Leeds United are eager to keep their momentum from recent wins going, but they face an in-form Brentford side at Elland Road.
Leeds United fans will be eager to keep playing Nottingham Forest, as it means their team will keep winning all their games. As was the case over the last few days, Daniel Farke’s side faced Oliver Glasner’s side in quick succession to win both those encounters.
The first of those meetings came last weekend in their Premier League opener at the City Ground, where Anton Stach’s direct free-kick two minutes from the end of regulation time ensured three points for Farke’s men. They were back at Nottingham Forest again in midweek in their EFL Cup second round, and only this time, Farke’s side ensured a 2-0 win, with goals from Daniel James and James Justin doing the job.
Now, Farke will hope to take his side’s imperious form into Elland Road and give the home fans a taste of their recent performances. However, they have a tough game on their hands, as an equally in-form side in Brentford come visiting, in what could be one of the entertaining fixtures of this weekend.
Brentford have something different about them, with Keith Andrews’s side retaining most of their players while adding smart signings to their already decent squad. They are currently deemed one of the most in-form sides in the country, owing to their goalscoring prowess and the cohesion this side are currently displaying.
The Bees opened their weekend over at the Gtech Community Stadium with a stellar and dominant win over a free-spending Tottenham side. The 3-0 scoreline on the day fails to deceive, as Brentford could have realistically had a much bigger margin of victory, while striker Igor Thiago also missed from the spot in the second half.
Brentford continued their imperious form and took it to the EFL Cup second-round clash, putting six goals past Birmingham City. With a place in the third round all but secure, Andrews’s men will now focus their attention on the big clash over at Elland Road, as the Londoners will want to continue with their momentum and put another win in the bag.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
Leeds United have had a few injury issues heading into the new campaign, and some of the names absent for so long will remain on the sidelines heading into the Brentford game.
Attacker Wilfried Gnonto and Mateo Joseph are certainly out of the equation, while midfielder Ilia Gruev and full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson remain doubtful for the upcoming clash.
Farke has made slight tweaks to his system heading into the new season, and that is possibly due to the summer arrival of Harry Wilson. The German manager has now created a front three of sorts as opposed to his preference of a two-man attacking unit up front. Wilson is now pencilled in to form a partnership with Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Leeds United boss will continue to persist with a back three of Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol and summer arrival Tarik Muharemovic. Skipper Ethan Ampadu will partner up with goalscorer Stach, while Jayden Bogle and Justin will occupy the wing-back or wide roles in the system.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Trafford; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic; Bogle, Stach, Ampadu, Justin; Wilson, Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson
Brentford
Keith Andrews does not have fresh injury concerns with the squad, but those who have been absent since the beginning of the campaign are not expected to return in time for the weekend. Those include Antoni Milambo since last October with an ACL rupture and subsequent surgery, while defender Sepp van den Berg also remains sidelined with a groin problem. Fellow defender Ethan Pinnock has left the club to join Coventry City.
Having signed El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham United, Brentford should have registered him in time to bring him as part of the matchday squad at Elland Road. In any case, Andrews is widely expected to name an unchanged lineup from the Tottenham win last weekend.
Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins will continue in their central defensive roles, with Michael Kayode and Keane Lewis-Potter in the full-back roles.
Impressive summer signing Mamadou Sangare will maintain his place at the heart of the midfield alongside Mathias Jensen. Vitaly Janelt will occupy the advanced midfield role, with Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade providing the width, with Thiago leading the line for Brentford.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Sangare, Jensen; Ouattara, Janelt, Schade; Thiago
Key Stats
- Harry Wilson has scored three goals in his last four appearances against Brentford.
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored three goals in his last five appearances against Brentford in the Premier League.
- Brentford are looking to win their first two Premier League games of the season for the first time.
- Brentford are eager to end an 11-year wait at Elland Road.
- Brentford are looking to win their opening two league games in a season for the first time since 2006/07 in League One; they last did so in the top-flight back in 1935/36.
Player to Watch
Mamadou Sangare
Brentford had a different air about how they moved in their opening game against Tottenham, and the dominance began with their control of the midfield. Summer arrival Sangare was a huge part of that plan, with the debutant showing that some top-six teams may have missed a gem of a player in the market.
Sangare helped the Bees completely dominate proceedings and is the name talked about following Gameweek 1. He will have to prove time and again for Brentford, and this tough away trip to Leeds United is a perfect opportunity for him to continue his impressive start to life with the Bees.
Prediction
Leeds United 2-3 Brentford
Leeds United have managed to keep clean sheets in the two games so far across all competitions, but they now face a tough test at home against Brentford. Daniel Farke has his ideas drilled into the squad, but given how Tottenham struggled to contain the Bees, it could be a tricky test for Leeds United at Elland Road, although they will be able to penetrate their defence and score goals.
Brentford have once again defied expectations placed around them, and their dominant display against Tottenham was proof that they are not here to be sidelined. Keith Andrews has this team playing attractive football, and the Spurs game showcased that they have also added defensive resilience within their group. While this game promises goals on both ends, the Bees may edge Leeds United slightly to take three points.