Brentford

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

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What a disappointing week in north London for Brentford with back-to-back 2-0 defeats.

Keith Andrews' apparent gamble with the line-up at Arsenal on Wednesday - leaving out our four best players so that, we assumed, they were fresh for the more winnable game at Tottenham certainly did not pay off.

While any team we put out at Emirates Stadium was likely to get beaten - seemingly Andrews' thinking - at least on the night we put in a gutsy performance and kept the game alive until stoppage time.

By contrast, our display in the Thomas Frank derby on Saturday was terrible - one of the worst of the season along with those at Nottingham Forest and Fulham.

We made Spurs look like Barcelona, generously giving them the ball and offering nothing in response, apart from one decent Igor Thiago shot.

Caoimhin Kelleher being my man of the match in both games tells you everything.

The difference between our home and away form is still strange, as we have the fourth best home record but fourth worst away record in the Premier League.

However, it seems to come down to chance creation.

Looking at our match stats, our XG from open play in our past four away games has been terrible - Crystal Palace (0.24), Brighton (0.13), Arsenal (0.07), Spurs (0.27).

We only had six shots at Palace, 10 at Brighton, six at Arsenal and four at Spurs, whereas we have had nine or more shots in five of our seven home matches.

With four of our next six fixtures at home, we must hope our form at Gtech Community Stadium continues - although facing resurgent Leeds next looks tricky, especially as Daniel Farke has only lost one of his eight games against us.

Bournemouth, the return with Spurs and Sunderland are the other home games, while we travel to Wolves and Everton.

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The FA Cup third round will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

Find out who your Premier League club will play below.

• Wolves v Shrewsbury Town

• Tottenham v Aston Villa

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Manchester City v Exeter City

• West Ham v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Everton v Sunderland

• Liverpool v Barnsley

• Burnley v Millwall

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Newcastle v Bournemouth

• Macclesfield v Crystal Palace

• Manchester United v Brighton

See full draw here

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The draw for the third round of the FA Cup will take place on Monday, 8 December at around 18:40 GMT, before the broadcast of Brackley Town v Burton Albion - the final game of the Second Round.

Former England internationals Joe Cole and Peter Crouch will conduct the draw that will consist of 64 teams on TNT Sports.

The 20 winners of the second-round ties will be joined by all 20 Premier League clubs and 24 Championship teams in the third round.

All matches will be played around the weekend commencing Saturday, 10 January 2026.

Unlike in previous years, there are no replays if matches end as a draw. All ties will go to extra-time and if necessary, a penalty shootout.

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

Here are some of your comments:

Tottenham fans

Ben: A brilliant performance from us, finally getting another win at home. Every player put in the work, forcing mistakes from Brentford with Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons especially really going for it. However, we very much could have won it much earlier in the game if not for a few misses. Other than that, a perfect performance.

Andy: At last Thomas Frank climbs out of his mid-table mindset and adopts the 'we'll let them worry about us' style of football. Hey presto, it resulted in our first shot on target in the first half for five games... and it was a goal! I could get behind a front three of Kudus, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani, with Simons in the number 10 role. Onwards and upwards, with fingers crossed.

Steven: Finally it looked like it's clicking. Consistency is now required plus true backing for Frank to get the players used to his systems, then we can have hope. There's still a way to go until we can say 'to dare is to do' again, but a most welcome step required.

Pablo: That is how we want to play. Front foot, attacking and swagger. That is Tottenham. Great to see this through the whole squad.

Brentford fans

George: Thomas Frank knows us inside and out but, given that none of our players were recognisable as themselves, it played little part in the result. Even after rotating our squad around for the Arsenal game, we didn't have the legs and willpower to finally take our great home form on the road, even against a team that has had totally opposite fortunes in their own stadium.

Peter: Keith Andrews is going to get found out. He speaks a good game but he sets his teams up in a self-defeating format and he doesn't have Frank's ability to change things around. We are in for long and tough season and I don't think he will be here at the end.

Russell: Poor throughout. If there isn't a big improvement in the next two games - against Leeds and Wolves - we will be in the throes of a relegation battle.

Neel: Poorest performance of the season. We were out-thought and out-fought by Tottenham.

Ben Mundy
Final Score reporter

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At one point during Saturday's Final Score programme, I referenced Keith Andrews jumping up and down in his technical area like Basil Fawlty.

Just like the main character of the iconic British sitcom, the Brentford man was overseeing a dysfunctional performance at Spurs.

The Bees were outclassed in every department as they succumbed to a second defeat in north London in four days.

Igor Thiago cut a solitary figure in the first half as the visitors struggled to support their main man. And while they closed the gaps between the lines in the second period, the damage had already been inflicted.

At times, Brentford's defence resembled a collection of Manuels. Full of mistakes. Unsure of how to cope with pacy Spurs players.

Not quite the time to hit a broken-down car with a tree branch, but this performance will ring alarm bells for Andrews. He will expect a reaction against Leeds on Sunday.

Pundits Danny Murphy and Don Dublin join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea

• Tottenham 2-0 Brentford

• Leeds 3-3 Liverpool

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Brentford will have entered this game with optimism high that they could secure only their second away win in the league this season.

Tottenham's confidence was fragile and the atmosphere inside the stadium had been laced with hostility towards their own players, with Thomas Frank describing those who jeered goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after his mistake in the loss against Fulham as "not true supporters".

The scene seemed set for Brentford to increase the anxiety. Instead, they delivered a tame display that allowed Spurs to ease to victory.

Vicario had to only make one meaningful stop from Igor Thiago with the score at 0-0, with Brentford offering little once Tottenham went in front.

Manager Keith Andrews has shown he can get big performances from Brentford's players this season, which made this subdued effort such a disappointment.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews has been speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: "It was really disappointing. A disappointing performance. In the first half, it didn't feel like the levels we have been performing at. In this league if you're not quite at the levels, you can be punished. That is certainly what happened in the first half.

"I think we will be searching for the reasons [why we weren't at it]. The group so far have raised expectations, I would say, from what people thought initially. The belief I have in these players and this football club is huge. It's one bump in the road.

"Today in the first half is probably the first time I've felt we weren't really at the levels needed."

On their away form being disappointing: "I'm focussing on today really, not so much overall. Some of the performances have been really good. If we look at today's performance, it wasn't really good enough and we have to own that."

Did you know?

• Only Wolves (1) have collected fewer away points in the Premier League this season than Brentford (3), while their seven losses is the joint-most alongside Burnley.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Tottenham's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Tottenham's Xavi Simons starts a Premier League game for the first time since 8 November, while Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Archie Gray also return to the starting line-up.

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Bentancur, Gray, Kudus, Simons, Richarlison, Muani

Substitutes: Bergvall, Danso, Davies, Johnson, Kinsky, Joao Palhinha, Odobert, Sarr, Tel

Mikkel Damsgaard makes his 100th appearance for Brentford, who make four changes after the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kaoyde, Van den Berg, Collins, Ajer, Henderson, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Damsgaard, Ouattara, Thiago

Substitutes: Donovan, Henry, Hickey, Janelt, Jensen, Lewis-Potter, Onyeka, Pinnock, Valdimarsson

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

• Aston Villa v Arsenal (12:30)

• Bournemouth v Chelsea - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Everton v Nottingham Forest

• Manchester City v Sunderland

• Newcastle v Burnley

• Tottenham v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Leeds v Liverpool (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT 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 Bournemouth v Chelsea" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Leeds v Liverpool", for instance.

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

Brentford were competitive against Arsenal on Wednesday but they have now lost six of their seven away games this season.

That should be good news for Spurs, but right now it is impossible to back them at home. They don't seem to have a functioning front line at the moment, which is why they needed Cristian Romero to pop up at Newcastle with a couple of goals.

Things are not right on the pitch and, off it, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is not a happy place either - the fans are making their feelings pretty clear.

So, wouldn't it be typical for Thomas Frank's former team to go there and nick a result?

It could end up being a war of attrition, because Bees boss Keith Andrews will try to play on the break and I can see his side getting something.

It feels like Frank doesn't just need a win, he needs a kind of statement win and performance, to convince the Spurs fans.

That's unfair because he needs time, but that's something Premier League managers don't get.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Under-pressure Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank faces a first reunion with his former club Brentford, with Spurs in desperate need of a win, particularly at home.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of Saturday's meeting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (15:00 GMT).

Spurs suffering at home

When the Premier League fixture list came out in the summer many Brentford fans will have immediately circled the dates of their two games with Tottenham as they looked forward to a reunion with former manager Thomas Frank.

The Dane's highly successful nine-year stint with the Bees - seven as head coach - saw them rise from the Championship to become an established Premier League side.

However, his tenure at Tottenham has got off to a poor start and rumours about his future were swirling as they registered a third defeat in seven days after a dismal showing against Fulham at home last Saturday.

A last-gasp overhead kick by Cristian Romero at Newcastle in midweek steadied the ship somewhat, but their performance in a 2-2 draw again arguably posed more questions than it did answers.

They now return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a place that has seen more spells of booing than it has goals of late.

Over the last 13 months their only top-flight victories in front of their own fans have come against Manchester United, Southampton and Burnley.

And only the Burnley win was under Frank. Fourteen of the 19 points (73.7%) they have accrued under his stewardship so far have come in away matches.

He desperately needs a victory to get the fans back onside, as the prospect of a sixth successive league match without a win is not one Spurs fans will tolerate quietly. Defeat would also be their fifth in a row at home in a league London derby, something they have never done before in their 143-year history.

Brentford struggling on the road

Last Saturday, Fulham travelled from west to north London with the joint worst away record in the top flight this season, but were 2-0 up in just six minutes and left with three points. This week, Brentford - who have lost a joint top-flight high of six away games this campaign - will look to do the same.

Many people raised an eyebrow when set-piece coach Keith Andrews was appointed as Frank's replacement, but it has been very much business-as-usual under the impressive Irishman.

The rookie boss had the confidence on Wednesday night to rest regular starters Nathan Collins, Mikkel Damsgaard, Jordan Henderson and Igor Thiago for their trip to leaders Arsenal.

They may have lost 2-0 but Andrews felt his much-changed side "unnerved" the Gunners with a performance that he described as "fantastic".

That defeat continued their run of alternating between a home win and an away loss in their last six league matches.

But with their big names back in the side they will be confident of inflicting more home misery on Tottenham and improving on their record of just one win in eight Premier League matches against Spurs.

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Tottenham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Andrews confirmed there are no fresh injury concerns ahead of their second trip to north London in four days.

• He refused to confirm if Igor Thiago will return to the starting line-up, after starting on the bench at Arsenal, saying: "I'm not going to tell you the team, but he's clearly in a good place."

• On Thiago's Premier League Player of the Month nomination: "He's played very, very well. He's getting this type of recognition with the goal return and the performance levels that he's been producing on a consistent basis."

• The Bees made five changes in their defeat at Arsenal and Andrews was asked about squad rotation: "I have zero concern about making changes, it's needed at times because it's a long season."

• He added: "You don't achieve anything with 11 players. The feel of the group needs to be fresh. Every player needs to feel involved in the process on a day-to-day basis."

• Andrews said his squad are "in a good place" and have coped well "despite the exertions of the last two games over a space of a few days".

• On their struggles away from home: "In terms of performances, how close the games have been, we're learning a lot as a group, myself included. With substitutions, the impact that they can have on games is vital - controlling the feel of a stadium and feeding off the opposition crowd."

• With Spurs managed by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Andrews was asked about his relationship with the Dane: "Thomas is someone I regard as a friend. He's a big part of the reason why I wanted to come to the club. I have a lot of respect for him and what he achieved at this football club. He was a really successful part of the club's history."

• On if it will affect his players: "We're not robots. Naturally, there will be emotions of certain levels involved in the game because players had relationships with the staff, but equally we're preparing for a game that we want to absolutely compete in."

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

Listen to live commentary of Tottenham v Brentford on Radio 5 Sports Extra

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Thomas Frank says it "will be special" to come up against his former club Brentford on Saturday, when they travel to Tottenham.

It will be the first time Frank has faced the Bees since he swapped west London for north London in the summer.

"I spent almost a quarter of my life there," said Frank in his Spurs news conference. "I had a fantastic time there, I enjoyed every second of it.

"A lot of people I'll see on Saturday who I haven't seen for a long time, I used to see them every day more or less, so that will be special.

"It's been preparation against a team of players I know very well, small tweaks to what I used to do. A lot of their identity is the same which makes it difficult in many ways.

"Big credit to Brentford to be brave enough to promote within, but also have built something over time.

"I was there nine years and seven years as head coach, it's not just about me it's about what we together built there in consistency, stability and a high performance level. That culture, knowing who we are, what we want to be, that was easier to continue with appointing Keith [Andrews].

"He has done a remarkable job, it's never easy stepping up into your first head coach role. They lost crucial players in the summer and he's continued the Brentford identity, so big praise.

"What I saw in Keith was that he is a very good man, with good values, a good coach and had leadership potential."

However, despite having a lot of love and warm feeling towards Brentford, Frank did say he will celebrate if Spurs score because "when the whistle goes, it's all about getting the three points".

"Everyone knows the respect I have for Brentford, the fans and everyone," he added.

"But in the 90 minutes it's all about one thing - do what we can to win the game."

Pundits Danny Murphy and Shay Given join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Tuesday and Wednesday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa could make a move for Brentford's 24-year-old Brazil striker Igor Thiago in January. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Keith Andrews spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Brentford's defeat against Arsenal: "I definitely felt we grew into the game and in the second half in particular we unnerved them. I wanted us to have a good go and we certainly did that. We could and should have scored from set pieces. It's coming [a goal from a set piece]. We're in a good place and look dangerous from set pieces."

On making five changes: "We have got a really good squad. I was very, very comfortable with our game-plan tonight."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Brentford’s display?

Come back on Thursday for a selection of your replies

Coming into this game, there were questions about how much Mikel Arteta would rotate after such a difficult week.

The Arsenal manager rests Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber as the festive schedule gets going.

Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Merino.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Saka, Eze, Jesus, Timber, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly.

Keith Andrews makes five changes to his Brentford side. Striker Igor Thiago is on the bench as it looks as though the Bees line up with a back five.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, Van den Berg, Pinnock, Henry, Janelt, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Ouattara, Schade.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Thiago, Henderson, Onyeka, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Arthur, Donovan.