Brentford

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

There are ways to lose and ways to lose.

No-one likes to watch their side get beaten, but when it does happen, you want it to be in the way Brentford went down at Chelsea on Saturday.

We left Stamford Bridge feeling hard done by, frustrated but incredibly proud after dominating the game, playing really well, creating plenty of chances and showing fight and spirit.

The goals we conceded came from a deflection and an error, and the fact that Chelsea's only second-half shot was the penalty shows how unlucky we were not to get anything from the game.

Contrast the feeling we had on Saturday with how we felt leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium only six weeks ago.

Our 2-0 defeat there was incomparable to Saturday. On that day, we were terrible, created little ourselves and constantly gave the ball away.

The difference between the two shows how far we've come in a short space of time.

Everyone played well at Chelsea. Yes, the odd mistake cost us, but that's going to happen when you come up against multi-million-pound players.

A big contrast in price to those megastars is Vitaly Janelt, who cost us about £500,000 in 2020.

What a bargain he has proved to be, and it was brilliant to wake up to the news on Saturday that he had signed a new long-term contract with the club.

In a club interview afterwards, Janelt said he could only think of a handful of clubs where there is such a nice group of players and such a good group who look after them, and felt that factor had contributed to our success.

Janelt fits in perfectly, and if he can maintain his form of recent weeks now that he is free of injury, he is going to play a crucial role in the years to come.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

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

Here are some of your comments:

Chelsea fans

Danny: It was far from a convincing victory, but we won and go again. I'm not convinced this new manager will have time to stamp his own tactics very quickly. The goalkeeper is a good shot-stopper and that's it. We need a settled back four and Estevao Willian and Cole Palmer need to be on the pitch at the same time. Wingers need to take on full-backs and get crosses in rather than checking their runs and passing it sideways. Fans want to watch a team on the front foot. Let's see what happens.

Chris: Another woeful defensive showing and against a more ruthless attacking force we would have been buried. Far too easy to get through and around I'm afraid! Liam Rosenior needs to sort the defence ASAP and then get us a world-class striker and goalkeeper to have any chance of future success.

Pete: Sometimes you have to win ugly and ride your luck. That's exactly what Chelsea have done and need to carry on with the work-rate to climb the table. Good luck to Rosenior - he'll need it.

Flora: Chelsea were so poor defensively yet again. Sanchez saved us. He did well after Wednesday's errors. It's not often you win 2-0 and say we were lucky not to lose! We need new decent defenders and a coach who understands the Premier League.

Brentford fans

Gavin: A creditable performance that deserved at least a draw. However, if you don't score at least once from four gilt-edged chances you end up losing to teams like Chelsea. Brentford will probably play as well and win this season. You pay for your mistakes.

Will: An unlucky bounce and a lapse of concentration ultimately separates us from a £1bn team. We played well and created enough chances, just did not capitalise on them. I would love to see us shooting more rather than always looking to pass in the final third. We go again...

Stanley: Brentford deserved something from the game.

Tim: No lack of courage from the players, but a worrying lack of courage from the coach. More than matching Chelsea at the Bridge, and conceding from a mistake and a rebound is OK. But it's always the same substitutes, playing safe when Romelle Donovan, Reiss Nelson or even Kaye Furo would have given something different. An opportunity missed!

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Mark Chapman 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:

• Chelsea 2-0 Brentford

• Tottenham 1-2 West Ham

• Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A dose of perspective is needed when discussing this Brentford defeat.

They arrived unbeaten in six Premier League matches, sitting in the Champions League places, and with a joint‑record points total at this stage of a season.

The travelling fans made sure everyone knew it, chanting proudly about being above Chelsea - the biggest club in their corner of London - in the table.

Yet perhaps this was ultimately a story of individual quality.

Brentford have never spent more than £42m on a player, while Chelsea started two £100m midfielders and were able to bring on substitutes like Delap.

It remains remarkable that Brentford are boxing in the same weight class as Chelsea - there was no meaningful gap in general play, with the only difference coming in the final third.

That said, there may be a lingering concern around Brentford's away form, and whether it is good enough to keep them punching above their weight as they fight the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle.

The Bees have still won only three matches on the road this season, drawing none and losing eight. Their home form will remain crucial in them staying in the upper reaches of the table.

Keith Andrews bemoaned their finishing but played down any concerns about Brentford's away form.

"Sometimes the game isn't fair," he said. "Ultimately, you've got to take the chances.

"You've got to control elements of the game a little bit better. Overall, I think when you look at the performance level today, it was at a very high level.

"Coming to Stamford Bridge - a midfield that's worth £200m - and controlling large parts of it, I don't see a confidence issue in the last two games away from home.

"I know everybody looks at things in a very black-and-white sense sometimes around league form - home versus away. But I think if you follow us closely, you'll see that our performance levels in the main have been of a reasonable standard away from home.

"We won the last two and came here today and played very, very well."

Brentford boss Keith Andrews, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea: "We just weren't clinical enough with the chances we had. We didn't give up anything at the other end. I'm proud of the performance levels. The growth of the team is there for everyone to see."

On Joao Pedro's goal: "Mistakes happen in the game. I want us to play with courage and we did that today. I thought we were excellent. Some of our play was high-level and against elite-level opposition."

Did you know?

• Brentford have lost five of their last six away London derbies in the Premier League (W1), losing each of the last four all by the same 2-0 scoreline.

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

Have your say on Chelsea's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Cole Palmer and Reece James return from minor injuries to start for Chelsea.

Liam Delap is also back on the bench after a spell out with illness but Malo Gusto and Jamie Gittens remain unavailable.

New manager Liam Rosenior makes five changes from the team which lost 3-2 at home to Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, Joao Pedro.

Subs: Jorgensen, Fofana, Acheampong, Badiashile, Hato, Andrey Santos, George, Delap, Guiu

Brentford manager Keith Andrews makes eight changes from the 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday last week in the FA Cup.

However, midfielder Jordan Henderson remains out for Brentford at Stamford Bridge having had a late fitness test before kick-off.

Dango Ouattara is back from the Africa Cup of Nations and makes the bench.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Ajer, Collins, Janelt, Kayode, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Daamsgard, Henry, Schade, Igor Thiago

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Van Den Berg, Pinnock, Nelson, Ouattara, Lewis-Potter, Donovan, Furo

Image source, Getty Images

Vitaly Janelt has agreed a new deal with Brentford, keeping him at the club until 2030.

Janelt, 27, has made 20 appearances across all competitions this season, and was in the final year of his contract before signing a new deal.

The German midfielder joined Brentford in 2020, and became the first Bees player to reach 150 Premier League games for the club in January.

Head coach Keith Andrews said he was "delighted" a deal had been agreed, adding that Janelt would be an important player "for many years to come".

"He's so important to the way we play, and he's an influential figure in the dressing room and in the club," Andrews said.

The new deal also offers Brentford the option of extending his stay for a further year.

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

• Man Utd v Man City (12:30)

• Chelsea v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Leeds v Fulham

• Liverpool v Burnley

• Sunderland v Crystal Palace

• Tottenham v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Arsenal (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 Chelsea v Brentford" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Arsenal", for instance.

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

Liam Rosenior's Chelsea looked a bit like Enzo Maresca's Chelsea against Arsenal, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez playing out from the back.

It seems they have got a new manager who is going to play the same way as their old one, but is Rosenior going to be a stickler for doing it at all costs the way Maresca was?

It finished 2-2 when these sides met earlier in the season and it will be close this time too.

Brentford are on such a good run that has seen them climb to fifth, three places above Chelsea, but I still fancy the Blues at Stamford Bridge even though they have only won one of their past five games there.

Rosenior was without several players through injury, illness and suspension against the Gunners, but he will be hoping to have a few of them back for this one.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say

Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

After mixed results in his two cup games since taking over, Liam Rosenior's first Premier League game in charge of Chelsea sees them host fifth-placed Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

It is a fixture in which the Blues, two points adrift of their opponents in eighth, have struggled in recent times, registering just one win in the past eight meetings between the two clubs.

Rosenior, whose dad Leroy is a former Brentford manager, will be hoping to emulate his fellow Englishman Graham Potter by winning his first league game in the Chelsea hotseat - something which has eluded seven of the club's past eight bosses.

Recent absentees Cole Palmer and Reece James have trained this week, but striker Liam Delap, who scored the final goal of Enzo Maresca's reign in another west London derby against Fulham, is expected to miss out because of illness.

Rosenior will be mindful of the fact Chelsea have conceded the opening goal in each of their past three league games, especially since only Manchester City and Arsenal have spent a larger amount of time in a winning game state than Brentford (37.2%), proving how adept the visitors are at defending a lead.

Brentford are unbeaten in six league games, their best run since a seven-match stint in September 2023, but they struggle on the road in their own city.

The Bees have lost 11 of their past 15 away London derbies in the league, conceding at least twice in each defeat.

On a positive note, no Premier League duo have combined for more goals this season than Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade (four), the German laying on three assists for the in-form Brazilian, who is second in the scoring charts with 16.

Thiago's double against Sunderland means he has scored the most goals of any Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign, taking him clear of Roberto Firmino, Matheus Cunha and Gabriel Martinelli.

The lively link-up between the pair extends to chances created. Their record of 13 is only bettered this season by Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard (16), Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins (16) and Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland (14).

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka is available for sale or on loan this January.

The 28-year-old remains at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria and will be involved in a third-place play-off match over the weekend.

However, his club future is now in doubt as the Bees are unwilling to offer him the prominent role he desires.

"I know Frank is keen to play football more regularly than he has and I completely understand that," Keith Andrews said.

When asked whether the club will conduct any further business, beyond signing Kaye Furo from Club Brugge, Andrews added: "I would rather focus on what I have and focus on my players. I have a lot of belief in my players.

"Equally, if we feel a deal is right and we could add to the group then we would do that."

Andrews also confirmed Kristoffer Ajer is set to stay in west London.

Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport journalist

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

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Andrews confirmed winger Dango Ouattara "is back" and has "been training well" but midfielder Frank Onyeka is still missing as he's away with Nigeria who have a third-place play-off at Afcon this weekend.

• On the injury Jordan Henderson suffered last week, he said: "He's back on the grass and we'll see how he is for tomorrow."

• Andrews was asked about new striker signing Kaye Furo from Club Brugge: "Kaye's come in and settled really well. Really pleased with him. Really shrewd bit of business by the club. A proper number nine, I would say. He's very young, hasn't had lots and lots of first team action, but he's a player that we have a lot of belief in already."

• On whether he's happy with the run his side are on at the moment: "I don't think it's as black and white as that. We're obviously content with where we are and the progress we've made. Proud of the journey we've taken the club on, the team, the players. It's been an immense effort."

• He added: "I think there's been a real humility around how we've gone about our business. I like that a lot and I just think we keep striving really, that would be the message. We've had good discussions this week after the FA Cup game. We want to keep pushing."

• Andrews discussed facing new Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior, who he has worked closely with in the past: "Liam is someone I know pretty well. Mutual friends. I'm not sure we played against each other too often, but we spent a bit of time together doing games [as pundits]. It was clear he was going to be good, a good coach.

• He added: "The journey he's been on, I liked the fact that he took the Strasbourg job. I thought that was brave. I thought it was a step into the unknown to a degree but, as a coach, I liked that step because I don't know many who weren't surprised when Hull relieved him of his duties. And to say he's reacted well from that would be an understatement, so delighted to see him be given the opportunity he's been given."

• On facing Chelsea this weekend, he added: "We'll go into it in a pretty fearless way and we want to approach the game to win it. But equally we're very, very respectful of them and how they can play the game. And in particular some of the levels they can hit individually. They have some top individuals that can really hurt you if you don't nullify them."

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

Marcus Alves
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

A young Igor Thiago could not have known he would one day break the record for the most goals by a Brazilian player in a Premier League season.

But the Brentford forward has always had one thing clear in his mind - nothing would stop him from becoming a professional footballer.

That is the promise he made to his mother Maria Diva when he was growing up in Cidade Ocidental, a small town in central Brazil.

He has never forgotten the day they went to a family meal where everyone was supposed to bring a dish.

Raising four children on her own and working as a refuse collector on a minimum wage, Diva did not have it easy and arrived empty-handed.

It was then that Thiago heard a close relative say she would only take her children out to eat at other people's expense. Diva felt humiliated and left in tears.

"From today on, no-one in this life is going to humiliate you any more," Thiago told her on the way home.

"I'm going to become a footballer, you'll see. Everyone will know me one day."

The 24-year-old has found the back of the net 16 times in the Premier League this season.

Read more on Thiago's journey to Brentford

Valencia have approached Brentford about the availability of 28-year-old Nigeria midfielder Frank Onyeka. (Sky Sports), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Marcus Alves
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Igor Thiago scored 29 goals in his first and only season with Club Brugge.

Brentford then anticipated competition for his signing and paid a club-record £30m. The forward arrived as a replacement for Ivan Toney, who was sold to Saudi club Al-Ahli.

"I remember he always said his dream was to play in the Premier League. He was always speaking very highly of Erling Haaland. And now, today, he's competing with him for the Premier League's top scorer," says Cauly, a former team-mate at Ludogorets who now plays for Bahia in Brazil

"That makes me really happy to see. I'm proud of him. He's someone who truly deserves it - a genuinely good person, with a big heart, and he deserves to be where he is."

With Brazil desperately looking for a number nine before the summer's World Cup, there is a growing expectation head coach Carlo Ancelotti will include him in his March squad.

"For me, in this next list - which is the last one before the tournament - he has to be in. If he isn't, then it won't be justice," Sergio Goncalves, his mentor from his early years at Gremio Ocidental, a local community football initiative, tells BBC Sport.

"Brazil is missing a proper striker, and I believe this is his moment. And when he gets there, I think he'll make the difference.

"I've already been dreaming about it - the World Cup final, him scoring the winning goal. I'm dreaming."

You can read more on Thiago's journey to Brentford here

Brentford are closing in on a £15.6m deal for Lazio and Italy attacker Matteo Cancellieri, 23. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero should have been sent off at Brentford for bringing down Igor Thiago, the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has said.

Thiago ran on to a ball over the top in the 56th minute of the 0-0 draw on 1 January, with Romero making a wild swipe to try to intercept. Referee Andy Madley allowed play to continue at the Gtech.

Romero made no contact on the ball and brought down the Brentford striker. The video assistant referee (VAR), Alex Chilowicz, felt there was no clear and obvious error in not giving the foul.

It was a split 3-2 vote of the KMI Panel, both on the on-field decision not to show a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO) and the potential VAR intervention.

The KMI Panel said Romero "brings down Thiago, who has a high likelihood of gaining control of the ball, travelling towards goal, with no covering defenders".

It was also felt Madley should have given a spot-kick (3-2) for Kevin Schade's challenge on Archie Gray, but it did not reach the threshold for VAR (3-2).

Romero could also have been sent off for a serious foul play challenge on Thiago when the teams met in December. The KMI Panel voted 3-2 that it should have been a red card, but 4-1 that the VAR was right not to intervene.

Brentford suffered two VAR errors of the 13 logged in the first half of the season. The second was a penalty not awarded in the home victory over Newcastle.

The Bees also gained from a mistake when Nathan Collins was not sent off against Manchester United for a DOGSO foul on Bryan Mbeumo.

Tottenham have not been involved in any other VAR errors.

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The future could be potentially very exciting for Brentford if the past seven days are anything to go by.

Last Wednesday night, we reached the heady heights of fifth in the Premier League table - our highest mid-season position in the competition.

And thanks to the FA Cup at the weekend, we are going to be fifth for at least 10 days!

This sparked chats about who we want to play in the Champions League next season, though not from me... The likes of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have shown this season that fifth can quickly become 12th with a couple of defeats.

And that's fine. For me, this season was all about a solid survival campaign, given the summer upheaval, which we've already achieved.

However, we have shown we have the potential to challenge for a European spot, which I think is achievable in the next couple of years.

The other thing to proverbially get fans off their seats was the long-awaited full debut of teenage attacking midfielder Romelle Donovan in the FA Cup win at Sheffield Wednesday - which I'm glad we took seriously with a strong side.

He has shown his talent in the B team with some spectacular goals, leaving us desperate to see him in first-team action.

Donovan took his chance on Saturday with both hands. He led the inexperienced Owls defence a merry dance and was brought down for our penalty - but also did not neglect his defensive duties, tracking back to make a crucial tackle early on.

I don't want to go overboard about someone so young after only one game - but if he carries on like this, we have a real star in the making on our hands.

With the addition of another teenager in striker Kaye Furo - exactly the sort of signing I suggested we needed - this is a great time to be a Brentford fan!

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external