With just one position separating the sides on the Premier League table, Brentford head to Palace looking to break into the top half of the standings. Nick Bruzon previews.
Keith Andrews is now firmly in place, the team moulded in his own style, and as he is so proud of telling us every time somebody puts a camera in his face, showing us their personality. Then again, it is the personality of winners with the midweek drubbing of Grimsby Town in the League Cup, making it four out of the last five games.
The rewards for all of this are that the Bees have climbed up to 11th place in the Premier League following that brief flirtation with the edge of the relegation zone. Progress in the cup has seen the somewhat dubious-sounding prize of a quarter-final trip to Manchester City in the week before Christmas.
Still, at least we remain in with a chance of a first major trophy since, well, ever, whilst also swerving a repeat of last season’s trip to Newcastle United. Albeit another chance of a reunion with the snake would have been nice. Fingers crossed he makes the bench instead next Sunday.
However, the focus for now has to be this weekend’s game at Selhurst Park. The Bees and Crystal Palace are separated only by goal difference, with both teams knowing that the prize for victory will be to move level with fifth-placed Manchester City. Obviously, other results may leave the situation more fluid as the weekend shakes out, but what an incentive to really go for it when the game kicks off at 3pm.
For Brentford, the main concern remains around Yehor Yarmoliuk. He went off early in the 3-2 defeat of Liverpool on Saturday evening, and there has been tumbleweed out of the Gtech on that front since. It’s no surprise there – Keith normally keeps his cards very close to the chest, so we probably won’t learn too much more about whether he might start in Friday’s press conference.
It’ll be a huge shame if he misses out. I think everybody has been hugely impressed with the personality he has shown this season. Bossing the middle and normally staying on for the entire game. The plus side is that fit again Vitaly Janelt has more than impressed when coming in off the bench, so if changes are needed, they likely write themselves.
That said, perhaps Mathias Jensen will be knocking on the manager’s door demanding a start. I can’t see that Keith would go that far – purely given the players’ styles compared to his own – but one can see why the Dane would expect a place that up until last season’s injury has not been challenged for years.
His goal against Grimsby followed two late efforts against Manchester United and Liverpool, respectively. All of them are ridiculously good efforts and true justification for those of us who constantly exhort the midfield to “shooooot”. Indeed, his record in the Premier League currently sees him scoring every 161 minutes – almost on Igor Thiago’s levels.
The BBC, in their own statistical build-up noting that the Brazilian’s six goals in his nine Premier League starts for Brentford this season come at a rate of one every 152 minutes. Apparently, the best by any Brentford player in our five seasons at this level. Better than Toney, Jensen, Hisssa, Mbeumo et al.
It’s that perennial ‘lovely problem’ but I suspect Keith will name the same team as started against Liverpool, barring an enforced change of Janelt in for Yarmoliuk. The flirtation with three centre-backs, all being well, is now confined to the waste bin of history. Caution is fine, but the deference shown to the opposition was frustrating beyond belief and was duly welcomed by them with open arms.
The other performance/selection-related note goes to Kris Ajer. I was absolutely amongst those expressing surprise – that’s the polite word – when he was picked against West Ham as left wing-back with both Rico Henry and KLP on the bench. Fair play though. He did a cracking job in that one and repeated it against Liverpool – even if their second goal was perhaps down to a switch off at the end of a hard night.
For me, that’s a harder call to make than the Yarmoliuk / Janelt one. All three contenders for that slot are fit, whilst, of course, we know Aaron Hickey was ‘on the grass’ before Liverpool. For what it’s worth, I’m sure Keith will stick with what he knows is working. It’ll be last Saturday’s starting XI with Janelt in as noted.
The mentality of never changing a winning team is a strong one. Moreso, when Palace are starting to finally show a few chinks in the armour. Not to mention finally needing a new Twitter bio following that humongous unbeaten run they went on.
On the plus side for our hosts, they at least got back to winning ways when beating current divisional whipping boys, Liverpool, in their own League Cup match on Wednesday. Even if that one really was boys against men, given the lineup the Anfield side put out.
Still, as we’ve said so many times, you can only beat who is up against you. Plus, it had the added bonus of Liverpool supporters having something else to whinge about beyond Michael Kayode’s throw-ins (did you know that he takes them long? It might have been mentioned) as they slumped to a sixth defeat in seven. Ange Postecoglou’s agent must be salivating right now.
The other statistic of note from that BBC piece was in regards to the playing styles of both teams. I’ll quote this verbatim, but… “Only Burnley (17.1%) have played a higher share of their passes long in the Premier League this season than Crystal Palace and Brentford (both 14.9%). It’s Brentford’s highest percentage in a season since 2022-23 (16.6%), while for Palace it’s their highest since 2019-20 (14.9%)”.
Jordan Henderson and the centre-backs could be at the heart of everything when this one gets going. An old-school Wimbledon fan’s fantasy, although more likely the sort of long-range, precision passing we’ve quickly grown fond of.
That said, a few balls through the middle to the speeding (on field, only) Kevin Schade from Damsgaard won’t go amiss either. That second against Liverpool, the sort of move I could watch again and again.
Chuck Thiago into the mix, and this could be a tough but entertaining game. The atmosphere will be raucous – even with that drum. The ‘proper’ ground stylings of Selhurst Park always making for a noisy afternoon. Regardless that it usually ends up being one viewed through a letter box for the majority of the travelling support.
They won’t care, though. The only thing that matters is Keith Andrews’ side picking up where they left off after another quite wonderful week.
Here’s looking forward to our trip to the Palace. Bring it on!
