Brentford open their Premier League campaign at the Gtech Community Stadium with a London Derby against Crystal Palace.
Brentford will hope to have a better season on and off the pitch than the last one, as Thomas Frank will look to instil this club back into the mid-table category, starting with the game against Crystal Palace. This will also be the Bees’ fourth successive Premier League campaign, although the previous one was their worst, as they flirted with relegation.
Despite not breaching the 40-point barrier, Brentford held a comfortable 13-point gap over 18th-placed Luton Town. Three wins in their last six Premier League encounters saw the Bees safely manoeuvre any fear of dropping out, and Frank will now look to balance their act ahead of the new campaign.
Frank was also the subject of speculation, with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United linked during the off-season. Brentford have managed to keep him and will hope the Dane continues his good work, although that was not visible during their pre-season, where they won only two of their six games. Either way, they begin their season at the Gtech Community Stadium with a London Derby against Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace have endured a tricky summer. They are still in danger of losing two more of their key stars before the transfer window shuts. Much like Brentford, Crystal Palace had an indifferent season without any stability until the arrival of Oliver Glasner.
The Austrian’s arrival saw a transformative period, during which Palace seemed unstoppable at the end of last season. Fans have seen those performances and built expectations ahead of the new campaign, as a win on Sunday will assert the belief that the team will do better this time around.
Crystal Palace have also been active and using their money wisely, with three key first-team additions through the door. However, the futures of some of their stars are still uncertain, as Glasner would ideally prefer to keep those linked with moves away from the club, although things are not in his hands.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Brentford have brought in Igor Thiago as their new striker in this window. But the forward has since suffered a severe knee injury that will keep him out for the foreseeable future. In his absence, the likelihood of Ivan Toney leading the line is quite evident despite the England international’s transfer links away from the Bees.
There are some others from the list of severe injuries from last season who will miss the opening period of Brentford’s campaign, including Josh Dasilva, Rico Henry, and Aaron Hickey. Beyond that, Frank has added Fabio Carvalho on a permanent transfer, as the former Liverpool man may find his way into the starting lineup.
Frank might go with a 4-3-3 shape, as he may feel the need to evolve with this squad and put the back-three shape behind him. Bryan Mbeumo will keep his place on the right wing, while a familiar midfield setup of Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard, and Vitaly Janelt will take their places in the setup.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; Roorslev, Pinnock, Collins, Ajer; Norgaard, Jensen, Janelt; Mbuemo, Toney, Carvalho
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner will not hesitate to pick some of his stars who are linked with moves away from the club. Michael Olise’s departure will have been a blow to the manager’s plans for the new campaign, although he has new arrivals to bank upon, with one of them, Daichi Kamada, set for his full Premier League debut.
Matheus Franca is still injured and unlikely to make the grade, although Chris Richards has probably shrugged off a problem to make himself available. Glasner will persist with a back three, which worked exceptionally well at the back end of the previous season.
He will not hesitate to select Newcastle United-linked Marc Guehi and Fulham-linked Joachim Andersen to play alongside Richards. There is also Eberechi Eze, who could still move away before the window shuts. But for Sunday, he will be starting in the Crystal Palace attack. Jean-Philippe Mateta, after his exploits with France at the Olympics, is also fit to begin the game, while new arrival Ismaila Sarr will probably stay on the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Andersen, Guehi; Munoz; Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Kamada; Mateta
Key Stats
- Brentford have drawn their last three home matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions.
- Brentford failed to break the 40-point barrier last season in the Premier League.
- Crystal Palace have scored at least three goals in their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Crystal Palace have won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League.
- Ivan Toney has failed to score in his last 12 league appearances.
Player to Watch
Marc Guehi
This might be one of Marc Guehi’s final games for Crystal Palace as he continues to be linked with a move away from the South London club, with Newcastle United the front-runners for his signature. Either way, Oliver Glasner is unlikely to take any of those links into consideration when he makes his lineup selections for Brentford.
Guehi will look to give his suitors no reason to move away from his pursuit, as Glasner would expect a professional performance from the England international. A top-notch display alongside a win and a clean sheet could be the best possible gift the defender could give the Selhurst Park faithful, as all eyes will be on him when Crystal Palace take on Brentford on Sunday.
Prediction
Brentford 1-2 Crystal Palace
The exit of Michael Olise will certainly affect Crystal Palace’s attacking play. But they do appear well-equipped in those areas with the new addition. Oliver Glasner will want the same performances he saw at the back end of last season and will accept nothing less.
He will have a few more of his regular performers back in the mix, which could give Brentford some trouble. The Bees are still not fully strong, with Thomas Frank missing some of his key defenders. However, they are equipped to give Palace a fight, although the Eagles are tipped to take three points in this London Derby at the Gtech Community Stadium.