three more video assistant referee errors have been confirmed by the Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel, taking the total this season to 23.

    The panel has recorded three errors involving penalties, two of which should have been awarded for holding offences.

    West Ham should have been given two spot-kicks in their 3-0 loss at Brentford - though one of the decisions was not considered to have reached the VAR threshold.

    Keane Lewis-Potter held Tomas Soucek "in a clear non-footballing action which impacted the West Ham player's movement" and the panel unanimously felt the VAR Tony Harrington should have stepped in.

    It was also felt referee Craig Pawson should have pointed to the spot in the 77th minute when Yehor Yarmolyuk slipped and brought down Pablo inside the area.

    That was a split 3-2 vote for a spot-kick, but 4-1 against a VAR review.

  3. Andrews on 'real intent', award nominations and Palacepublished at 19:21 BST 14 May

    Millie Sian
    BBC Sport journalist

    Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • The squad will "probably be very similar" to the one that faced Manchester City last weekend. They will have "more options to come off the bench" though, after Jordan Henderson, Vitaly Janelt and Aaron Hickey got minutes under their belts at Etihad Stadium.

    • Rico Henry, who hasn't appeared since March because of a hamstring injury, isn't expected to feature before the end of the season.

    • On whether his players are excited about the possibility of securing European football before the final day of the season, he said: "What I do know is they will be really focused, if training is anything to go by this week. There has been a real intent and edge to everything we have done. We know what a big game it is for us."

    • On Brentford receiving three nominations for the Premier League's end of season awards, he said: "It is huge for the club to get that type of recognition. That doesn't happen without everybody rowing in the same direction and pushing really hard."

    • He also spoke about fellow nominees Igor Thiago and Michael Kayode: "They are two very different individuals, with two very different stories, but both of them show everybody what it means to them when they step on the pitch. They are probably the most passionate players we have. They are a joy to be around. The levels they have produced this year have been pretty special."

    • There will be "real pride" when he looks back on his first season as Brentford head coach because he has crafted "a really humble group that is also really hungry" to hit new heights.

    • When asked about his decision to hold off on talking about the possibility of European football until now, he said: "It was more instinctive really, it isn't as if I've been in this position before. With two games to go, obviously it is a little bit different. We have to be pretty honest now and say we are obviously going for it. We want it and we have always been striving towards it."

    • On the possibility of ending this season as the best Premier League club in west London, he said: "I suppose that will be a big one for the fans. It will be a nice thing to say, so it certainly isn't lost on me - but it hasn't been at the forefront of my thoughts."

    • Crystal Palace's eyes will be on their upcoming Europa League final "to a degree", but Oliver Glasner's team selection is "very much his prerogative". Andrews added: "Whoever is on the pitch, they will be a very difficult team to beat. They are a really tricky opponent, who are well organised without the ball. They also have huge individual threats that we need to be very aware of."

    • The Eagles have shown it is "possible to achieve cup success" - however, the Bees are on their "own journey" when it comes to European qualification.

    Listen to live commentary of Brentford v Crystal Palace from 14:55 BST on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Got a question about Brentford? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

    Ask Me Anything green banner
  4. Andrews and Thiago nominated for manager and player of the seasonpublished at 13:39 BST 14 May

    Igor Thiago and Keith AndrewsImage source, Getty Images

    Keith Andrews has been nominated for the Premier League's manager of the season award.

    The Bees boss, who took over from Thomas Frank last summer, has led his side to 14 victories this campaign and are challenging for a top-six finish with two games remaining.

    Andrews has been nominated alongside Manchester United's Michael Carrick, Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola and Sunderland's Regis le Bris.

    In addition, right-back Michael Kayode has been nominated for the young player of the season award and Igor Thiago is shortlisted for player of the season.

    Thiago has scored 22 goals to date in this campaign, which is the most of any Brazilian player in a Premier League season.

    The winners will be decided by a combination of a public vote and panel of football experts.

  5. Can Brentford be effective against Palace? published at 16:58 BST 13 May

    Igor Thiago of Brentford in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford at Etihad StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    Crystal Palace will hit the road to take on Brentford on Sunday, a fixture that usually see's the Bees victorious.

    Brentford are unbeaten in their last six home league games against the Eagles, the last home loss coming in December 1957, in the Third Division South.

    The Bees have only won just five of their last 30 Premier League London derby matches however. Contrast that with Oliver Glasner's side, who seem comfortable on the road in the capital, with their last nine away London derbies delivering six wins.

    Keith Andrews' side are however proving tough to get at.

    They are facing a shots on target figure of just 4.2 per game on average - their lowest mark in five seasons. The flip side to this perhaps? The Bees have averaged just 3.9 shots of their own on target - a low for their five seasons in the league.

    So they are giving up little but need to be efficient in attack to make it count.

    Much might come down to Igor Thiago then. He has scored two or more goals in six different Premier League games this season. Only Erling Haaland has hit a double more during the campaign and the next player to have bagged a brace or better so often in a season was Harry Kane in 2017-18, doing so nine times.

  6. Would a corner rule change work?published at 11:18 BST 13 May

    Media caption,

    Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann has outlined his idea to improve how corners are officiated in future.

    In the aftermath of weekend controversy over players grappling in the penalty area, he has told BBC Sport a rule whereby attacking players cannot enter the six-yard box until a corner has been taken would be his preference.

    Ex-Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha backed the idea and thinks it will add "creativity" to corner kicks and the move would force "people to think in a different way".

    You can watch a clip of the debate above, with Onuoha stating: "Twenty players standing in the six-yard box, you have to ask yourself, is that what you want to see? And is that the best version of the game?"

  7. 'Two big and exciting weekends remain'published at 07:45 BST 12 May

    Ian Westbrook
    Fan writer

    Brentford fan's voice banner
    Keith Andrews applaudingImage source, Getty Images

    "Brave" is how Keith Andrews described Brentford's performance in Saturday's defeat at Manchester City and he was certainly right.

    What he did not mention was how "brave" he was in team selection, with a formation and player switch he had not used before.

    Full-back Aaron Hickey made his first start since February after injury but not in the backline. Instead, the Scotland international played in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role as the Bees fielded a new 4-4-2 line-up.

    And for large parts of the game it worked.

    City almost inevitably dominated early on but Brentford defended brilliantly, in no small part due to our formation - leading to City being booed off after a goalless first half.

    Having weathered the storm, we were more adventurous in the second half, but in the end conceded an opener to the brilliant Jeremy Doku. I have rarely seen such a good individual performance against us as his.

    At 2-0 the game was over, but I thought 3-0 was a harsh final score, given the effort we put in, the decent chances we made and the big decisions which didn't go our way.

    What was encouraging was the fact that, as usual, we didn't give up, everyone gave their all and City only scored after feeling forced into making a double substitution on the hour mark after failing to break through.

    We came away from the Etihad proud of Brentford's performance.

    Hickey's return was good news for Scotland boss Steve Clarke before this summer's World Cup and England's Thomas Tuchel will also have been pleased to see the return of Jordan Henderson after an injury lay-off.

    Although Brighton earned a six-goal swing over us and Bournemouth also won, incredibly we are still in the hunt for Europe.

    Two big and exciting weekends remain.

    Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

  8. Manchester City 3-0 Brentford - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:53 BST 11 May

    Your opinions banner

    This content isn't available anymore.

    There was an error

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

    Here are some of your comments:

    Manchester City fans

    Lofti: This is definitely a dress rehearsal for the Bournemouth game. Both Brentford and Bournemouth play brilliant attacking football. Winning the title from here is almost a miracle but you can't just lay down the gauntlet and give up. WE FIGHT TILL THE END.

    Brian: This was Man City with the bit between their teeth. They meant business from the outset and Brentford also came to win, with both teams looking at league placings. Man City were aggressive and in the mood to score goals. For most opposing teams a dangerous cocktail. The fans played their part in what was a great game of football. It is hard to see Man City winning the Premier League but this win keeps the pressure on Arsenal. Jeremy Doku was outstanding and he has really come of age as a goalscorer. A great foundation to build on for next season.

    Youssef: All we needed was a win and I'm happy to add the pressure on Arsenal. Our entire front three were on it and even subs Omar Marmoush and Phil Foden. Well done lads and we continue to fight for the title.

    Ian: City seem to create a lot of chances but have a lower conversion rate from chances to goals than I would like. Also Pep seems to put out a weak side and then strengthen it during the game. I'd rather see us field a stronger starting line-up and then take players off when we have established a decent lead.

    Brentford fans

    George: We were hard done by with the officiating and scoreline but not the result. City were ruthless - defeat leaves us needing a lot of luck and four points from our final two matches to secure our tickets to Europe. Onwards and upwards.

    Ian: A disciplined first-half performance. The resistance ended on the hour mark with a top-drawer finish by Jeremy Doku. Brentford played some fine football at times, lacking the end product with a goal. A team that has proven so many wrong this season will continue to prove those doubters for some time. A few tweaks in the close season will strengthen the squad to take Brentford to the next level. Come on you Bees!

    Luke: Rubbish. What have they learnt about playing Man City? If you simply put players behind the ball and don't press, it gives them plenty of time to create goalscoring opportunities and you will probably lose. Despite European hopes, they looked like a team who came to get a draw.

    Rob: Jeremy Doku was the main threat throughout and ran Michael Kayode ragged. I thought we could have moved Aaron Hickey across to help Kayode and put Keane Lewis-Potter at left-back. I thought the officials were poor and gave all 50/50s to City. Kevin Schade was definitely a penalty - why would he dive in front of goal? We gave a good account of ourselves.

  9. Analysis: Bees' European hopes take a knockpublished at 20:44 BST 9 May

    Shamoon Hafez
    Football reporter

    Dejected players of Brentford.Image source, Getty Images

    Keith Andrews has done a sterling job in his first season at Brentford, but his side have hit a sticky patch of late, winning just one of their past eight games.

    Striker Thiago, the second top scorer in the division with 22, was unable to make ground on opposite number Erling Haaland.

    And Brentford were left incensed by referee Michael Salisbury's decision to award Bernardo Silva only a yellow card in the first half when the Manchester City captain lashed out at Nathan Collins, a decision that was checked and approved by the video assistant referee (VAR).

    There were two further reviews of possible fouls by Matheus Nunes on Kevin Schade, both of which were cleared by VAR, much to the annoyance of the Brentford faithful.

    With two league games of the campaign remaining against Crystal Palace and Liverpool, Andrews will be hoping his side can return to winning ways as they push for Europe and to avoid an impressive season petering out.

  10. Manchester City 3-0 Brentford: What Andrews saidpublished at 20:01 BST 9 May

    Media caption,

    Brentford manager Keith Andrews speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We are disappointed. We were quite brave in the way we approached the game. You could see from Manchester City's urgency what's at stake for them. We had key moments where we could have and should have done better.

    "It was an unbelievable strike. But I thought we reacted really well to going behind. We should have had a penalty. Key moment. But our players kept going and I have nothing but pride when I look at them."

    On the penalty incident involving Kevin Schade: "I looked at the second Schade incident and I have looked at it three or four times. And there's no way Kevin will go down. The comment that was made was that there was not enough contact.

    "But Kevin is one of the quickest players in the league and when he's moving at such speed, it's only going to take a little bit of contact. He's got the goal gaping. For me, that's a penalty."

    His message to the fans: "The message is pretty clear. We have got two huge games. The last home game against Crystal Palace is next week. And I have no doubt the Gtech will be rocking."

    Did you know?

    • Brentford have won just one of their last eight Premier League games (drawn five, lost two) and are winless in their last four away from home (drawn two lost two), failing to score in three of those.

  11. Man City v Brentford: Team newspublished at 16:32 BST 9 May

    Manchester City team.

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola makes two changes following Monday night's six-goal thriller at Everton.

    There is a surprise as Abdokodir Khusanov is not involved so Nathan Ake comes into the heart of the defence. Tijjani Reijnders replaces Nico Gonzalez in the other alternation.

    Midfielder Rodri continues to recover from a groin injury and is not in the squad, but Ruben Dias makes a return from a hamstring issue.

    Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Guehi, Ake, O'Reilly, Silva, Reijnders, Semenyo, Doku, Cherki, Haaland.

    Subs: Trafford, Ait-Nouri, Foden, Gonzalez, Kovacic, Marmoush, Savinho, Stones, , Dias

    Brentford manager Keith Andrews also makes two changes following their 3-0 win over West Ham last time out.

    Kristoffer Ajer comes into the heart of the defence in place on Sepp van den Berg, while Aaron Hickey replaces Dango Ouattara.

    Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Hickey, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Damsgaard, Thiago.

    Subs: Dasilva, Furo, Henderson, Janelt, Nelson, Ouattara, Pinnock, Valdimarsson, Van Den Berg

    Brentford team.
  12. Brentford near £16m deal for Salzburg's Schusterpublished at 12:02 BST 9 May

    Nizaar Kinsella
    Football reporter

    Jannik Schuster on the pitch for SalzburgImage source, Getty Images

    Brentford are close to agreeing a deal worth £12m, plus a further £4m in add-ons, to sign defender Jannik Schuster from Austrian club Salzburg.

    The 19-year-old is expected to undergo a medical in west London before joining the European hopefuls in the summer.

    The Austria Under-21 international has made 28 appearances for Salzburg this season, including a substitute outing in Champions League qualifying stage and several starts in the Europa League.

    Salzburg are competing in the Austrian Bundesliga end-of-season title play-offs and face LASK Linz on Sunday evening, with the club still in contention for the title.

    Meanwhile, Brentford travel to Manchester City in the first of their final three Premier League matches.

    They remain in contention for a club-record finish and European qualification for the first time in their history, in Keith Andrews' first season as manager.

  13. Follow Saturday's Premier League games livepublished at 11:17 BST 9 May

    A graphic showing players from all 20 Premier League clubs with the text: "Follow the teams you care about. Sign in or create an account for the latest news, insight, expert opinion, fan views and stats, and to get notifications."
    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.

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

    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 Fulham v Bournemouth" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Brentford", for instance.

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

    The orange BBC Sounds logo against a black background
  14. Sutton's predictions: Manchester City v Brentfordpublished at 11:04 BST 9 May

    Chris Sutton smiling on a yellow and black background with 'Sutton's predictions' written below his face

    The title is out of Manchester City's hands now after their 3-3 draw at Everton, but their late equaliser on Monday could still turn out to be huge.

    City getting a point means Arsenal still have to win their final three games to be sure of being champions, so it is not over yet.

    Pep Guardiola's side definitely have to win this game, though, and to do it they will have to be more ruthless in front of goal.

    Brentford are in the mix for the top six and only lost narrowly to City earlier in the season.

    I am being selfish here, but just for my Fantasy team I need Erling Haaland to have a strong finish to the season so I am going for City - and him - to get among the goals on Saturday.

    Sutton's prediction: 3-1

    Read the full predictions and have your say here

  15. Manchester City v Brentford: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:08 BST 8 May

    Jordan Butler
    BBC Sport journalist

    Manchester City aim to keep their title hopes alive on Saturday (17:30 BST) against a Brentford side with designs on reaching Europe. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes around this fixture.

    It's still tight at the top…

    It's rare for a team to score a 97th-minute equaliser and then finish the game feeling deflated, but that is exactly what happened to Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.

    Jeremy Doku's excellent injury-time effort salvaged a potentially decisive point for Pep Guardiola's side in a pulsating 3-3 draw with Everton. However, it felt more like a case of two points dropped for City, who are five behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

    Despite that setback the equation remains simple for City and their quest for the title. Win this weekend and then hope Arsenal drop points at West Ham on Sunday, or at some stage during the run-in.

    Goal difference could also be a defining factor at the end of the season and therefore a handsome victory on Saturday evening would be welcomed by all connected to City. They have found the net at least twice in 13 of their past 15 top-flight outings at the Etihad but goals have not flowed freely for them in this fixture.

    City have scored just 13 times in nine Premier League meetings with Brentford and their average of 1.4 goals per game versus Saturday's opponents is their lowest total against any top-flight team during Guardiola's reign.

    A table showing the top two in the Premier League and their projected points totals if they win all of their remaining games.

    Bees dreaming of European debut

    Brentford were earmarked for relegation at the start of this season by many but have instead defied expectations in head coach Keith Andrews' debut season. The Irishman is now well positioned to lead his side into Europe for the first time in their 137-year history.

    The Bees have a 1% chance of finishing inside the top five according to Opta – with seven points the gap to fifth and only nine left to play for – but they start this weekend only one point behind sixth-placed Bournemouth.

    Seventh and even eighth should be enough for a European berth but sixth would guarantee entry into one of Europe's major competitions and could yet yield a Champions League spot if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth.

    A bar chart depicting the Premier League's top five goal scorers this season - Manchester City forward Erling Haaland is top with 25 goals while Brentford's Igor Thiago is second with 22.

    Golden Boot contenders face each other

    Another subplot encapsulated within this fixture is the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.

    City's Erling Haaland is favourite to claim his third such title and the Norwegian is three goals clear of Brentford striker Igor Thiago at the top of the charts.

    The Brazilian's 22 goals have come from just 79 shots, which gives him a 27.9% conversion rate. In other words, he averages a goal roughly every four attempts.

    Of the 67 players to have scored 20 or more in a top-flight season since 2003-04, only four have done so with a better conversion rate than the 24-year-old – Yaya Toure in 2013-14, Jamie Vardy in 2017-18, Chris Wood last season and Haaland himself in 2022-23.

  16. Andrews on Henderson's return, European dreams and Guardiolapublished at 14:45 BST 8 May

    Huzaifah Khan
    BBC Sport

    Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 17:30 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • On team news, Andrews confirmed Vitaly Janelt is a "little bit closer" after returning to the squad last weekend and Jordan Henderson will be involved after an injury lay-off, while Rico Henry is "back on the grass but will not be involved tomorrow".

    • He said the squad have had a "really good week" and training has had a "really good energy around it".

    • On being close to the Champions League places, Andrews responded: "We've got a lot of work to do over the next three games to put ourselves in a position of anything like that. The focus is on tomorrow first and foremost. We're obviously running out of games and we want to finish the season really well."

    • He added: "Tomorrow is going to be really difficult but we want to go and show what a good team we are."

    • On whether he watched Manchester City's 3-3 draw with Everton and learned anything from it: "They're an amazing team. The way they play, how they can hurt you, tweaks that Pep [Guardiola] makes to the team in trying to unlock the opposition and the level of top-quality players they have among their team. You can see the quality of the finishes the other night. If it's not one player one week, it's a different player the next week."

    • He added: "I think you always learn things about the opposition but I think it will be a completely different game."

    • On it being a bigger game for title-chasing City than the Bees, similar to what happened last week when they beat relegation-threatened West Ham, Andrews said he's aware of the narrative: "But for us it's huge. There's only a few games left now, we've got our own agenda, we always have and we really want to push that."

    • He added: "It should be really difficult tomorrow but we should be going there in a place where we have a level of confidence to know that we can perform against a team like City. But it's going to have to be a really, really impressive performance from us."

    • When asked about Guardiola's influence on coaching, Andrews said: "I think he's had an amazing impact on so many coaches within the game. His innovative mind, the way he's coached teams in different countries, obviously starting at Barca and then on to Bayern and then being here for, I think, it's a decade. I've always had the utmost respect for him as a coach and I think he's influenced so many people around the world with the way he sees the game and the way his teams play."

    • On reports that Brentford have agreed a deal to sign Red Bull Salzburg defender Jannik Schuster, Andrews said: "As far as I'm aware, nothing has been agreed with any club. Until we get concrete proof that something's done, I will never be willing to speak about players from other clubs."

    • He added: "What's accurate to say is we're always looking to improve the squad to recruit the right type of player and person and that process has been going on for the last few months towards the next window."

    Listen to commentary of Manchester City v Brentford on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

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

    Got a question about Brentford? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

    Ask Me Anything green banner