Brentford

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We asked for your views on West Ham defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, for whom Brentford have agreed a deal worth up to £40m.

Here are some of your comments:

Mick: If Brentford manage to sign Diouf from West Ham it would enable Keane Lewis-Potter to move back to the left wing position for which he was originally bought. He looked a very exciting prospect when they bought him and would be a good option to rotate with Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade.

Charlie: Not sure unless we are letting somebody go. He's decent, but is he better than the players we already have? Only time will tell.

Marcus: Signing Diouf makes sense because they need more quality at left-back, especially with Lewis-Potter being more naturally attacking and Rico Henry's injury record. At 21, Diouf has a lot of potential and could become their long-term first-choice, but £40m still feels overpriced. However, if he develops as expected, it could end up looking like a very smart investment.

Tom: I don't think he's necessarily needed, but considering he's going for £40m it's a good bit of business and future-proofing.

Daniel: Great signing that fits how Keith Andrews plays. £40m seems expensive still for a Championship full-back but I feel that's just today's market.

Bob: Diouf went under the radar for me last year, but he sounds like a player with potential. The Bees have good cover for left-back with Lewis-Potter, Rico Henry, Jayden Meghoma and even Aaron Hickey competing, so a little surprised with this signing. As always, in Phil Giles we trust.

Tom: Left-back has been a problem position for us for years now. This should settle it now as he's quick, strong, robust and only going to get better. Some fans think we don't need him but Lewis-Potter is still a stopgap and more depth and competition can only be a good thing.

Jason: I'm sure the recruitment team know their stuff, and who am I to question, but I don't rate him. I feel like we might have bought a dud.

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So, Brentford have reached a verbal agreement with West Ham to sign defender El Hadji Malick Diouf in a deal worth up to £40m.

The 21-year-old Senegal left-back would cost an initial £35m, with a further £5m in add-ons.

He has been the Bees' priority defensive target in this transfer window, but discussions had stalled this summer before being reopened this week.

Diouf played 34 times for the Hammers last season, providing five assists.

Is Diouf what Brentford need? Or is the price tag a concern? And what business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?

Get in touch with your views here

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The draw for the Carabao Cup third round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

The matches will be played in the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14.

• Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough

• Manchester United v Brighton

• Manchester City v Norwich City

• Sunderland v Hull City

• Ipswich Town v Arsenal

• Coventry City v Aston Villa

• Bournemouth v Lincoln City

• Liverpool v Tottenham

• Chelsea or Luton Town v Leeds

• Millwall v Newcastle United

• Everton v Wolves

• Reading v Brentford

• West Ham v Fulham or AFC Wimbledon

Read more and see the full draw

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Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has described Ethan Pinnock as "one of the modern-day greats of the club" following his transfer to Coventry City.

His move ends the 33-year-old's seven-year stay at the club, having joined from Barnsley in July 2019.

Pinnock featured 216 times in all competitions for the Bees, including 117 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 12 goals.

"He is someone I always admired from afar because of the journey he went on to become a Premier League footballer," Andrews said. "I have always appreciated him for his qualities as a player and a man.

"We will miss him, but I sincerely wish him well in his next chapter."

Director of football Phil Giles added: "He is a Brentford legend. He was part of the fantastic group of players we signed in the summer of 2019, who elevated us from a mid-table Championship team to a side that could challenge for promotion.

"Without him, there would be no guarantee we would be where we are now so, for that reason, he will always be welcome back at Brentford any time."

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Brentford are in the fortunate position of being able to choose their deals carefully after some excellent squad strengthening.

The Bees have been looking at left-back, with West Ham's El Hadji Malick Diouf strongly linked, but it hardly seems a matter of urgency with Keane Lewis-Potter able to play as a wing-back plus Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey also in the mix.

There is experienced striking cover in the shape of former England international Callum Wilson and an all-round depth to Keith Andrews' squad that was missing last season.

Do not expect it to be a hectic closing few days in the transfer window.

Michael Johnston, Brentford fan

Another forward option - particularly down the left - would take this window for Brentford from a nine to a 10 out of 10.

Mykhailo Mudryk's name has been doing the rounds in recent weeks and Brentford have history there, having chased him prior to his move to Chelsea.

Get someone like Mudryk in, and I don't think the transfer window could've gone much better for Andrews.

What business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?

Get in touch with your views

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

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The third-round draw for the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday, 26 August following the conclusion of Preston North End vs Everton.

Nine Premier League clubs taking part in European football join the 23 first-round winners from across the English Football League.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace will enter the competition at this stage, as the top eight Premier League clubs from the 2025-26 season plus Crystal Palace as Conference League winners.

It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the third round tie between Preston North End and Everton, kicking off at 20:00 BST.

Unlike the opening two rounds of the competition, the third round draw is not regionalised.

However, before the match at Deepdale there will be a pre-draw determining which of the Champions League and Europa League clubs will play at home or away in round three.

In order to avoid potential scheduling issues, the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs cannot be drawn against each other in round three.

When the draw takes place, the first eight fixtures decided are the ones involving clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. The remainder of the draw will be an open draw as usual.

Due to clashes with opening weeks of the Champions League and Europa League seasons, the third round will be played across two different weeks. They are the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September, 2026.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Birmingham striker Clinton Morrison on BBC Radio 5 Live at St Andrew's said: "Brentford were outstanding, they've recruited ever so well in the summer.

"I think Keith Andrews is a fantastic young manager and learning and growing all the time.

"The players are buying into what he is doing and they are going to go from strength to strength.

"Great performance from Brentford."

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

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

There are six Premier League teams in action on Tuesday in the second round of the EFL Cup, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Ipswich v Leicester

• Plymouth v Coventry

• Stoke City v Hull City

• Birmingham v Brentford (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off 19:45 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Birmingham City v Brentford" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Nottingham Forest match", for example.

See the full Carabao Cup second-round fixture list

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Brentford have opened talks to sign West Ham full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The Senegal international, 21, was left out of the Hammers' squad for their home defeat by London rivals Charlton Athletic at the weekend.

The left-back was the subject of talks between the two clubs earlier in the transfer window, and those discussions have resumed this week.

However, a deal remains a work in progress for the west London club.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The season has started with a bang. With so many new coaches and major squad upheavals, I expected the unexpected and wasn't disappointed.

Hull City seeing off Manchester United raised the most eyebrows. Remember, United ended last season impressively and their hosts just about squeezed up from the Championship, via the play-offs. These are early days and Michael Carrick's side will improve, so need to panic yet. As for Hull, their performance hinted at something else.

Last season Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth didn't have the slightest hint of an inferiority complex when facing the super-clubs. The Tigers have started in the same style and I suspect others have now seen the light and will follow their lead.

Many are now embracing the idea of chaos, following the control-based dogma that held sway for so long. Some suggest this is "Kloppism" eclipsing the Guardiola doctrine. This is a bit simplistic but there is change in the air and it is being helped by the recent rule changes.

The game is speeding up, encouraging a quicker, more open style that lends itself to this organised chaos. It's early days, but already a pattern appears set for the season; reputations might count for little when up against hungry, youthful, fearless opponents.

Spurs and Aston Villa are seen as "big" clubs but size doesn't matter when confronted by a hunger, desire to work and the ensuing mayhem.

Just look at the way Brentford and Brighton closed both of them down at the weekend; Manchester City were within six minutes of losing to Bournemouth; Liverpool were seconds away from losing to Newcastle, a team supposedly gutted of quality and experience after those brutal summer sales.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Katie Stafford & Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport

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BBC Sport understands Coventry City are closing in on a deal for Brentford centre-back Ethan Pinnock.

The 33-year-old Jamaica international, who joined from Barnsley in 2019, is in the final year of his contract with the Bees.

He has made a total of 216 appearances for the West London club, scoring 12 times.

Pinnock played a vital role in Brentford's promotion to the Premier League but has since lost his place in their starting XI, featuring just eight times last season.

He would be the Sky Blues' ninth signing of the summer and second defensive reinforcement following the arrival of Aurele Amenda from Eintracht Frankfurt in July.

Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Carabao Cup game against Birmingham City at St. Andrew's (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news, Andrews confirmed there will be changes from Saturday's Premier League opener but would not confirm how many.

• He did reveal that Callum Wilson will "certainly" feature after making his Bees debut in the 3-0 win against Tottenham.

• He added that Wilson has "got up to speed really quickly" and "has played a big part already behind the scenes".

• On the reception Mamadou Sangare received from the fans after his man of the match performance, the Irish head coach said: "The connection between our players and fans is really important to me. The connection that we have as a football club. For them to take to a new player in that way straight away is quite special."

• After last season's run to the quarter-finals of this competition, Andrews believes Brentford are "in a good place to attack the domestic competitions on a really good level".

• Asked if it was possible for his side to repeat last season's deep cup run, he replied: "I certainly hope so. That's the plan. It would be nice to go all the way, but there are a lot of obstacles that will come before then. First up is Birmingham."

• On opponents Birmingham, Andrews said: "They've been on a very good journey with promotion and stabilisation. I've been to St Andrews on many occasions, and it will be a tough place to go."

Listen to full match commentary of Birmingham City v Brentford on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20:00 BST on Tuesday.

Got a question about Brentford? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

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

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Rob: Most complete performance I've seen from a Bees team in the Premier League. Dominated from start to finish, Spurs hardly had a chance and 3-0 flatters them. I think Spurs need Igor Tudor to come in and steady the ship.

Mark: So refreshing to see the Bees playing positive, one-touch, attacking football. The link-up play is excellent and the addition of Sangare has really added strength. A totally dominant performance and a clean sheet!

Steve: Best ever opening-day performance at the highest level by Brentford. All the talk is about how bad Spurs were but credit Brentford who did not give them an inch for 90 minutes. Only one team was up to for the fight and Spurs know it was lucky it was only three. They were taken to the sword. Brentford deserve every plaudit.

Cliff: We taught Spurs a lesson that you need more than money to build a team. They could blow another quarter of a billion pounds and still wouldn't have what Brentford have. Passion, heart and togetherness from top to bottom, from the owner to the fans and programme sellers.

Tottenham fans

Tom: Same pathetic display from Spurs. The players should be ashamed of themselves. Brentford outfought, outplayed and outclassed the multi-million pound Spurs team who never turned up. No excuses, they were humiliated by a team that didn't cost anywhere near what Spurs cost.

Jon: What a shambolic performance. I was really looking forward to the season but, as always, Spurs fail to justify their fans' support. Disgraceful and abject, Gallagher and Bergvall especially useless. Another long and boring season ahead potentially.

Paul: The Spurs players looked as if they'd just met each other on the bus on the way to the stadium. Outfought, outran and especially outplayed. We desperately need to get a striker in as Richarlison is plainly not good enough and Solanke is hardly ever fit. Will Marmoush be the answer, (if we get him)? That remains to be seen, but we have to do something and quickly, because if we are going to defend that badly we're going to need to score two or three every game.

Amelia: Almost as bad as last season but I'm going to be generous and give them a month or so to settle in with all the changes. The only way is up...surely?

Brentford are preparing to make an improved £37m offer for West Ham United's Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, 21. (Football Insider), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Brentford starting XI:

Caoimhin Kelleher: Calm as ever in goal and made the saves when he needed to. 6

Michael Kayode: Busy and a threat out wide. Opportunist goal to effectively clinch the victory. 7

Kristoffer Ajer: Read the game well throughout, Composed and dealt well with any Spurs danger, such as there was. 6

Nathan Collins: Missed early headed chance but it did not prove costly. Untroubled at the back. 6

Keane Lewis-Potter: Clinical finish for Brentford's opening goal and provided quality on the flanks. 7

Vitaly Janelt: Pounced for second goal and provided the sort of solid performance Brentford have come to count on. 7

Mathias Jensen: Dangerous from set-pieces and his shot helped set up Brentford's second goal for Janelt. 7

Dango Ouattara: Poor touch cost him a chance of a goal in the first half but his prodigious work-rate made a crucial contribution. 6

Mamadou Sangare: Outstanding. Won possession, used possession and set up Lewis-Potter's opening goal superbly. Club-record signing at £39m looks a bargain. 8

Igor Thiago: Physical presence worried Spurs. Marred an excellent performance by missing a second-half penalty. 7

Kevin Schade: Always looking to link with Thiago and worried the Spurs defence throughout. 6

Brentford substitutes:

Yehor Yarmoliuk (on 67, Jensen): Eased his way into the action. 5

Jaidon Anthony (on 67, Ouattara): Quiet introduction for debutant. 5

Aaron Hickey (on 76, Kayode)

Mikkel Damsgaard (on 76, Sangare)

Callum Wilson (on 83, Thiago)

Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Henry, Pinnock, Schuster.

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Brentford manager Keith Andrews speaking to Match of the Day: "Really pleased. Felt like there was a performance coming, you never really know after pre-season. The reality is the first game of the season comes and it can quickly come unstuck. I felt good for a number of weeks about how we were coming together. I was pretty pleased.

"Our fans were amazing today. There is a genuine connection here that helps. I thought we started the game brilliantly and they were fully engaged. We want to be relentless. We looked like a real team."

On Sangare's Premier League debut: "He's settled in really well. Again, it's pre-season so you don't want to get too excited, but the cohesion he brings to an already-talented midfield, we're really happy with him."

On if last season has spurred Brentford on this time around: "It's a different season, football's a soap opera, that's the reality. There are goodies, there are baddies. You need to live with that and whatever you're dealt, you deal with it. We are just in a good place."

Brentford goalscorer Keane Lewis-Potter, speaking to Match of the Day: "It's everything we dreamt of, we have been working so hard in pre-season. We want to make our stadium a ground where it's so hard to play for away teams. We have a special connection and it definitely shows."

On his goal setting the tempo for the game: "If we get one, we want to get two, three, four and keep on going. We don't want to sit back, that's not in our DNA."

On the new signings and the depth in the squad: "It's good for us as a squad to have fight sin training to see who is going to start. We have so much depth now, it helps us a lot."

On building on last season: "We know we can do better than that. It's only early but we can get better than that, definitely."

Did you know?

• Brentford have won three of their six opening day games in the Premier League (D2 L1), with all three wins coming at home, while it's their biggest in the league since 2018-19 in the Championship (5-1 v Rotherham United) and biggest ever in the top-flight.

• Brentford's xG of 3.96 is their most in a Premier League game since January 2025 against Southampton (4.46), while it's the most Tottenham Hotspur have shipped in the competition since December 2024 against Liverpool (5.63).

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford boss Keith Andrews admitted on the eve of the season that expectations have risen after they finished ninth last season, missing out on a European place on goal difference.

Yet his players look well equipped to handle the pressure on this evidence, with Sangare revelling in his new surroundings.

The Mali midfielder, signed from Lens, was at the heart of Brentford's best moves, producing two key passes, registering one shot on target and providing the assist for Lewis-Potter.

When Sangare was replaced in the 76th minute with the points in the bag, home fans gave him a standing ovation.

Brentford were everything Spurs were not - well-organised, full of energy and hard-working.

In truth, they should have won by more.

At 0-0, captain Nathan Collins headed a glorious chance wide as Brentford registered four attempts inside the opening eight minutes to set the tone for what was to come.

Dango Ouattara was also guilty of a wasteful finish at 1-0 as the home side took full advantage of the space afforded to them, with Brentford registering 26 attempts to Tottenham's nine.

The challenge for the Bees now will be to kick-on, with Leeds away next for Andrews' men in the Premier League.

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

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Tottenham's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.