Brentford v Bournemouth preview: West London test for falling Cherries
Such incredible form coupled with Brentford’s best-ever 18-game start to a PL season has earned manager Thomas Frank a contract extension until 2027, with the Dane hoping to “create more magic moments together” in the coming years.
The Brentford Community Stadium has been a fortress this season, with only league leaders Arsenal emerging victorious in PL action here.
For all of Brentford’s scalps this campaign though, including Liverpool and both Manchester clubs, they’ve failed to win any of their three league games against newly-promoted opponents at any venue this season (D2, L1).
That could be about to change with the visit of Bournemouth as Gary O’Neil’s men linger uncomfortably close to the bottom three following three straight defeats without reply.
O’Neil has hit back at his critics by stating that he only cares for the “betterment of the club”, but to do that in the short term he must end a seven-game winless drought of away head-to-heads (D4, L3).
The Cherries may need a hatful of goals to finally secure victory after conceding 11 times across four successive PL away defeats ahead of this fixture.
In fact, they’ve kept just one clean sheet across their last 23 top-flight away games (W3, D2, L18), and that’s without mentioning that no PL side has ever conceded more away goals at this stage than Bournemouth’s current total of 29!
Key battle: After missing out recently through injury, it seems like a safe bet that Frank will be using Brentford’s top-scorer Ivan Toney (13G) as much as possible before a potential ban takes effect.
Looking to stop him will be Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers, who will become the first keeper to concede at least 40 goals in his first 15 PL appearances since Barnsley’s David Watson in 1997/98 if he lets just one in here!
Hot stat: Brentford are one of only four PL sides yet to concede first and win this season (D4, L4).
