Having further cemented their status as a Premier League outfit last season, Brentford will be looking for another top-half finish in 2023-24. However, the absence of key striker Ivan Toney could sting the Bees.
• Manager: Thomas Frank
• Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium
• Last Season: 9th
After finishing 13th in their debut Premier League campaign, Brentford rose to 9th last term as they solidified their position in the English top flight. Can Thomas Frank and his players continue to overachieve?
Brentford lost just nine of their 38 Premier League matches last season, meaning only three clubs – Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United – suffered fewer defeats in 2022-23.
Better still, only the top four teams conceded fewer goals than Frank’s side last term, while the Bees outscored Chelsea and netted the same number of goals as Manchester United.
Let’s not forget that Brentford also did the double over Man City for good measure.
Having turned the Gtech Community Stadium into a fortress – recording 10 wins, seven draws and two losses on home soil last season – Brentford will be feared opponents in 2023-24.
It is no secret that Brentford’s key player is Ivan Toney. However, the prolific forward – who has scored 68 goals in 124 games for the club – won’t feature until January as he serves an eight-month gambling ban.
After bagging nine goals and eight assists last term, Bryan Mbeumo will be expected to step up in Toney’s absence, alongside new signing Kevin Schade.
There are also question marks over the future of highly-rated goalkeeper David Raya, who could leave the club this summer. If Raya departs the Gtech Community Stadium, ex-Freiburg stopper Mark Flekken will likely become Frank’s number one.
At the end of the day, it will be difficult for Brentford to better last season’s ninth-place finish in 2023-24, especially with Toney sidelined for half of the campaign.
The Bees finished just two points shy of the European places last term, underlining their rapid growth.
However, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur set to bounce back, Frank’s side could struggle to edge close to the top seven.
Ultimately, another top-half finish would be seen as a big achievement, although the relative newcomers shouldn’t be disappointed if they drop into the bottom half, given where Brentford have come from in recent years.
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