Nickname: The Bees
Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium (Capacity 17,250)
Manager: Thomas Frank (DNK)
Last Season: 9th
Brentford continue to overachieve and last season they almost qualified for European football. The Bees finished higher than West London rivals Chelsea and Fulham, and with the inspiring Dane Thomas Frank still at the helm, you wouldn’t be surprised if they defied the odds yet again.
Ivan Toney will be a big miss this season, but his strike partner Bryan Mbeumo should not be ignored. With a combined 17 league goals and assists during the campaign, the Bees will be reliant on Mbeumo’s trickery and attacking threat up top this season.
Star Signing: Nathan Collins €26.85m
The Bees’ defence was a big part of their success last season. Ethan Pinnock and Ben Mee were consistently strong, and with the addition of Nathan Collins into the back-three, Brentford can expect to be even more defensively solid this season. The Ireland international is only 22 but already has 50 top flight appearances, and his strength, skill and speed all explain why the Bees signed him for a club-record fee.
First Match: Tottenham (H) August 13
Brentford kick off their season with a London Derby as they host Tottenham. Just two points separated the two sides last season, but there was nothing to separate them when they played out a 2-2 draw on Boxing Day in this fixture last season.
Predicted Finish: 10th
Brentford have done well to keep hold of their sought-after managerial maestro Thomas Frank. With astute new signings, a solid 5-3-2 formation and Mbeumo leading the line, the Bees should achieve a similar finish to last season.
Can Brentford mirror last season’s miracles, or will they fade away and drift down the table?
Did you know?
The Bees had one of the best defences in the league last season. Thomas Frank’s side only conceded 46 goals; the joint fifth-fewest with Aston Villa.
Jack Langford 