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.