Brentford

Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news, Andrews confirmed Vitaly Janelt is a "little bit closer" after returning to the squad last weekend and Jordan Henderson will be involved after an injury lay-off, while Rico Henry is "back on the grass but will not be involved tomorrow".

• He said the squad have had a "really good week" and training has had a "really good energy around it".

• On being close to the Champions League places, Andrews responded: "We've got a lot of work to do over the next three games to put ourselves in a position of anything like that. The focus is on tomorrow first and foremost. We're obviously running out of games and we want to finish the season really well."

• He added: "Tomorrow is going to be really difficult but we want to go and show what a good team we are."

• On whether he watched Manchester City's 3-3 draw with Everton and learned anything from it: "They're an amazing team. The way they play, how they can hurt you, tweaks that Pep [Guardiola] makes to the team in trying to unlock the opposition and the level of top-quality players they have among their team. You can see the quality of the finishes the other night. If it's not one player one week, it's a different player the next week."

• He added: "I think you always learn things about the opposition but I think it will be a completely different game."

• On it being a bigger game for title-chasing City than the Bees, similar to what happened last week when they beat relegation-threatened West Ham, Andrews said he's aware of the narrative: "But for us it's huge. There's only a few games left now, we've got our own agenda, we always have and we really want to push that."

• He added: "It should be really difficult tomorrow but we should be going there in a place where we have a level of confidence to know that we can perform against a team like City. But it's going to have to be a really, really impressive performance from us."

• When asked about Guardiola's influence on coaching, Andrews said: "I think he's had an amazing impact on so many coaches within the game. His innovative mind, the way he's coached teams in different countries, obviously starting at Barca and then on to Bayern and then being here for, I think, it's a decade. I've always had the utmost respect for him as a coach and I think he's influenced so many people around the world with the way he sees the game and the way his teams play."

• On reports that Brentford have agreed a deal to sign Red Bull Salzburg defender Jannik Schuster, Andrews said: "As far as I'm aware, nothing has been agreed with any club. Until we get concrete proof that something's done, I will never be willing to speak about players from other clubs."

• He added: "What's accurate to say is we're always looking to improve the squad to recruit the right type of player and person and that process has been going on for the last few months towards the next window."

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Success in Europe for Aston Villa and Crystal Palace has a knock-on impact on what Premier League finish may be required to qualify for continental competition next season.

A host of clubs can still dream of a European adventure but the picture is ever changing.

Given the complexity, BBC Sport has unpicked the latest permutations on what might be required to play in Europe next season

Brighton, Leeds United and West Ham could try to scupper Brentford's move for 19-year-old RB Salzburg defender Jannik Schuster. (Teamtalk, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Brentford are working to sign 19-year-old Austria Under-21s defender Jannik Schuster from Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth £17m. (Athletic - subscription required, external)

Brentford, Celtic and Sunderland are interested in Soufiane El-Faouzi after the midfielder helped Schalke win Bundesliga 2, with some suitors ready to pay more than £11m for the 23-year-old German. (Sky Sports, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

If a certain Danish lager company did football days, Saturday at the Gtech was the perfect one.

Watching a very welcome victory in sunshine and replica shirts, while moving up to sixth in the table, was brilliant - and the cherry on the cake was the return to action of the much-loved Josh Dasilva.

Brentford last won at home on the first Wednesday in January and hadn't won anywhere since the end of February - and we undoubtedly rode our luck at times on Saturday.

West Ham had an equaliser disallowed for a player's arm being offside and hit the woodwork four times.

But while they were unlucky to go in behind at the break, there is no doubt that the Bees stepped it up in the second half and thoroughly deserved the three points.

The Hammers must hate playing us - that's eight Brentford wins in 10 Premier League games against them.

The victory kept alive our European hopes and, although we were always unlikely to end the weekend in sixth, and we are away to Manchester City next, it looks like the qualification race will go right down to the wire.

Saturday also ended on a highly emotional note with Dasilva's first Premier League appearance since January 2024 after a nightmare run of injuries.

Dasilva, who joined us from Arsenal in 2018, played a massive part in our promotion from the Championship but has had only one injury-free season in five in the Premier League.

The stoppage-time substitution was one of three and of course he came on last. Many of us had a tear in our eye as we all gave him a standing ovation.

And it was wonderful to see the other players push him forward and then stand back so he could receive more thunderous applause on his own from us after the game.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

Brentford are pursuing Red Bull Salzburg's 19-year-old Austrian defender Jannik Schuster, with talks ongoing over a deal worth about £16m. (Mail, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Some of you have been using our Ask Me Anything about Brentford form to query which Bees player has received the most cards this season in all competitions.

As it stands, with three games left in Brentford's 2025-26 campaign, Michael Kayode and defensive midfield duo, Vitaly Janelt, and Yehor Yarmoliuk have received the most cards this season.

All three players have received seven yellow cards in the Premier League and one yellow card in the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.

However, Kevin Schade is the only player from Keith Andrews' side to receive a red card this season, and he has also picked up six yellow cards.

Igor Thiago may have had an emphatic 22-goal-scoring season so far in the top-flight, but the Brazilian forward has received seven yellow cards and committed 64 fouls - the joint most alongside Wolves' Joao Gomes.

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

Bournemouth have claimed the edge in the battle for sixth place in the Premier League - and what could be the strangest Champions League spot yet.

The in-form Cherries' 3-0 win over Crystal Palace helped them overtake Brentford into that position.

Sixth will earn a Europa League place at the very least, with some of the contenders having never qualified for Europe before.

However, both elements needed for sixth place to become a Champions League spot seem quite plausible.

Aston Villa would need to finish in fifth, exactly where they currently reside, and win the Europa League. They trail Nottingham Forest 1-0 after the semi-final first leg, but they are at home for Thursday's return leg.

This scenario will only play out if Villa finish fifth - and not in the top four or below fifth - because of a quirk in Uefa's rules.

The Premier League landed a fifth Champions League place because of the English teams' performances in Europe - something called the European Performance Spot (EPS).

So if Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth, that EPS spot would be passed down to the team in sixth, who would qualify for the Champions League.

However if Villa finish in the top four, winning the Europa League would make no difference to any other English team and the sixth-placed finisher would qualify for the Europa League.

With Aston Villa six points clear in fifth, sixth place appears to be the highest any of the other teams could finish.

At the moment, Bournemouth are on 52 points - one point clear of Brentford, who are one point above Brighton.

The Cherries and the Bees have never played in European competition before, while the Seagulls' only Uefa campaign was in the 2023-24 Europa League.

Chelsea are four points behind Bournemouth, but they have a game in hand against Forest.

Fulham are level on points with Chelsea. Everton, who have a game in hand against Manchester City, and Sunderland are on 47 points - so they are just about in the race.

Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Leeds could still mathematically - but not so realistically - qualify for the Champions League.

Read the full article here

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

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Ian: Another three points on the board. Also, Josh Dasilva is back on the pitch! What an ovation when he came on as a substitute. Brentford are still in there, despite some doubters at the start of the season - but those were not supporters. Come on, you Bees.

Jerry: We took our chances with a thing of beauty from Mikkel Damsgaard, but West Ham thankfully were profligate in front of goal, which is why they are in a relegation scrap with Spurs, and we still have a chance of a first European jaunt. However, do we really want one? I would prefer to have another good next season as opposed to fighting on two fronts. Thankfully, that decision lies with Matthew Bentham and not yours truly.

Paul: We've played much better and lost, such is the competitive nature of the Premier League. So, this was a welcome win, the bonus being the long-awaited return of Dasilva - a true Brentford legend. He's been with us during our rise up the leagues. He's had his injury problems, but the club have consistently stood by him. I hope to see many more of those trademark goals of his where he cuts in from the right and curls it into the top left-hand corner.

Tim: Nearly as entertaining as the game at Old Trafford. Against Manchester United we should really have got something, but we got nothing. West Ham deserved at least a point, but walked away without it. Nice to remember what winning feels like, at least.

West Ham fans

Gary: As the fans have been saying for years now, Sullivan and Brady's complete mismanagement of this club is now coming to its natural conclusion. Relegation, with an average squad and a rented athletics stadium.

Joe: West Ham had some chances to make the game interesting, unlucky on some, but have to do better defending. Diouf looking off, maybe getting his head turned with rumours. Have to rely on other results going our way.

Graham: It pains me to say this - but yet another abject performance that demonstrates why West Ham are no longer a Premier League team and, in truth, haven't been since David Moyes left the club. The team have needed a statement win or two to provide momentum that hasn't been delivered by the 'scrape by' wins in the past two months. Don't blame Nuno - he has inherited a team with only a fleeting desire to win from a group of players who will be largely sold off at a loss to other Premier League teams when West Ham are relegated. Where is the poetic justice in that?

Dave: It's all over, relegation is coming. Sullivan out, so we can have half a hope of returning sometime.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Many predicted Brentford to go down this season, but instead they are on the cusp of European qualification.

A very specific permutation would allow Brentford - or whoever grabs sixth place - to sneak into Europe's premier competition rather than the Europa League.

The Premier League secured an extra Champions League spot back in April, meaning the top five teams will qualify for the league stage of next year's competition.

Sixth would also get a team into next season's Champions League if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League.

Because of the order in which Champions League berths are decided - European titles are allocated before the Premier League's additional spot - sixth will not be good enough for the Champions League if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish in the Premier League top four.

Instead, Villa will qualify via their league position and the place reserved for the Europa League winners will be passed to the league champions in qualifying with the best Uefa coefficient.

That could be Rangers, if they win the Scottish Premiership.

Therefore, Brentford fans should be keeping a keen eye on Villa's Europa League semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest.

Unai Emery's side lost the first leg 1-0, but will be playing at home for the second leg on Thursday night.

The winner will face either Braga or Freiburg in the Europa League final on 20 May.

Read Joe Rindl's full piece here

Pundits Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 3-0 West Ham United

• Newcastle United 3-1 Brighton

• Arsenal 3-0 Fulham

Brentford manager Keith Andrews, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We haven't had what we've deserved but that's the game. Today I wanted us to keep the performance but find a way to win. I thought it was a terrific win today.

"We caused them a lot of problems. The problems they caused us were from our own doing. I thought there was more of an edge to our play in the second half."

On being in the race for Europe: "It's tight, obviously. The fact we've stayed in that position even though we've drawn loads of games...we've had a special season so far and I want us to continue that. We'll just keep pushing."

On Josh Dasilva's return: "I got quite emotional when I was looking at his introduction into the game. It's a special moment for the club, he works so hard. He epitomises the club really. It was a special moment to see him back on the pitch."

Brentford goalscorer Nathan Collins to BBC Match of the Day: "It's a better feeling than a draw. It's been coming, our performances have been there.

"They [West Ham] were good. First half we didn't play our best but we stuck in it. We showed our quality in the second half."

On Josh Dasilva's return: "Josh is one of a kind. You don't get many players like him anymore. What he's gone through, I hope nobody experiences what he's gone through. He deserves every moment he gets.

"This club is built on progressing everyone. That's what is special. It's not about one player specifically, it's about progressing the whole club. At the start of the season we had a lot of set backs and people leaving, but we brought new faces in. This club is all about bouncing back."

Did you know?

• Brentford ended their six-game winless run in the Premier League and have now won eight of their 10 encounters with West Ham in the competition (D1 L1).

• Since making his Premier League debut in November 2024, no player has scored more penalties than Brentford striker Igor Thiago (8 – level with Cole Palmer & Mohamed Salah).

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford have defied expectations in their first season under Keith Andrews, but their home form - so impressive in the first half of the campaign - was starting to become a worry.

Andrews' side had not tasted victory in front of their own supporters since beating Sunderland 3-0 in January, although they had lost only two of their previous six games on home soil.

The Bees rode their luck at times but, like West Ham, should have scored more, with Mikkel Damsgaard and Igor Thiago both missing clear chances.

Sepp van den Berg flashed a header wide late in the first half, but El Hadji Malick Diouf's foul on Dango Ouattara - and Thiago's penalty - settled Brentford nerves.

Most fans would be thrilled at the prospect of Conference League football next season, but sixth spot will be enough for a place in the Champions League if Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League.

Whatever happens, it promises to be an exciting end to the campaign for Andrews and his players.

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 West Ham's display?

Come back on Sunday for a selection of your replies

Keith Andrews keeps faith with the Brentford team that started Monday night's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United.

Midfielder Vitaly Janelt, who has missed the Bees' last seven games with a foot injury, is back among the substitutes.

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

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Dasilva, Nelson, Ajer, Janelt, Donovan, Furo

Nuno Espirito Santo names an unchanged West Ham side for the fourth game in succession.

Callum Wilson has to settle for a place on the bench after scoring the winner against Everton last weekend, while Konstantinos Mavropanos makes his 100th appearance for the Hammers.

West Ham XI: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Bowen, Soucek, Mateus Fernandes, Summerville, Pablo, Castellanos

Subs: Areola, Wilson, Adama, Lamadrid, Todibo, Magassa, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Kante

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

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

• Newcastle v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Wolves v Sunderland

• Arsenal v Fulham (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 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 Brentford v West Ham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Fulham", for instance.

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

What a superb and much-needed win for West Ham last week against their old boss David Moyes.

The Hammers have been building momentum since the turn of the year but that result was down to a mixture of good football and good fortune - Matheus Fernandes nearly caught the ball in his own box but Everton somehow did not get given a penalty.

Brentford were unlucky not to get something at Old Trafford on Monday but they are still right in the mix for the European places, although Igor Thiago needs to find his shooting boots again after a disappointing night against Manchester United.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford need to find some impetus late in the season to reignite their European hopes. Desperate to secure Premier League survival, West Ham United are their opponents at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Final home games crucial for Brentford

Defeat to Manchester United on Monday ended Brentford's run of five consecutive draws in the top flight. It's a sequence that has allowed Brighton and AFC Bournemouth to leap ahead of the Bees in the table. Still, Keith Andrews' side go into the weekend fixtures just two points off sixth place.

At the other end of the table, West Ham are keeping their heads above water. They left it late against Everton last time out, though, with Callum Wilson's injury-time winner ensuring Tottenham Hotspur remained in the relegation zone with just four games to play. The gap between the two London rivals is just two points.

A season that promised so much is in danger of ending with a whimper for Brentford, with hopes of European qualification now out of their hands.

The reasons for their poor form are not entirely clear. At times, they have struggled to score goals - most recently in 0-0 draws with Leeds and Fulham - while in other games they have conceded goals, as seen in the 2-1 loss at Manchester United on Monday.

If Brentford are going to get back on track, their final two home games - against West Ham and Crystal Palace - look crucial. Their other two fixtures are away at Manchester City and Liverpool.

Andrews would also be grateful if more players could contribute goals in attack. Aside from Igor Thiago. Kevin Schade has not registered a goal or an assist in his last seven games in all competitions, while Dango Ouattara has gone 10 games without scoring.

Needless to say, Brentford have been heavily reliant on the goalscoring exploits of their Brazilian striker this season. Thiago's 21 goals account for 43% of the team's total league goals — the highest proportion in the Premier League.

Bowen brilliance keeping West Ham afloat

West Ham should be confident given their recent form – they have taken 22 points from their last 13 games – but their record against Brentford leaves a lot to be desired.

They have conceded in all nine of the Premier League games between the two sides since the Bees returned to the top flight. Seven of those nine matches have been defeats for the Hammers too, which is their highest loss rate against any side they've faced five or more times in the competition.

With Brentford in a bit of a rut, this weekend could be a perfect moment for that to change. In Jarrod Bowen, West Ham arguably have one of the in-form forwards in the Premier League.

Bowen set up two more goals against Everton last weekend to take his assist tally to 10 for the season in the top flight. Coupled with his eight goals, only Harry Kane and Mason Greenwood have more goal contributions across European football's top five leagues among English players.

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham at the Gtech Community Stadium (15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Andrews confirmed Vitaly Janelt and Jordan Henderson are "pretty close" and have made "good progress", but a decision will be made on their involvement on Saturday. Rico Henry is "not as close" and will not be available.

• On Josh DaSilva, who was included in a matchday squad for the first time since January 2024 for Monday's defeat by Manchester United: "Josh had to work really hard to get back to this point, so it was lovely to have him as part of the squad. He wouldn't be on the bench if I didn't think he could make an impact of sorts. We still need to look after him really carefully, but he's looking pretty free and has trained really well over the past few weeks."

• Reflecting on missed chances at Old Trafford and the recent draw against Fulham, Andrews said: "The big thing for me is not creating chances or looking like scoring would be more worrying. There is comfort in the fact we are, but then you obviously want to take that next step. I'm pretty relaxed that we have attacking players who can be and will be absolutely lethal."

• On keeping standards high for the final four games of the season: "We want to maintain the standards that we nailed down. I'm really keen for us to maintain those standards for the last four games and I've not got much doubt we will do that. Whether that gets us the results we want, you can't guarantee that."

• On the recent dip in results: "If you look at the results in isolation, we can be slightly disappointed. We're pretty ambitious and focused on improving all the time. The performance levels in most of those games, none more so than the other night, I was really happy with."

• Asked about the challenge of facing the relegation-threatened Hammers, Andrews said: "They are in very good form, playing very well and fighting hard. This game is a huge game for them. The message I've given our players is that it's a massive game for us. We're going to fight hard to win the game."

Listen to live commentary of Brentford v West Ham on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

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

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We asked for your views on Brentford's chances of qualifying for European football this season, with just four fixtures remaining for Keith Andrews' side to take their shot.

Here are some of your thoughts:

George: If we can hit the levels we did against Man United on Monday, yes. My fear is that we have a habit of only turning out such performances against "top clubs" and not against those that are equally ranked or below us. Six points is a must against Crystal Palace and West Ham to make the Conference or Europa League.

Alex: No we will not get European football and I think that's a good thing. We don't have the squad depth to play extra games, as shown by the number of youngsters on the bench recently. I'd love the Bees to get there one day soon, but we are not ready yet.

Geoff: Good performance until it came to goal-getting. Fortunately will not make Europe as squad is clearly not strong enough in depth and in some areas talent. Need some further investment in goalscoring talent next season

Rob: I think we have blown any chance of Europe next season. Our tactics of late have been baffling and the reluctance to address the poor form of Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade, coupled with the refusal to make substitutions in good time, has compounded the clear issues. I forecast we will struggle to gain many more points and will finish in bottom half of the table.

Stanley: We definitely could get Conference League, but we would have to get at least a point from our away games (Liverpool and Manchester City) and beat West Ham and Crystal Palace at home, to have any chance at qualifying for Europe for the first time in our history (apart from the Anglo-Italian Cup).

Ian: Brentford won't make Europe. A midfield working hard and creating opportunities, a solid defence, but a forward line not up to the challenge. They are letting the side down.

Image source, Getty Images

It's still all to play for in Brentford's four remaining Premier League games.

The permutations for getting into Europe this season are complex but BBC Sport's Dale Johnson has broken them down here.

So will you be playing European football next season? If yes, why are you confident? If not, what can take you on to that next step?

Get in touch with your views here