Brentford

Ella Gibbs
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Manchester United at Old Trafford (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rico Henry, Vitaly Janelt and Jordan Henderson have been out training "on the grass, making good progress". He said that "none of them will be available for Monday" and that "they will all be back at different times".

• When asked about the consecutive run of five Premier League draws, Andrews said: "I think we've been closer to victories than losses. If we're honest with the appraisal of our performances. The players will discuss it brilliantly amongst themselves about how we can fine-tune certain parts of our game."

• He added: "Performance levels overall have been very good. I was very happy with our game against Fulham. I thought it was a step forward from the Everton game. We're difficult to beat, clearly. I think that's grown as the season has gone on and now we are looking for those margins to give us three points."

• Looking ahead to the Manchester United game, he said they were "approaching it like every other game. We're aware of their strengths and what we need to be aware of, that's obviously a lot. They have some magnificent players we will have to keep quiet and tactically be prepared in a way that where we affect them in the way we need to, both with and without the ball".

• He continued: "We've put ourselves in a good position, but we're not content, we want to keep pushing."

• Brentford's academy achieved a Cat One status this week and Andrews said that it was "important news we were able to achieve that. To get Cat One status is a huge step for the club. I do want to be a manager that gives young players opportunities".

• Brentford have had good results against United at home, so what is different about playing away? "Old Trafford is a special place to play football and the history of the stadium. You want to go there and test yourself as a player. We should attack, we should embrace the challenge of it and it's been a while since we could do that."

• When asked if Old Trafford also tests managers, he said "I do that every week, I always want to win and set us up in a way that gives us the best opportunity."

• On the differences that Michael Carrick has made to Manchester United: "I think it's very evident that the spirit of the club and performances are there in abundance. They've got talented players who can be very deadly in moments, those individuals are flourishing over Michael. There seems to be a real trust of what's in place."

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

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

Image source, Getty Images

Hakon Valdimarsson says he has been able to "improve in all areas" at Brentford after signing a new long-term contract extension until June 2030, with a club option for a further two years.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper joined the Bees in January 2024 from Allsvenskan side Elfsborg, penning an initial deal which was due to run until June 2028.

Since then, the Iceland international has made 12 appearances in all competitions. He also played a key role in the club's Carabao Cup quarter-final run this season, having featured in every tie and saved two penalties in a third-round shootout victory over Aston Villa.

"I'm very happy to stay here for two more years," he said after signing his new contract. "The last two-and-a-half years here have been very good for me.

"Since Keith Andrews has taken over, I've enjoyed my time and felt very happy here. Our relationship is good, we speak a lot. He is a very good manager, a good guy and always nice to speak to.

"I feel a completely different player to when I arrived here, I've improved in all areas as a goalkeeper. Now I just want to keep getting better and try to play as many games as I can."

Brentford boss Andrews added: "I'm delighted Hakon is signing a new deal. People maybe don't recognise what goes on behind the scenes and the importance of certain players on this journey.

"Hakon is a big part of the fabric of this football club, he understands it. He is a very liked individual, he has some very close connections in the club, he is an outstanding goalkeeper.

"We are really happy that he has signed a new deal here."

Brentford have taken a strong interest in 20-year-old Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine striker Matviy Ponomarenko as a potential replacement for 24-year-old Igor Thiago, who could be a summer target for Chelsea and Tottenham. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

When Brentford travel to Manchester United on Monday, something needs to give as a water-tight travelling side take on a home team who know where the net is.

The Bees are on a five-game run of league draws and you have to go back to 2009 and the seven straight draws achieved by Manchester City to find a side with a longer run of draws.

Keith Andrews' team don't look in the mood to give much away and fans have not seen their side trail for a single minute of the six matches that have followed their February defeat against Brighton. There's a doggedness on offer.

So how do Manchester United pierce this resistance?

Buoyed by a fine win at Stamford Bridge, Michael Carrick's side can draw on confidence.

They also know they have scored in 21 Premier League games in a row since defeat by Everton in November. That's their longest scoring run since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Bruno Fernandes will be keener than most to break the Brentford resistance as he looks to move on from 18 Premier League assists this season and nearer to the three men who have bettered that figure in the past - Thierry Henry in 2002-03 for Arsenal (20), Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20 for Manchester City (20), and Mesut Ozil in 2015-16 also for the Gunners (19).

An away side that hasn't trailed in a while meets a home side with plenty of zest.

It looks like a night of fine margins awaits.

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford have set out to "protect and enhance" nature at the club and in the local area, in announcing their first-ever nature strategy.

The London outfit have launched 'Connected by Our Nature', external which outlines how they plan to create positive impact on biodiversity - a strategy aligned with the United Nations-backed initiative Sports for Nature Framework (S4N).

They join Tottenham Hotspur as the only Premier League sides to have signed up for S4N, in an aim to deliver transformative action for nature by 2030 and beyond.

Brentford's head of sustainability and community James Beale, said: "The sad reality is that nature and biodiversity are in decline, from bees and plants to wider ecosystems. It is something we cannot ignore.

"As a club at the heart of our community, we have a responsibility to take action to protect and restore natural habitats. The benefits are far-reaching, from supporting physical and mental wellbeing to helping tackle climate change.

"This strategy provides a clear foundation for how we aim to protect and enhance nature at the club, while supporting our community to do the same. With the expertise of Sport for Nature and Kew Gardens, we have strong support to help turn our ambition into action."

Wednesday 22 April marks the annual Earth Day.

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Next season is looking likely to be more about a trip to Coventry rather than one to Croatia after Saturday's disappointing draw with local rivals Fulham put another dent in our European hopes.

That is five league draws in a row for the first time since 1957 and these lost points at the Gtech could ultimately end our hopes of a senior European debut next campaign, even though, amazingly, we're still seventh. (We did play in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1992-93!).

Keith Andrews said afterwards he felt we hadn't deserved to lose any of the matches.

I disagree on the first one at Bournemouth, where we were lucky to get away with a point, but we did deserve our hard-earned draw at Leeds.

However, having been 2-0 up against bottom side Wolves and twice taken the lead against Everton, both are matches we really should have closed out.

I mentioned last week that Andrews had only made one substitution in each of the Leeds and Everton matches because half of his bench was filled with teenagers.

And on Saturday for the first time I can remember, he made no changes at all.

When asked about it afterwards, Andrews said the only senior players on the bench were defenders and that the only attacking player he could have taken off was Dango Ouattara, but that he was glad he left him on as he nearly won the game in stoppage time - which is true.

We definitely had the better chances against a Fulham side who looked like they had come for a draw, but an on-target shot return of only four from 13 attempts is unlike us.

At least Harry Wilson didn't score against for us a change and we ended our run of three derby defeats, but ultimately my 10K race in the morning was my sporting highlight of the day!

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

Image source, Brentford FC

Brentford have announced that employment site Indeed will become their official front-of-shirt sponsor from the 2026-27 season.

Indeed became the official training wear and recruitment partner of Brentford in July 2025, and will now replace South African betting company HollywoodBets on all men's and women's first-team playing kits, as well as academy matchday kits.

Brentford's chief executive Jon Varney, said: "We are very proud to welcome Indeed to the front of our shirts from next season as we continue to grow the club's profile on both a local and global stage.

"This expanded partnership builds on an excellent first year working together, which has been driven by our shared belief in using data to inform smart recruitment and a commitment to talent development at every level of the organisation, both on and off the pitch."

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford have announced their academy has moved to category one status, the highest level in English football, marking the fastest-ever rise through the ranks.

As recently as June 2024, Brentford had risen from the lowest category-four level to category two and have now taken that final step.

It is the fastest rise since the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) was officially implemented in English football before the 2012-13 season.

The academy, previously led by Stephen Torpey - now Manchester United's academy director - is currently overseen by his replacement, David Rainford.

It represents rapid development for a club that famously scrapped its academy system in favour of a B team. That Brentford B team remains in place but now competes in the under-21 system, with players required to be recruited across the youth levels beneath it.

It is another step in the growth of the west London club under majority owner Matthew Benham, who has announced new minority investors from the entertainment industry. His company, Best Intentions Analytics, also bought Spanish third-division club Merida last season.

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

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Trevor: We looked tired as we have for weeks, injuries and squad depth catching up with us now. Europe can wait until we have a squad that can cope with the extra games. Schade should have been subbed not sure why he stayed on.

Sam: How we did not score I will never know. Another exasperating afternoon to be frank. We needed some life at some points, an extra attacking threat, so I don't understand why no subs were made. We are in need of a win, as I for one am feeling the pressure of the sides around us.

Robert: Lack of imagination to push the result. Schade worked hard but Donovan would have been a greater threat. We would have taken survival this season so for the love of God Keith take some risks.

Kev: Concerned re lack of wins, although I get it's also an unbeaten run. Should have had six more points from last three home games. We may regret this as some very tough away fixtures coming up.

Fulham fans

Brian: That was a real hard watch. I try to be positive but honestly we are in trouble if we take these lacklustre displays into next season. So many balls given away and the final ball? I felt for Muniz, fighting just to play, not sure his team-mates knew he was on the field! Let's just move on...

Robbie: We looked totally disjointed and could not keep hold of the ball despite having room to make a pass. Josh King looked lethargic and I feel like he's lost his mojo, I'm not sure he feels trusted by Marco to play with the freedom that makes him such a great prospect.

Louis: Defensively great. The attack and build-up play is absolutely awful, zero threat all game with zero shots on target to back it up. Tactics need to change and so does the mentality.

Joel: Another lethargic, lacklustre performance from Marco Silva's Fulham. It's time to go.

Pundits Ashley Williams and Joe Hart join host Gabby Logan 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:

• Leeds 3-0 Wolves

• Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth

• Tottenham 2-2 Brighton

Brentford manager Keith Andrews, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I felt like we were constantly probing and asking questions against a well-drilled outfit. Marco [Silva] has them playing really well. Defensively, they are hard to break down and you have to wait for opportunities. It's a struggle to think of one of the games [five draws] where we deserved to lose. If any team was going to win today, I think it could have and should have been us."

On challenging for Europe: "I want us to achieve, I want us to strive, I want us to really push. There's no real lofty goals in terms of where we finish in the league and what that might bring. There is an opportunity that everybody knows is there for us. We need to be really on our game to achieve that, and we haven't really got the points that maybe the points deserved in the last few weeks."

Did you know?

• Brentford have drawn each of their last six matches across all competitions, now their outright longest run of draws in their history.

• Nathan Collins made his 100th Premier League appearance for Brentford in this match, becoming the 11th player to make a century for the Bees, and the first Republic of Ireland player to reach 100 for any club in the competition since Matt Doherty for Wolves in April 2024.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Igor Thiago has been Brentford's talisman this season and is giving Manchester City's Erling Haaland a run for his money to land the Golden Boot.

Last week, Thiago's opener against Everton made him the first Brazilian to score 20 goals in a Premier League season, and he broke the record for the most goals by a Brentford player in the top flight with his second.

His 21 goals is only one fewer than Haaland has scored this campaign.

So all eyes were on Thiago again as the Bees looked to consolidate their top-seven position with a much-needed win against Fulham - especially after conceding a late equaliser to Everton last weekend.

But the Cottagers succeeded in keeping the dangerous striker at bay in a frustrating afternoon for the Bees - he was restricted to two attempts, going closest with a 10th-minute header.

And the result? A fifth consecutive league draw for Brentford for the first time since 1957, one that will hurt their chances of securing European football next season.

With former manager Thomas Frank watching from the stands, the Bees were wasteful in front of the goal, producing 13 shots - four of them on target - and generating an expected goals (xG) of 1.36.

Brentford's last win in the league came against Burnley at the end of February and Keith Andrews, who did not make any substitutions on Saturday, will need to return his team to winning ways soon if they are to avoid letting a promising season drift away.

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 Fulham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has named unchanged starting line-up from the 2-2 draw against Everton last week.

Igor Thiago, only one goal behind Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, starts up front while full-back Aaron Hickey returns to the matchday squad for the first time since February, having recovered from a hamstring injury.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Van den Berg, Schade, Jensen, Thiago, Yarmoliuk, Ouattara, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Kayode.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson.

Marco Silva, meanwhile, has made four changes to Fulham side that suffered a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool last time out.

Ryan Sessegnon, Emile Smith Rowe, Sasa Lukic and Tom Cairney all come in as Antonee Robinson, Josh King, Oscar Bobb and Sander Berge drop out.

Fulham XI: Leno, Bassey, Andersen, Wilson, Muniz, Cairney, Iwobi, Lukic, Castagne, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe.

Subs: Lecomte, Reed, Jimenez, Bobb, Berge, Chukwueze, King, Diop, Robinson.

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

• Brentford v Fulham (12:30)

• Leeds v Wolves (15:00) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Bournemouth (15:00)

• Tottenham v Brighton (17:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Man Utd (20:00)

Kick-off 15:00 BST 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 Leeds v Wolves" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Brighton", for instance.

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

Brentford and Fulham go head-to-head in a west London derby on Saturday (12:30 BST) that could have implications for both sides' hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Thiago chasing Golden Boot

Brentford lost first-choice strikers Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa last summer but Igor Thiago has proved the perfect replacement.

The Brazilian's 21 Premier League goals so far this season is a club record in the competition, beating the 20 in a campaign scored by Mbeumo and Ivan Toney.

Thiago did not score in any of his eight Brentford games in an injury-interrupted 2024-25 season, seven of which came from the bench. But he has taken full advantage of his new first-choice role in 2025-26, in which he has started all but one of Brentford's 32 league games.

The 24-year-old, who scored in the Bees' first game of the season, has had just one barren patch, failing to score in a run of six matches from the start of December to the beginning of January.

But that New Year's Day blank against Tottenham was followed by five goals in his next two games and he has scored more Premier League goals in 2026 than any other player.

His form was rewarded with his first international cap last month and last weekend he became the first Brazilian to score 20 Premier League goals in a season.

Now just one goal behind Erling Haaland this season, could he go on to become the first man from his country to win the Premier League Golden Boot?

Fulham impress against west London rivals

This week marked the 25th anniversary of Fulham's first promotion to the Premier League – there have been ups and downs since then but three consecutive mid-table finishes have firmly established Fulham as a top-flight club.

There have also been ups and downs in 2025-26, in which the Cottagers have been inconsistent, but a strong finish to the season could mean a new club record points total for the second consecutive campaign and possible qualification for Europe.

Fulham have struggled on the road recently, winning just one of their seven Premier League away games in 2026. Only Tottenham and Wolves have collected fewer points on the road since the turn of the year than the Cottagers' five.

But while it's an away fixture, it's also pretty close to home, with fewer than five miles separating Craven Cottage from the Gtech Community Stadium.

So rather than dwelling on their poor away form, Fulham may prefer to focus on their good recent record against their west London neighbours – they have won the last three meetings.

I was a bit disappointed with the way Fulham played at Anfield last week, because I thought they might nick something against Liverpool.

They beat Brentford earlier in the season, and did the double over them in 2024-25, so it will be interesting to see how Marco Silva's side play here - there is a danger their season might be fizzling out a bit.

I was right when I went for Brentford to share the points against Everton, which was their fourth draw in a row.

The Bees are still in with a chance of making the Champions League places so they will be disappointed with the way they let the three points slip away in that game, but you can probably guess which result I am going for here.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at the Gtech Community Stadium (12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Andrews confirmed Aaron Hickey will be available for the visit of the Cottagers: "He's been missing for a number of weeks, so it will be nice to get him back involved. He was close last weekend, but he's had a good week's training."

• Jordan Henderson is also nearing a return: "Jordan probably back next. I'm not entirely sure. I don't particularly like putting a timescale on things because sometimes it's unrealistic. He's not too far away, maybe over the next couple of weeks."

• However, Rico Henry and Vitaly Janelt remain out with hamstring and metatarsal problems respectively: "The other two just aren't ready right now, we'll see. We've got five or six weeks left of the season and hopefully they can play a part."

• Mikkel Damsgaard was replaced at half-time in last weekend's draw against Everton with illness but will "come back in this week", while Kaye Furo missed that game with "a slight groin strain" and "won't be involved this week".

• Josh Dasilva has been "building really well behind the scenes" as he continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury: "As you can imagine, that's not an easy one for obvious reasons. He's been out for such a long time but he's been working really well. I don't want to put added pressure on him, but I'm really excited about getting him back involved because I value him hugely."

• On a big west London derby: "We've got fans that work here who, from the second I came in, were very forthright about the important games. In recent seasons we haven't got the better of them and that doesn't sit well with me."

• On the final six games of the season as the Bees look for a historic European finish: "Six really big games left, three at home and three away. A huge London derby tomorrow and we want to go all out to win that. Whatever happens this season we will have achieved a certain amount but I want us to achieve a lot more."

• Reflecting on the 2-2 draw against the Toffees and his side's recent good form, Andrews said: "We've been very difficult to beat for a good couple of months but we want more. That's the way we are wired; we want to push and strive to try and achieve as much as we can. We felt like we dropped two points against Everton."

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

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

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Brentford's current injury situation and whether you think it will have an impact on the club's push for European football.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Peter: It might seem like sacrilege, but I'm not too fussed about qualifying for Europe. It would only damage our prospects of staying in the Premier League. The injury concerns only support my contention that we're not yet strong enough to support participation in Europe, as much as I would love to see it eventually.

Colin: If the youngsters on the bench are good enough to be there, injuries or not to other squad members, give them a go during a match. You never know what might happen. In the words of Del Boy, he who dares wins!

Mark: The small size of our squad has been a continuing problem when it comes to injuries. Should we qualify for Europe this season, the problem would probably be exacerbated by the increase in the number of games we would have to play. Money needs to be found from somewhere to buy more players.

Brentford are heading into the final six games of the season with European football very much in their grasp, but head coach Keith Andrews has found himself juggling a lengthy injury list.

The Bees were relatively unscathed in the early stages of this campaign, but a glut of injuries have hit in recent weeks.

According to website Premier League Injuries, external, only Tottenham have more in the the treatment room than the west London club.

It is a less than ideal situation, especially as the top five teams are set to qualify for the Champions League, sixth place will secure a Europa League spot and seventh place will be enough for the Conference League.

Andrews' side are currently seventh on 47 points - one point off sixth-placed Chelsea and level on points but with a better goal difference than eighth-placed Everton.

Long-term absentees include summer-signing Antoni Milambo and midfielder Fabio Carvalho, who Andrews confirmed are both recovering from anterior cruciate ligament injuries and will miss the rest of the campaign.

Josh Dasilva, who has barely featured in the past couple of campaigns due to various injuries and has not kicked a ball again this season, remains unavailable after damaging the ligaments in his right knee during a training session in February 2024.

However, the midfielder is reportedly back in "modified training" and could yet feature before the end of this term.

Other injury concerns include full-back Aaron Hickey (hamstring) and defensive midfielder Vitaly Janelt (metatarsal), who have both been unavailable since the Bees' 2-0 defeat by Brighton on 21 February.

In his pre-match news conference last week, Andrews confirmed Hickey is closer to a return than Janelt: "Aaron isn't too far away as he trained with the group this week. Vitaly is a bit further away, I don't know how long exactly."

However, it has all gone quiet regarding Rico Henry. The left-back, who was out for nearly two years before coming back this season, was sidelined with a hamstring injury back in March.

While Jordan Henderson is also "out for a few weeks" after picking up a knock on England international duty.

The spate injuries have left Brentford short of options at full-back and down to their last three fit central midfielders in Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen and Yehor Yarmoliuk.

With six pivotal games left to play, Andrews would certainly welcome having a few more players at his disposal between now and the end of the season.

What do you think about the current situation? How how big an impact will the injury pile-up have on the club's fight for European football?

Let us know your thoughts here