Gossip: Bees work on deal for Schusterpublished at 06:58 BST 7 May
06:58 BST 7 May
Brentford are working to sign 19-year-old Austria Under-21s defender Jannik Schuster from Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth £17m. (Athletic - subscription required, external)
Brentford, Celtic and Sunderland are interested in Soufiane El-Faouzi after the midfielder helped Schalke win Bundesliga 2, with some suitors ready to pay more than £11m for the 23-year-old German. (Sky Sports, external)
Sunshine, replica shirts and emotionpublished at 08:54 BST 5 May
08:54 BST 5 May
Ian Westbrook Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
If a certain Danish lager company did football days, Saturday at the Gtech was the perfect one.
Watching a very welcome victory in sunshine and replica shirts, while moving up to sixth in the table, was brilliant - and the cherry on the cake was the return to action of the much-loved Josh Dasilva.
Brentford last won at home on the first Wednesday in January and hadn't won anywhere since the end of February - and we undoubtedly rode our luck at times on Saturday.
West Ham had an equaliser disallowed for a player's arm being offside and hit the woodwork four times.
But while they were unlucky to go in behind at the break, there is no doubt that the Bees stepped it up in the second half and thoroughly deserved the three points.
The Hammers must hate playing us - that's eight Brentford wins in 10 Premier League games against them.
The victory kept alive our European hopes and, although we were always unlikely to end the weekend in sixth, and we are away to Manchester City next, it looks like the qualification race will go right down to the wire.
Saturday also ended on a highly emotional note with Dasilva's first Premier League appearance since January 2024 after a nightmare run of injuries.
Dasilva, who joined us from Arsenal in 2018, played a massive part in our promotion from the Championship but has had only one injury-free season in five in the Premier League.
The stoppage-time substitution was one of three and of course he came on last. Many of us had a tear in our eye as we all gave him a standing ovation.
And it was wonderful to see the other players push him forward and then stand back so he could receive more thunderous applause on his own from us after the game.
Gossip: Bees pursue young defender Schusterpublished at 07:46 BST 5 May
07:46 BST 5 May
Brentford are pursuing Red Bull Salzburg's 19-year-old Austrian defender Jannik Schuster, with talks ongoing over a deal worth about £16m. (Mail, external)
Which Bees player has received the most cards?published at 16:22 BST 4 May
16:22 BST 4 May
Some of you have been using our Ask Me Anything about Brentford form to query which Bees player has received the most cards this season in all competitions.
As it stands, with three games left in Brentford's 2025-26 campaign, Michael Kayode and defensive midfield duo, Vitaly Janelt, and Yehor Yarmoliuk have received the most cards this season.
All three players have received seven yellow cards in the Premier League and one yellow card in the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.
However, Kevin Schade is the only player from Keith Andrews' side to receive a red card this season, and he has also picked up six yellow cards.
Igor Thiago may have had an emphatic 22-goal-scoring season so far in the top-flight, but the Brazilian forward has received seven yellow cards and committed 64 fouls - the joint most alongside Wolves' Joao Gomes.
Sixth will earn a Europa League place at the very least, with some of the contenders having never qualified for Europe before.
However, both elements needed for sixth place to become a Champions League spot seem quite plausible.
Aston Villa would need to finish in fifth, exactly where they currently reside, and win the Europa League. They trail Nottingham Forest 1-0 after the semi-final first leg, but they are at home for Thursday's return leg.
This scenario will only play out if Villa finish fifth - and not in the top four or below fifth - because of a quirk in Uefa's rules.
The Premier League landed a fifth Champions League place because of the English teams' performances in Europe - something called the European Performance Spot (EPS).
So if Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth, that EPS spot would be passed down to the team in sixth, who would qualify for the Champions League.
However if Villa finish in the top four, winning the Europa League would make no difference to any other English team and the sixth-placed finisher would qualify for the Europa League.
With Aston Villa six points clear in fifth, sixth place appears to be the highest any of the other teams could finish.
At the moment, Bournemouth are on 52 points - one point clear of Brentford, who are one point above Brighton.
The Cherries and the Bees have never played in European competition before, while the Seagulls' only Uefa campaign was in the 2023-24 Europa League.
Chelsea are four points behind Bournemouth, but they have a game in hand against Forest.
Fulham are level on points with Chelsea. Everton, who have a game in hand against Manchester City, and Sunderland are on 47 points - so they are just about in the race.
Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Leeds could still mathematically - but not so realistically - qualify for the Champions League.
Ian: Another three points on the board. Also, Josh Dasilva is back on the pitch! What an ovation when he came on as a substitute. Brentford are still in there, despite some doubters at the start of the season - but those were not supporters. Come on, you Bees.
Jerry: We took our chances with a thing of beauty from Mikkel Damsgaard, but West Ham thankfully were profligate in front of goal, which is why they are in a relegation scrap with Spurs, and we still have a chance of a first European jaunt. However, do we really want one? I would prefer to have another good next season as opposed to fighting on two fronts. Thankfully, that decision lies with Matthew Bentham and not yours truly.
Paul: We've played much better and lost, such is the competitive nature of the Premier League. So, this was a welcome win, the bonus being the long-awaited return of Dasilva - a true Brentford legend. He's been with us during our rise up the leagues. He's had his injury problems, but the club have consistently stood by him. I hope to see many more of those trademark goals of his where he cuts in from the right and curls it into the top left-hand corner.
Tim: Nearly as entertaining as the game at Old Trafford. Against Manchester United we should really have got something, but we got nothing. West Ham deserved at least a point, but walked away without it. Nice to remember what winning feels like, at least.
West Ham fans
Gary: As the fans have been saying for years now, Sullivan and Brady's complete mismanagement of this club is now coming to its natural conclusion. Relegation, with an average squad and a rented athletics stadium.
Joe: West Ham had some chances to make the game interesting, unlucky on some, but have to do better defending. Diouf looking off, maybe getting his head turned with rumours. Have to rely on other results going our way.
Graham: It pains me to say this - but yet another abject performance that demonstrates why West Ham are no longer a Premier League team and, in truth, haven't been since David Moyes left the club. The team have needed a statement win or two to provide momentum that hasn't been delivered by the 'scrape by' wins in the past two months. Don't blame Nuno - he has inherited a team with only a fleeting desire to win from a group of players who will be largely sold off at a loss to other Premier League teams when West Ham are relegated. Where is the poetic justice in that?
Dave: It's all over, relegation is coming. Sullivan out, so we can have half a hope of returning sometime.
'Specific permutation' could see Brentford reach Champions Leaguepublished at 15:20 BST 3 May
15:20 BST 3 May
Joe Rindl BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Many predicted Brentford to go down this season, but instead they are on the cusp of European qualification.
A very specific permutation would allow Brentford - or whoever grabs sixth place - to sneak into Europe's premier competition rather than the Europa League.
The Premier League secured an extra Champions League spot back in April, meaning the top five teams will qualify for the league stage of next year's competition.
Sixth would also get a team into next season's Champions League if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League.
Because of the order in which Champions League berths are decided - European titles are allocated before the Premier League's additional spot - sixth will not be good enough for the Champions League if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish in the Premier League top four.
Instead, Villa will qualify via their league position and the place reserved for the Europa League winners will be passed to the league champions in qualifying with the best Uefa coefficient.
That could be Rangers, if they win the Scottish Premiership.
Therefore, Brentford fans should be keeping a keen eye on Villa's Europa League semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest.
Unai Emery's side lost the first leg 1-0, but will be playing at home for the second leg on Thursday night.
The winner will face either Braga or Freiburg in the Europa League final on 20 May.
Brentford 3-0 West Ham: What Andrews and Collins saidpublished at 20:17 BST 2 May
20:17 BST 2 May
Media caption,
Brentford will keep pushing for special season - Andrews
Brentford manager Keith Andrews, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We haven't had what we've deserved but that's the game. Today I wanted us to keep the performance but find a way to win. I thought it was a terrific win today.
"We caused them a lot of problems. The problems they caused us were from our own doing. I thought there was more of an edge to our play in the second half."
On being in the race for Europe: "It's tight, obviously. The fact we've stayed in that position even though we've drawn loads of games...we've had a special season so far and I want us to continue that. We'll just keep pushing."
On Josh Dasilva's return: "I got quite emotional when I was looking at his introduction into the game. It's a special moment for the club, he works so hard. He epitomises the club really. It was a special moment to see him back on the pitch."
Brentford goalscorer Nathan Collins to BBC Match of the Day: "It's a better feeling than a draw. It's been coming, our performances have been there.
"They [West Ham] were good. First half we didn't play our best but we stuck in it. We showed our quality in the second half."
On Josh Dasilva's return: "Josh is one of a kind. You don't get many players like him anymore. What he's gone through, I hope nobody experiences what he's gone through. He deserves every moment he gets.
"This club is built on progressing everyone. That's what is special. It's not about one player specifically, it's about progressing the whole club. At the start of the season we had a lot of set backs and people leaving, but we brought new faces in. This club is all about bouncing back."
Did you know?
Brentford ended their six-game winless run in the Premier League and have now won eight of their 10 encounters with West Ham in the competition (D1 L1).
Since making his Premier League debut in November 2024, no player has scored more penalties than Brentford striker Igor Thiago (8 – level with Cole Palmer & Mohamed Salah).
Analysis: Bees reignite European pushpublished at 17:47 BST 2 May
17:47 BST 2 May
Matthew Howarth BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Brentford have defied expectations in their first season under Keith Andrews, but their home form - so impressive in the first half of the campaign - was starting to become a worry.
Andrews' side had not tasted victory in front of their own supporters since beating Sunderland 3-0 in January, although they had lost only two of their previous six games on home soil.
The Bees rode their luck at times but, like West Ham, should have scored more, with Mikkel Damsgaard and Igor Thiago both missing clear chances.
Sepp van den Berg flashed a header wide late in the first half, but El Hadji Malick Diouf's foul on Dango Ouattara - and Thiago's penalty - settled Brentford nerves.
Most fans would be thrilled at the prospect of Conference League football next season, but sixth spot will be enough for a place in the Champions League if Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League.
Whatever happens, it promises to be an exciting end to the campaign for Andrews and his players.
Nuno Espirito Santo names an unchanged West Ham side for the fourth game in succession.
Callum Wilson has to settle for a place on the bench after scoring the winner against Everton last weekend, while Konstantinos Mavropanos makes his 100th appearance for the Hammers.
West Ham XI: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Bowen, Soucek, Mateus Fernandes, Summerville, Pablo, Castellanos
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Brentford v West Ham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Fulham", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Brentford v West Hampublished at 08:02 BST 2 May
08:02 BST 2 May
What a superb and much-needed win for West Ham last week against their old boss David Moyes.
The Hammers have been building momentum since the turn of the year but that result was down to a mixture of good football and good fortune - Matheus Fernandes nearly caught the ball in his own box but Everton somehow did not get given a penalty.
Brentford were unlucky not to get something at Old Trafford on Monday but they are still right in the mix for the European places, although Igor Thiago needs to find his shooting boots again after a disappointing night against Manchester United.
Brentford v West Ham: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:28 BST 1 May
19:28 BST 1 May
Matt Jones BBC Sport journalist
Brentford need to find some impetus late in the season to reignite their European hopes. Desperate to secure Premier League survival, West Ham United are their opponents at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST).
Final home games crucial for Brentford
Defeat to Manchester United on Monday ended Brentford's run of five consecutive draws in the top flight. It's a sequence that has allowed Brighton and AFC Bournemouth to leap ahead of the Bees in the table. Still, Keith Andrews' side go into the weekend fixtures just two points off sixth place.
At the other end of the table, West Ham are keeping their heads above water. They left it late against Everton last time out, though, with Callum Wilson's injury-time winner ensuring Tottenham Hotspur remained in the relegation zone with just four games to play. The gap between the two London rivals is just two points.
A season that promised so much is in danger of ending with a whimper for Brentford, with hopes of European qualification now out of their hands.
The reasons for their poor form are not entirely clear. At times, they have struggled to score goals - most recently in 0-0 draws with Leeds and Fulham - while in other games they have conceded goals, as seen in the 2-1 loss at Manchester United on Monday.
If Brentford are going to get back on track, their final two home games - against West Ham and Crystal Palace - look crucial. Their other two fixtures are away at Manchester City and Liverpool.
Andrews would also be grateful if more players could contribute goals in attack. Aside from Igor Thiago. Kevin Schade has not registered a goal or an assist in his last seven games in all competitions, while Dango Ouattara has gone 10 games without scoring.
Needless to say, Brentford have been heavily reliant on the goalscoring exploits of their Brazilian striker this season. Thiago's 21 goals account for 43% of the team's total league goals — the highest proportion in the Premier League.
Bowen brilliance keeping West Ham afloat
West Ham should be confident given their recent form – they have taken 22 points from their last 13 games – but their record against Brentford leaves a lot to be desired.
They have conceded in all nine of the Premier League games between the two sides since the Bees returned to the top flight. Seven of those nine matches have been defeats for the Hammers too, which is their highest loss rate against any side they've faced five or more times in the competition.
With Brentford in a bit of a rut, this weekend could be a perfect moment for that to change. In Jarrod Bowen, West Ham arguably have one of the in-form forwards in the Premier League.
Bowen set up two more goals against Everton last weekend to take his assist tally to 10 for the season in the top flight. Coupled with his eight goals, only Harry Kane and Mason Greenwood have more goal contributions across European football's top five leagues among English players.
Andrews on Henderson's fitness, staying 'ambitious' and West Hampublished at 15:22 BST 1 May
15:22 BST 1 May
Nat Hayward BBC Sport journalist
Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham at the Gtech Community Stadium (15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Andrews confirmed Vitaly Janelt and Jordan Henderson are "pretty close" and have made "good progress", but a decision will be made on their involvement on Saturday. Rico Henry is "not as close" and will not be available.
On Josh DaSilva, who was included in a matchday squad for the first time since January 2024 for Monday's defeat by Manchester United: "Josh had to work really hard to get back to this point, so it was lovely to have him as part of the squad. He wouldn't be on the bench if I didn't think he could make an impact of sorts. We still need to look after him really carefully, but he's looking pretty free and has trained really well over the past few weeks."
Reflecting on missed chances at Old Trafford and the recent draw against Fulham, Andrews said: "The big thing for me is not creating chances or looking like scoring would be more worrying. There is comfort in the fact we are, but then you obviously want to take that next step. I'm pretty relaxed that we have attacking players who can be and will be absolutely lethal."
On keeping standards high for the final four games of the season: "We want to maintain the standards that we nailed down. I'm really keen for us to maintain those standards for the last four games and I've not got much doubt we will do that. Whether that gets us the results we want, you can't guarantee that."
On the recent dip in results: "If you look at the results in isolation, we can be slightly disappointed. We're pretty ambitious and focused on improving all the time. The performance levels in most of those games, none more so than the other night, I was really happy with."
Asked about the challenge of facing the relegation-threatened Hammers, Andrews said: "They are in very good form, playing very well and fighting hard. This game is a huge game for them. The message I've given our players is that it's a massive game for us. We're going to fight hard to win the game."
'We have blown any chance of Europe next season'published at 13:26 BST 29 April
13:26 BST 29 April
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Brentford's chances of qualifying for European football this season, with just four fixtures remaining for Keith Andrews' side to take their shot.
Here are some of your thoughts:
George: If we can hit the levels we did against Man United on Monday, yes. My fear is that we have a habit of only turning out such performances against "top clubs" and not against those that are equally ranked or below us. Six points is a must against Crystal Palace and West Ham to make the Conference or Europa League.
Alex: No we will not get European football and I think that's a good thing. We don't have the squad depth to play extra games, as shown by the number of youngsters on the bench recently. I'd love the Bees to get there one day soon, but we are not ready yet.
Geoff: Good performance until it came to goal-getting. Fortunately will not make Europe as squad is clearly not strong enough in depth and in some areas talent. Need some further investment in goalscoring talent next season
Rob: I think we have blown any chance of Europe next season. Our tactics of late have been baffling and the reluctance to address the poor form of Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade, coupled with the refusal to make substitutions in good time, has compounded the clear issues. I forecast we will struggle to gain many more points and will finish in bottom half of the table.
Stanley: We definitely could get Conference League, but we would have to get at least a point from our away games (Liverpool and Manchester City) and beat West Ham and Crystal Palace at home, to have any chance at qualifying for Europe for the first time in our history (apart from the Anglo-Italian Cup).
Ian: Brentford won't make Europe. A midfield working hard and creating opportunities, a solid defence, but a forward line not up to the challenge. They are letting the side down.
We paid for not taking our chances in yet another game where we squandered points which we should have had.
After a dodgy start, Brentford more than matched Manchester United in arguably our best performance there in our five Premier League visits.
But that counts for nothing when another chance to move up to sixth, or return to seventh, slipped through our fingers.
If we do get into Europe it looks like we'll have to start winning again and rely on other results to make it possible.
However, with Manchester City and Liverpool away among our final four fixtures, it's looking like a tall order.
As I've said before, though, I'm fine with that. It's been a great season whatever happens, although I would like a top-half finish.
There is plenty to build on for the future - and if Europe waits another year, then fair enough.
The highlight of the evening, however, was seeing Josh Dasilva back in the matchday squad after an incredible 816-day absence because of injury.
Dasilva is a hugely talented and highly likeable player who, if he can return to his pre-injury levels, could play a key role for us next season.
While he was never going to come on, the psychological boost for him being in the squad will be massive. It was also a heartwarming moment when he came across to applaud those of us in the away end at full-time.
Hopefully we'll get to see him on the pitch in one of our remaining fixtures.
Christine: An excellent first half in terms of pace and press. Manchester United had most of the chances. It wasn't the same in the second half though, as United became more defensive and Brentford were better at shooting. Thiago could have won the game. Carrick is playing too much on the break, and if he's not careful the wheels are going to come off.
Clive: How did we get away with that? Brentford were much the better team. Anyway, nevermind - it's all about results at this time of the season.
Richard: It's a win. The most important thing are results. Brentford are a good team, United are better. It shows in the result and the league positions. There's still a lot to do for United to progress. One step at a time.
Niall: I'm pleased with the result, but I can't help but feel dejected by the performance. It reminded me of games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. End to end, exciting, but not a style that will win the league!
Brentford fans
Ian: A missed opportunity. For once, Thiago's lethalness in the opposition's penalty area went missing. Manchester United's goalkeeper kept his team ahead with some crucial saves in the first half. Brentford's goal, when it came, was too little, too late. The Bees go again on Saturday at the Gtech to keep their European dream alive.
Cliff: We were the better team for most of the match. Unfortunately, mistakes in both penalty areas cost us at least one point and perhaps even three. Thiago didn't take any of his three good chances and poor marking cost us two goals. With Manchester City and Liverpool being our two remaining away games, we have to beat West Ham next to stand a chance of European football.
George: It's a funny old sport. We've drawn the games we should have won and lost the one game we should have drawn! It was a spirited performance that showed real improvement on our game against Fulham. We had Manchester United turning to the dark arts to see themselves over the line.
Joe: It's fair to say we created enough chances to win, but we really struggled to convert them. I felt that we were properly in it for the full 90 minutes, but that's not enough to win games. The away end was in good voice, even when we were 2-0 down. A big shoutout to everyone who made the trip up.
Analysis: Brentford rue missed opportunitiespublished at 22:41 BST 27 April
22:41 BST 27 April
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Igor Thiago went into the game against Manchester United three behind Erling Haaland in Golden Boot standings.
It is no exaggeration to say the Brazilian could have been level by half-time.
Time and again, he seemed to have a clear shooting chance, time and again he seemed to make a mess of it.
At one point, the penalty area seemed to open up for the Brentford man. Inexplicably, instead of shooting with his right foot, he tried to check back onto his left and slipped.
On two more occasions, Senne Lammens produced a tremendous saves to prevent Ayden Heaven putting the ball into his own net as he scrambled to deny Thiago opportunities to go for goal.
It must have been galling for Keith Andrews to send his side out on a salvage mission after the break.
Had Mathias Jensen's exceptional strike come earlier, the Bees might have rescued a point.
Instead, they remain in the middle of a pack of clubs all of whom can justifiably have European aspirations and one of whom, if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth, could end up in the Champions League.
