Bees can sting local rivals in entertaining game
Brentford have the chance to move up to sixth by opening the weekend’s Premier League action at home to west London rivals Fulham.
Keith Andrews has done a remarkable job in his first year as head coach of the Bees. He has inspired a team that was tipped by many for relegation – me included – to the brink of European football for the first time.
Results have dipped in recent weeks, however, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s last-minute equaliser for Everton a week ago extended Brentford’s run to just one win in seven Premier League matches. That victory was a 4-3 success at Burnley, where they blew a three-goal lead, scored an injury-time winner and watched VAR controversially disallow two strikes for the Clarets.
Ironically, Fulham’s only victory in recent weeks also came against the Championship-bound Burnley. Marco Silva’s side trailed with less than 25 minutes to play, but managed to complete a dramatic comeback.
That spirit has been far less evident on the Whites’ travels this season. They meekly surrendered to Liverpool in a 2-0 defeat a week ago, their ninth reverse on the road, leaving them 17th in the Premier League “away” table with just four wins.
It is therefore difficult to see them troubling a Brentford team who have lost just three times at the Gtech Community Stadium during this campaign.
This game usually produces goals, with both teams scoring in five of their seven top-flight meetings. Their three matches at this venue have ended 3-2 twice, with one win to each side, plus an out-of-place 0-0 draw.
Brazilian striker Igor Thiago struck his 20th and 21st goals in the division in the 2-2 draw with Everton. He will be desperate to get level with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot against Fulham, who have been breached 27 times away from home.
The valuable bet in this fixture appears to be Brentford to win and both teams to score, which can be backed at 3/1 with bet365.
The Bees may never have a better chance of landing European football, and I think they can end their four-match winless runs in the league and against Fulham respectively.