Brentford welcome Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, knowing that victory will propel them back into the top half of the table. Nick Bruzon previews.
Going into the current round of fixtures, Chelsea sit above Thomas Frank’s team by the slenderest of margins – goal difference of +2 compared to our +1. Both sides having earned 16 points from the 13 games played so far. A mark that also represents a third of the campaign now having been played out.
Last time out Brentford ran Arsenal so very, very close. Of course, there’s no pain like the pain of last-gasp defeat and more so given the bodies-on-the-line defending that the now league leaders needed to employ to preserve their dignity.
There are no prizes awarded for lucky losers but at least the Bees can take heart in how well the team, reshuffled even further from within the squad, performed. If anything, it now leaves Thomas Frank several ‘nice’ selection headaches with Mathias Jensen and Mads Roerslev both expected back.
Knowing what we do about how Thomas sets up, I’m expecting 4-3-3. Both Saman Ghoddos and Yehor Yarmoliuk – who made the top five against The Gunners from right wing-back and midfield respectively – will have to be content with a place on the bench. Instead, Vitaly Janelt (LB) and Kris Ajer will flank Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock across the back line. Mathias, Christian Norgaard and Frank the Tank occupy the central berths with the front three of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoanne Wissa and Neal Maupay looking to recreate what happened the last time Luton played in front of our fans.
That game, back in November 2019, ended with a 7(seven) – 0 win for the Bees. Josh Dasilva scoring a hat-trick, ably supported by Mathias Jensen and the original BMW. It was such a comprehensive performance that as the teams emerged for the second half with Brentford five goals clear and the visitors having made changes, one Braemar Road observer was compelled to ask: “Is that a new goalkeeper?”
The reply, one that I’ll never forget, being: “I don’t know. I’ve only seen the other one from the back”.
Of course, there’s no way lightning will strike twice and the Hatters come to the Gtech in buoyant form. Our ‘Arsenal’ moment was theirs against Liverpool recently. Luis Diaz’s 95th-minute equaliser denying them what would have then been a second win of the campaign.
Instead, that came last week with the 2-1 defeat of Crystal Palace and with Everton’s point deduction helping to propel Rob Edwards’ team out of the relegation zone, they’ll be well up for more of the same.
More than anybody perhaps Republic of Ireland international, Chiedozie Ogbene. Sadly, his stint at Brentford after signing from Limerick on a three-and-a-half-year contract never really worked out. After just six games he moved on to Rotherham United. From there, the rest is history although at least proves, again, the success of the Bees recruitment process. If anyone has a point to prove to Thomas and Phil, it will be him.
With Brentford potentially welcoming Mikkel Damsgaard back to the bench alongside recent returns KLP and Shandon Baptiste, he and Luton won’t find it easy. Whilst another bracketing is beyond anybody’s realistic expectations, Brentford will be a tough nut to crack.
Yet much has anything else though, this is one of those moments for us all to take stock. Who’d have thought a few seasons back that Brentford v Luton Town would be a Premier League fixture? I can still recall the buckets rattling at Griffin Park and the days of Terry Butcher at the helm. Luton’s story has been more than well-documented.
Despite the big spending of the top few, football never fails to continue delivering joy. Here’s to more of it on Saturday.
