Brentford and Sunderland are interested in AC Milan's 24-year-old Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Ian Westbrook
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIt is hard to put a finger on why Brentford's Premier League home and away performances this season have been so radically different.
We have the sixth-best home record in the league, but the fifth-worst away one.
Once again on Saturday, we returned from an away fixture - incredibly the first outside London since August - with no points, having comprehensively beaten Newcastle at the Gtech in our previous match.
We could have rescued a point at Brighton had Igor Thiago's stoppage-time penalty gone in, but I am not sure we deserved it.
In fact, Thiago put both his penalties in exactly the same place, so if Bart Verbruggen had gone the right way for the first one, he would have saved that too.
We have been so vibrant in most of our home games, yet so flat in most of our away ones.
Having said that, I thought we started quite well on Saturday and were the better team in the first half. However, for all our decent play, we failed to create a chance and our xG from open play at half-time was zero.
It barely crept up in the second half, in which we were poor. We failed to respond to the impact of the Seagulls' two half-time substitutions and were pegged back for large chunks of time.
We seem incapable of reproducing the brilliant intensity from our home games on the road.
Defender Sepp van den Berg was very honest on club media afterwards, saying: "It was not good enough. Everyone has to look in the mirror."
Our five games before Christmas are going to prove very interesting.
We play all of the bottom three - Burnley and Leeds at home, and Wolves away - and in a fortnight have the Thomas Frank reunion at Spurs.
With our away record, our next game outside the Gtech looks ominous - Arsenal away!
Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external
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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brighton and Brentford.
Here are some of your comments:
Brighton fans
Geoff: Carlos Baleba needs to be taken out of the spotlight - it is not fair on him or the team to keep selecting him. Good win in a game we would normally be expected to win, but haven't in the past.
Sam: Poor overall team performance from Brighton, but there was some individual brilliance from Yankuba Minteh with a clever finish from Danny Welbeck. To come from behind and win was the right result. We will take three points and move on.
Martin: Not our best performance. Looked like they'd all put on each other's boots in the first half. Brentford did what Brentford do: get a lucky goal and waste time, but class eventually won out.
Fran: I thought we seemed really sluggish and sloppy with our passing in the first half but improved in the second. We didn't give up and took the goals well. We definitely need to see a game out. It's not negative to put the ball out of play or send it into their half to clear the danger so late in a game. I can never understand why players try and play silly tippy-tippy passes around our own area. Just one slip or interception and you are punished. Still, a good three points.
Brentford fans
Tim: Completely bossed the first half, completely capitulated in the second. We didn't take the chances offered, and Brighton took theirs, so we deserved what we got. Too cumbersome in front of goal - why don't Bees strikers shoot anymore?
Will: Bees worked hard and the first half was good. Sat on the lead and we were punished. Substitutions all wrong again, Keith what are you thinking? Would it be time to give Reiss Nelson a go? Same substitutions most of the time away from home and the same result - beaten again.
Peter: We lack creativity and penetration in the final third. Only four shots on goal, including two penalties. Our midfield shape just looks wrong. Mikkel Damsgaard would be better if he had more space on the right-hand side.
Gavin: In the second half, it was difficult for Brentford to decide to stick or twist. Despite loads of possession Brighton were doing nothing with it, to the consternation of their fans. If it wasn't for the combined class of their best two players, Brighton may well have lost. Their winner was a mishit but Brentford should have equalised with the second penalty. However, Thiago looked like he was suffering from concussion in the second half and I wasn't surprised he missed it. The performance overall was par with the international players fading towards the end.
Brentford will allow 22-year-old English goalkeeper Matthew Cox to leave the club on loan during the January transfer window. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column
Pundits Wayne Rooney and Rob Green join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.
And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford fought hard and looked good value for the three points, but that late penalty save condemned Keith Andrews' side to a fifth defeat in six away league games this season.
That was not the only curse to continue - the Bees are winless in all five of their Premier League games at Brighton (drawn two and lost three), with their last victory there coming in the Championship in September 2016.
Despite the disappointment of losing from a winning position, there were positives for Andrews to take.
Thiago continued his impressive goalscoring form - his nine strikes this term bettered only by Erling Haaland's 14.
Jordan Henderson continued to justify his return to English football with another assured performance in midfield, while Ouattara posed a threat on the break.
But once Brentford's defence was breached, it became clear they had not done enough to secure victory. They registered four shots on target, but two of those were from the penalty spot.
Incidentally, 22% of Brentford's league goals this season have been scored from penalties (four of 18), the second-highest share by a team in a Premier League campaign after Crystal Palace in 2004-05 (27%, 11 of 41).
Thiago has been the story of Brentford's season after missing most of the last through injury, but on this occasion he could not provide the finishing touch when his side really needed it.
'It was a good step for us' but 'the game can bite you' - Andrews
Brentford boss Keith Andrews speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "There are elements where I wasn't entirely happy with bits with the ball, and we gave it back too easily. Defensively, we were pretty solid and restricted them to very little, and then the game changed on that equaliser. If we walked away with a 2-2 [scoreline] we would have thought it was a solid away performance. We dust ourselves down and we go again next week, but unfortunately, the game can bite you."
On Igor Thiago's penalty miss: "It's football. It's football in this day and age as well, where, from the time it's given until the time it's taken, it's ridiculous how long they have to wait.
"The difference now compared to when penalties were given back in the day. I think it's a different challenge for players in how they deal with that and all the commotion that goes with it, and all the furore and the checks and the behaviour of the goalkeeper who subsequently gets booked, it's a difficult challenge.
"He had already taken one, so there is a bit of mind games with the keeper. Thiago has been immense for us this season. He has to wait quite a long time. It's the game now, unfortunately Thiago couldn't tuck it away."
On the poor away form: "It's just niggling a bit. We are maturing as a group all the time. I want us to set the bar very high in terms of what we want to achieve and how demanding we are of each other. We will dust ourselves down and get ready for Burnley."
Did you know?
22% of Brentford's league goals this season have been scored from penalties (4/18); the second highest share by a team in a Premier League campaign, after Crystal Palace in 2004-05 (27% - 11/41).
Igor Thiago has now scored nine goals in 12 league appearances this season; the most by a Brentford player through the opening 12 matches of a Premier League season.
Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what your thought.
Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies
Fabia Hurzeler makes one change to the Brighton side that drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace before the international break, with Olivier Boscagli preferred in central defence to Lewis Dunk.
Kaoru Mitoma remains out with an ankle issue, while top scorer Danny Welbeck leads the line.
Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Baleba, Ayari, Minteh, Rutter, Gomez, Welbeck.
Subs: Steele, Dunk, Gruda, Tzimas, Hinshelwood, Kostoulas, De Cuyper, Veltman, Coppola.
Keith Andrews makes a single change to the Brentford side that beat Newcastle 3-1 a couple of weeks ago.
Aaron Hickey drops to the bench and is replaced in defence by Kristoffer Ajer.
Midfielder Fabio Carvalho sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training last week and will miss the rest of the season.
Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Ajer, Yarmolyuk, Henderson, Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade, Thiago.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henry, Pinnock, Jensen, Nelson, Onyeka, Lewis-Potter, Janelt.
There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
Burnley v Chelsea (12:30)
Bournemouth v West Ham
Brighton v Brentford
Fulham v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
Wolves v Crystal Palace
Newcastle v Manchester City (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 Liverpool v Nottingham Forest" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Man City", for instance.
Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds
Brentford were seen as one of the favourites for relegation before the season started, but they have surprised a few people under Keith Andrews and are in good form with three wins in their past four games.
My son told me to get Bees striker Igor Thiago in my fantasy football team a few weeks back and, guess what, I didn't listen.
Thiago will probably score again on Saturday but I am still not going to pick him or back Brentford at Amex Stadium.
They have not had much success on the road this season, and Brighton are always decent at home. Brentford will try to hit them on the counter-attack but I think Fabian Hurzeler's side carry much more of a threat.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler celebrates an early career milestone against a Brentford side gaining momentum under Keith Andrews. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Saturday's match.
The Seagulls sit 11th in the table but have lost only one of their past seven league matches and shown signs of tightening up defensively, giving them the chance to record three consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the top flight since August 2022.
In their last game, a goalless draw at Crystal Palace, head coach Fabian Hurzeler named an unchanged starting line-up for the first time in the Premier League, saying he wanted "consistency".
However, the German indicated that rotation will remain part of his approach, explaining: "After the international break, the crunch time is starting and we need all of the players."
Hurzeler, 32, will take charge of his 50th Premier League match this weekend, becoming the youngest manager to reach the milestone.
He will be only the third boss to reach his half-century before turning 35, following Chris Coleman with Fulham in 2004 and the late Gianluca Vialli for Chelsea in 1999.
Thiago's goals key for improving Bees
Brentford have won four of their past six league games, including three of the previous four, taking them six points clear of the relegation zone.
However, that improvement has largely been built on home form, with 13 of their 16 points won at Gtech Community Stadium.
Their only points on the road so far came in last month's 2-0 win at West Ham.
The departures of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa - last season's joint top scorers - raised doubts about the Bees' attacking threat, but Igor Thiago's emergence is dispelling those concerns.
Injury ruined the Brazilian's first season in England following a £30m move from Club Brugge, but the 24-year-old is proving his worth in the current campaign.
His tally of eight Premier League goals is second only to Erling Haaland this term, while his shot-conversion rate of 32% is also among the best figures in the league.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Premier League will from next season move to a new system of Financial Fair Play (FFP) based on squad costs.
The clubs met in London on Friday to vote on three possible methods of replacing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) got 14 votes in favour and six against, which is the minimum number that is required to exact a rule change.
Overall squad costs from next season will have to be limited to 85% of a club's revenue, although teams competing in Europe will have to adhere to Uefa's maximum of 70%.
Squad costs comprise player and manager wages, transfer fees and agents' fees.
Rules around sustainability, which set out a club's financial spending plans over the medium and long term, were passed unanimously.
Tasnim Chowdhury
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Premier League has announced the start and end dates for the 2026-27 season.
The first round of fixtures will take place across the weekend of 22 August 2026 - a week later than previous seasons.
The later start allows rest time for players - 89 clear days from the end of this season, and 33 days from the 2026 World Cup final.
The Premier League said the delay was a "priority" for player welfare in an "increasingly congested global football calendar".
The final matches of the season will be played on Sunday, 30 May 2027, with all fixtures kicking off simultaneously as usual.
The season will end a week before the 2027 Champions League final, which will be on Saturday, 5 June.
There will be 33 weekend and five midweek fixtures - the same as the current season.
For the festive period, the Premier League have said no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours.
It has not been confirmed if there will be any fixtures on 24 December 2026.
However, as Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the Premier League has said there will be more matches scheduled than this season, when there is only one.
Saffie Yates
BBC Sport journalist
Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton at Amex Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Andrews confirmed Fabio Carvalho will miss the rest of the season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training: "It's been a tough week. He's someone I have a lot of respect for as a man. I have felt for him this season - he hasn't got as many opportunities as I would ideally have liked to have given him. We will support him really well, as we always do."
He is keen to keep Vitaly Janelt, whose contract is set to expire in the summer: "I've had discussions with Vitaly. Vitaly is pretty clear on my thoughts that I would like him to stay. I like what he is about as a player and a person. He's been a real glue around the football club. He knows the landscape of this club really well and has achieved a lot. This football club has been good for him as well"
On Kristoffer Ajer exit rumours: "He's been a very prevalent part of our team. He picked up a knock a couple of days before the Newcastle game. Before that, he played pretty well and consistently. So I'm not really interested in that."
He wants Brentford to play in a way that engages supporters: "I want to enjoy watching my team. I want to set up the team ultimately to get results first and foremost, but equally I want the fans to be engaged. I've enjoyed watching us for the vast majority of this season."
On players returning from international break: "They are in a good place. The nature of the game is that you win some games and lose some games. Scotland v Denmark epitomises that, with two of our key players directly involved. The contrast of emotions is so different. It was nice to get them all back in the building together yesterday."
On Igor Thiago's national team ambitions: "He's clearly very ambitious and very patriotic, and would love to don the Brazil jersey. It's a huge ambition of his, and we'll help and support him as much as we can to hopefully achieve that."
He is "delighted" at his players' success for the Republic of Ireland national team: "I'm delighted, first and foremost, to see the team get through a tricky window, and at the manner of the results. I nearly pulled my hamstring jumping off the sofa when Troy [Parrott] scored that goal. It was great for Caoimhin [Kelleher] and Nathan [Collins]."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty ImagesOne of potentially the biggest moments in English football is coming on Friday, but precious few people understand how important it could be or even know about it.
The Premier League is considering 'anchoring' wages, which would cap the amount any club could spend on their squad at five times the smallest central Premier League broadcasting and prize money payout.
It is a complex argument. The league and some clubs are considering it because they want to ensure wage inflation does not continue to rise endangering their long-term financial security. From the other side - the players and their union, the PFA - this unnaturally limits the amount they can earn in what has until now been a free and open market.
Any changes to that position foisted upon the players without their prior consultation and agreement will not go down well. Remember, the players are the people that the paying public, the TV companies and the advertisers want to see, not a bunch of chairmen, executives and directors arguing over accounts, dividends and profit margins.
The game has increased the number of games played per season without consulting those who are physically doing it. No studies on how that will affect their health in the short and long term were considered, and so the PFA in England looks like it is finally ready to take a strong stand for its members.
Strike ballots are not unknown, I should know, as chairman of the PFA my name was on the bottom of every ballot paper when we last considered strike action over changes in working conditions. The modern owners may have forgotten, but we had 99% backing from our members.
Owners may think of footballers as ultra wealthy, mercenary, thickos who can easily be controlled - well they thought that last time and they lost.
It is time for serious and meaningful negotiation between equals and not a master and serf attitude from one side towards the other.
Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter
Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Africa Cup of Nations kicks off earlier than usual this year, with up to 17 Premier League clubs set to be affected by players jetting off to host country Morocco.
The tournament runs from 21 December until 18 January.
There has been no official announcement about which date clubs will have to release their players by - and it could vary depending on agreements.
Players could miss up to six, or in some cases seven, Premier League matches - plus FA Cup and Carabao Cup games - if they reach the final.
The group stages end on 31 December, so quickly eliminated players may only miss half that amount.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds do not have any players due to play in the 2025 Afcon - with Sunderland and Wolves losing the most players.
Aston Villa - 1
Bournemouth - 1
Brentford - 2
Brighton - 1
Burnley - 3
Crystal Palace - 1 to 4
Everton - 2 to 3
Fulham - 3
Liverpool - 1
Manchester City - 2
Manchester United - 3
Newcastle United - 0 to 1
Nottingham Forest - 1 to 4
Sunderland - 7
Tottenham - 1 to 2
West Ham United - 2
Wolves - 5
Read the full article here to know which players will feature at Afcon
Juventus have held initial talks for Lecce defender Tiago Gabriel, 20, with Brentford also keen on the Portugal Under-21 international. (Tuttosport - in Italian), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Ian Westbrook
Fan writer
Who is flying this season?: Michael Kayode. While he is getting publicity for his long throws, there is so much more to his game - the marauding runs across the pitch, the brilliantly timed tackles and his boundless energy.
And is anyone floundering? By contrast, Fabio Carvalho is floundering. Now in his second season, he cannot pin down a place in the team - despite impressing in our Carabao Cup ties. To be fair, his best position is as at number 10 and he has the undroppable Mikkel Damsgaard ahead of him, but he is not even first choice to come on as a substitute.
Tactically we are... relying more on long balls and less on playing out from the back than in the past - but especially with pinpoint deliveries from Jordan Henderson, this has led to several goals this season.
I want Keith Andrews to give me more... intensity from the side in away games. If we can match our home performances, then we should win more on the road.
What are fans obsessing about? Had we struggled so far, our supporters could well have been obsessed with the loss of Thomas Frank and key players. But the mood among us at home and away is very supportive and currently fans and team and management seem very together.
My expectations for the season were for us to overcome the summer turmoil and survive - albeit with some sticky moments. I still expect us to stay up, although maybe I now feel we could finish closer to halfway and also have a good FA Cup run to match our Carabao Cup one.
How would I rate the campaign so far? Being mid-table and in a cup quarter-final means it's definitely a solid seven out of 10 season so far.
I'm feeling... relaxed about the campaign and optimistic for some more stirring performances - especially against the big boys!
Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external
Over the past week, we have been asking you to send in the best Premier League XI your club could have put together.
We know football existed before 1992 but as a Leeds United fan asked our experts on the club to name theirs - using the Ask Me Anything form on the Whites - we stuck with their parameters.
Here's BBC Sport's Brentford fan writer Ian's effort.
And you can ask us about the Bees using the Ask Me Anything form at the top of this page or here
Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external
We have, roughly, run the numbers and here is the XI your submissions have produced.
The player that appeared in most teams? Mikkel Damsgaard.
There was also plenty of competition for the final forward spot alongside Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo but current hotshot Igor Thiago has edged it.
We reckon this Brentford XI would make quite a splash in the Premier League.
Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesThe statistics might say playing at home is an advantage - but what happens when it is not?
So far this season, 53% of Premier League matches have been won by the home team - the highest ever rate in a single campaign.
On the flip side, just 26% have been won by the away team - the lowest rate since 2010-11.
However, this has not been the case for all teams.
For some, being on the road has been more favourable. Tottenham are perhaps the most contrasting example having the joint-most points away from home with 13, but the second-worst in front of their own fans with just five points.
In the second part of her chat with BBC Sport, performance psychologist Marie Cartwright explained: "With crowds when playing away from home, there is a reduced scrutiny as a whole for away teams in that those crowds expect the home team to be the ones in charge. The players feel less judged. The pressure is on the other side.
"Another reason could come down to something in psychology I like to call simplification of the task. The team has a better collective identity when they are away.
"The human brain still goes back to the cavemen days. We have to, as a collective, fight for something. We have to protect our name. It goes back to that hunter-gatherer-against-danger mentality.
"When players are in front of a home crowd, there can be a bit of playing up to the individuality.
"I really do believe that collective identity has a strong enough influence because it amplifies the purpose and the belonging - let's belong together, let's be stronger together."
The focus might be on the players' performances being impacted by being home or away, but what about the managers?
Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest make up three of the bottom four for their home records so far this term, and all have changed their manager in recent weeks.
"100% managers and coaches can be affected, and sometimes even more so because there is so much riding on that one person," Cartwright said.
"The decision-making is the main thing. The crowd is chanting - 'take this player off, do this' - and it can lead to rushed decisions, particularly when the noise becomes relentless.
"Then there is the emotional regulation and touchline behaviour. A manager is pacing up and down, mirroring the stress state, and players see that. It can lead to mimicking and players feeling that stress too."
The impact on teams psychologically playing home or away is apparent, so how can they make the most from these different conditions?
"Our brains are wired to think negatively - it's a protection mechanism," Cartwright said.
"So when it comes to performing home and away, those players and managers who deal with it best are those who know how to use the noise and scrutiny and move on quickly from it - an ability to have a reset routine and regulate their emotions in these pressurised situations."
Read more from Marie in part one of her chat around the impact of playing at home here
