Brentford

Can Brentford return to England’s top division for the first time in over 70 years?

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Brentford: Griffin Park

Brentford have been absent from England’s top flight for over twice as long as long as the illustrious trophy has eluded Anfield. However, as Liverpool look to have almost certainly ended their drought, the Bees are also hopeful of securing promotion to the Premier League – and the football bets are in their favour, with Thomas Frank’s side 13/10 for a return to the pinnacle of English football and favourites to win the play-offs.

Brentford dropped down from the then First Division in 1947 and spent the next 55 years bouncing between the lower divisions. However, the Bees went through a torrid decade between 2004-05 and 2013-14, plying their trade mostly in League One, although they did spend two years in England’s bottom tier – finishing 14th in their first season before bouncing back and winning the division the following year.

The Londoners returned to the Championship five years ago and finished in a play-off spot in their first season back, but a lucrative return to the Premier League was quashed as Middlesbrough beat them in the semi-finals. Since then, the Bees have finished ninth twice, 10th and 11th. However, this season, Brentford are flying high in the table. Frank’s side are fourth, 10 points behind Leeds United in the automatic promotion spot and just four points behind local rivals Fulham in third.

Although, things could quickly change for the Bees, who have won just one of their last five matches, failing to capitalise on their fellow promotion contenders’ poor form – with Fulham winning just twice. Frank’s side are also without a safety net with just seven points separating them from 11th placed Swansea City, whilst a couple games without victory could find them dropped from the play-off spots.

Luckily, the Griffin Park faithful can rely on the prowess of their attack – BMW. No, not the German sports car manufacturer – Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins. The latter is the second-top scorer in the league with 22 goals, behind only Fulham’s Aleksander Mitrovic, who has scored 23.

24-year-old Benrahma is one of the most technical players in the division and has provided seven assists and 10 goals, whilst pacey winger Mbeumo, who has represented France at youth level, has scored an impressive 14 goals and set up a further six in his debut Championship season.

The Bees also have the second best defence in the league having conceded just 33 goals in 37 games – three goals more than Leeds, who have the best defensive record in the league.

After 116 years at Griffin Park, Brentford will be moving a mile down the road to a new state-of-the-art 17,250–seater stadium, and what better way would there be to celebrate the move than a return to Premier League football?

“When you get towards the run-in there is going to be a bigger urgency about every game. It will build towards the last ten or so games,” Bees boss Frank said about his side’s title hopes.

“The last six games will be interesting.”

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