Brentford’s Strong Home Performance Set for Major Test

Brentford’s current season has been characterized by strong home performances contrasted with difficulties on the road, a pattern evident in the previous week’s results. A recent midweek loss against Aston Villa, occurring after a decisive victory over Leicester, marked another unsatisfactory away display, registering merely one shot on target. This contrasts sharply with six shots on target against Leicester and eight during Saturday’s impressive 4-2 triumph against Newcastle, suggesting that the Bees exhibit a distinct identity when playing away from Gtech Community Stadium. The underlying causes for this disparity are challenging to identify. For the matches against Villa and the Magpies, Thomas Frank implemented a higher number of team alterations than typical, strategically managing player minutes. Despite attempting their usual attacking approach in Wednesday’s away fixture, its effectiveness was once more diminished. Brentford currently holds the Premier League’s strongest home record, accumulating 22 points from eight matches, and their 26 goals scored at home surpass any other team by nine. Conversely, on the road, no team has secured fewer points than their single point from seven fixtures, during which they have netted only five goals. Brentford’s formidable home record will face a significant challenge in January, as they are scheduled to consecutively host Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool. While there is potential for them to compete strongly against all three opponents, resolving their away form is critical as a contingency. An opportune starting point for improvement could be an upcoming match against Chelsea, scheduled for an unusual Sunday evening kick-off, though the in-form Blues will likely seek retribution given Brentford’s three prior Premier League victories at their ground. Additional content from Ian Westbrook is available via the Beesotted podcast. Sandi Toksvig is joined by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi and Alan Davies Take the stage for Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and more… Ben Fogle and Kate Humble return for the celebrations at Longleat Safari Park Topics range from microplastics in our air, soil, and waterways, to the scale of food waste during this season. © 2024 BBC. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.