Brentford

Brentford manager Keith Andrews, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I felt like we were constantly probing and asking questions against a well-drilled outfit. Marco [Silva] has them playing really well. Defensively, they are hard to break down and you have to wait for opportunities. It's a struggle to think of one of the games [five draws] where we deserved to lose. If any team was going to win today, I think it could have and should have been us."

On challenging for Europe: "I want us to achieve, I want us to strive, I want us to really push. There's no real lofty goals in terms of where we finish in the league and what that might bring. There is an opportunity that everybody knows is there for us. We need to be really on our game to achieve that, and we haven't really got the points that maybe the points deserved in the last few weeks."

Did you know?

• Brentford have drawn each of their last six matches across all competitions, now their outright longest run of draws in their history.

• Nathan Collins made his 100th Premier League appearance for Brentford in this match, becoming the 11th player to make a century for the Bees, and the first Republic of Ireland player to reach 100 for any club in the competition since Matt Doherty for Wolves in April 2024.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Igor Thiago has been Brentford's talisman this season and is giving Manchester City's Erling Haaland a run for his money to land the Golden Boot.

Last week, Thiago's opener against Everton made him the first Brazilian to score 20 goals in a Premier League season, and he broke the record for the most goals by a Brentford player in the top flight with his second.

His 21 goals is only one fewer than Haaland has scored this campaign.

So all eyes were on Thiago again as the Bees looked to consolidate their top-seven position with a much-needed win against Fulham - especially after conceding a late equaliser to Everton last weekend.

But the Cottagers succeeded in keeping the dangerous striker at bay in a frustrating afternoon for the Bees - he was restricted to two attempts, going closest with a 10th-minute header.

And the result? A fifth consecutive league draw for Brentford for the first time since 1957, one that will hurt their chances of securing European football next season.

With former manager Thomas Frank watching from the stands, the Bees were wasteful in front of the goal, producing 13 shots - four of them on target - and generating an expected goals (xG) of 1.36.

Brentford's last win in the league came against Burnley at the end of February and Keith Andrews, who did not make any substitutions on Saturday, will need to return his team to winning ways soon if they are to avoid letting a promising season drift away.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has named unchanged starting line-up from the 2-2 draw against Everton last week.

Igor Thiago, only one goal behind Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, starts up front while full-back Aaron Hickey returns to the matchday squad for the first time since February, having recovered from a hamstring injury.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Van den Berg, Schade, Jensen, Thiago, Yarmoliuk, Ouattara, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Kayode.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson.

Marco Silva, meanwhile, has made four changes to Fulham side that suffered a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool last time out.

Ryan Sessegnon, Emile Smith Rowe, Sasa Lukic and Tom Cairney all come in as Antonee Robinson, Josh King, Oscar Bobb and Sander Berge drop out.

Fulham XI: Leno, Bassey, Andersen, Wilson, Muniz, Cairney, Iwobi, Lukic, Castagne, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe.

Subs: Lecomte, Reed, Jimenez, Bobb, Berge, Chukwueze, King, Diop, Robinson.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brentford v Fulham (12:30)

• Leeds v Wolves (15:00) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Bournemouth (15:00)

• Tottenham v Brighton (17:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Man Utd (20:00)

Kick-off 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Leeds v Wolves" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Brighton", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Brentford and Fulham go head-to-head in a west London derby on Saturday (12:30 BST) that could have implications for both sides' hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Thiago chasing Golden Boot

Brentford lost first-choice strikers Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa last summer but Igor Thiago has proved the perfect replacement.

The Brazilian's 21 Premier League goals so far this season is a club record in the competition, beating the 20 in a campaign scored by Mbeumo and Ivan Toney.

Thiago did not score in any of his eight Brentford games in an injury-interrupted 2024-25 season, seven of which came from the bench. But he has taken full advantage of his new first-choice role in 2025-26, in which he has started all but one of Brentford's 32 league games.

The 24-year-old, who scored in the Bees' first game of the season, has had just one barren patch, failing to score in a run of six matches from the start of December to the beginning of January.

But that New Year's Day blank against Tottenham was followed by five goals in his next two games and he has scored more Premier League goals in 2026 than any other player.

His form was rewarded with his first international cap last month and last weekend he became the first Brazilian to score 20 Premier League goals in a season.

Now just one goal behind Erling Haaland this season, could he go on to become the first man from his country to win the Premier League Golden Boot?

Fulham impress against west London rivals

This week marked the 25th anniversary of Fulham's first promotion to the Premier League – there have been ups and downs since then but three consecutive mid-table finishes have firmly established Fulham as a top-flight club.

There have also been ups and downs in 2025-26, in which the Cottagers have been inconsistent, but a strong finish to the season could mean a new club record points total for the second consecutive campaign and possible qualification for Europe.

Fulham have struggled on the road recently, winning just one of their seven Premier League away games in 2026. Only Tottenham and Wolves have collected fewer points on the road since the turn of the year than the Cottagers' five.

But while it's an away fixture, it's also pretty close to home, with fewer than five miles separating Craven Cottage from the Gtech Community Stadium.

So rather than dwelling on their poor away form, Fulham may prefer to focus on their good recent record against their west London neighbours – they have won the last three meetings.

I was a bit disappointed with the way Fulham played at Anfield last week, because I thought they might nick something against Liverpool.

They beat Brentford earlier in the season, and did the double over them in 2024-25, so it will be interesting to see how Marco Silva's side play here - there is a danger their season might be fizzling out a bit.

I was right when I went for Brentford to share the points against Everton, which was their fourth draw in a row.

The Bees are still in with a chance of making the Champions League places so they will be disappointed with the way they let the three points slip away in that game, but you can probably guess which result I am going for here.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at the Gtech Community Stadium (12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Andrews confirmed Aaron Hickey will be available for the visit of the Cottagers: "He's been missing for a number of weeks, so it will be nice to get him back involved. He was close last weekend, but he's had a good week's training."

• Jordan Henderson is also nearing a return: "Jordan probably back next. I'm not entirely sure. I don't particularly like putting a timescale on things because sometimes it's unrealistic. He's not too far away, maybe over the next couple of weeks."

• However, Rico Henry and Vitaly Janelt remain out with hamstring and metatarsal problems respectively: "The other two just aren't ready right now, we'll see. We've got five or six weeks left of the season and hopefully they can play a part."

• Mikkel Damsgaard was replaced at half-time in last weekend's draw against Everton with illness but will "come back in this week", while Kaye Furo missed that game with "a slight groin strain" and "won't be involved this week".

• Josh Dasilva has been "building really well behind the scenes" as he continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury: "As you can imagine, that's not an easy one for obvious reasons. He's been out for such a long time but he's been working really well. I don't want to put added pressure on him, but I'm really excited about getting him back involved because I value him hugely."

• On a big west London derby: "We've got fans that work here who, from the second I came in, were very forthright about the important games. In recent seasons we haven't got the better of them and that doesn't sit well with me."

• On the final six games of the season as the Bees look for a historic European finish: "Six really big games left, three at home and three away. A huge London derby tomorrow and we want to go all out to win that. Whatever happens this season we will have achieved a certain amount but I want us to achieve a lot more."

• Reflecting on the 2-2 draw against the Toffees and his side's recent good form, Andrews said: "We've been very difficult to beat for a good couple of months but we want more. That's the way we are wired; we want to push and strive to try and achieve as much as we can. We felt like we dropped two points against Everton."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Brentford? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Brentford's current injury situation and whether you think it will have an impact on the club's push for European football.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Peter: It might seem like sacrilege, but I'm not too fussed about qualifying for Europe. It would only damage our prospects of staying in the Premier League. The injury concerns only support my contention that we're not yet strong enough to support participation in Europe, as much as I would love to see it eventually.

Colin: If the youngsters on the bench are good enough to be there, injuries or not to other squad members, give them a go during a match. You never know what might happen. In the words of Del Boy, he who dares wins!

Mark: The small size of our squad has been a continuing problem when it comes to injuries. Should we qualify for Europe this season, the problem would probably be exacerbated by the increase in the number of games we would have to play. Money needs to be found from somewhere to buy more players.

Brentford are heading into the final six games of the season with European football very much in their grasp, but head coach Keith Andrews has found himself juggling a lengthy injury list.

The Bees were relatively unscathed in the early stages of this campaign, but a glut of injuries have hit in recent weeks.

According to website Premier League Injuries, external, only Tottenham have more in the the treatment room than the west London club.

It is a less than ideal situation, especially as the top five teams are set to qualify for the Champions League, sixth place will secure a Europa League spot and seventh place will be enough for the Conference League.

Andrews' side are currently seventh on 47 points - one point off sixth-placed Chelsea and level on points but with a better goal difference than eighth-placed Everton.

Long-term absentees include summer-signing Antoni Milambo and midfielder Fabio Carvalho, who Andrews confirmed are both recovering from anterior cruciate ligament injuries and will miss the rest of the campaign.

Josh Dasilva, who has barely featured in the past couple of campaigns due to various injuries and has not kicked a ball again this season, remains unavailable after damaging the ligaments in his right knee during a training session in February 2024.

However, the midfielder is reportedly back in "modified training" and could yet feature before the end of this term.

Other injury concerns include full-back Aaron Hickey (hamstring) and defensive midfielder Vitaly Janelt (metatarsal), who have both been unavailable since the Bees' 2-0 defeat by Brighton on 21 February.

In his pre-match news conference last week, Andrews confirmed Hickey is closer to a return than Janelt: "Aaron isn't too far away as he trained with the group this week. Vitaly is a bit further away, I don't know how long exactly."

However, it has all gone quiet regarding Rico Henry. The left-back, who was out for nearly two years before coming back this season, was sidelined with a hamstring injury back in March.

While Jordan Henderson is also "out for a few weeks" after picking up a knock on England international duty.

The spate injuries have left Brentford short of options at full-back and down to their last three fit central midfielders in Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen and Yehor Yarmoliuk.

With six pivotal games left to play, Andrews would certainly welcome having a few more players at his disposal between now and the end of the season.

What do you think about the current situation? How how big an impact will the injury pile-up have on the club's fight for European football?

Let us know your thoughts here

Image source, Getty Images

Two Premier League heavyweights are set to face each other this weekend at Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City host Arsenal.

Both teams go into the fixture with different targets. For Mikel Arteta's side, it is about extending their lead at the top of the table. For Pep Guardiola's side, it is about closing the gap and keeping themselves in the title race.

It is a fixture being labelled a title decider by some, so we want to know who you want to win this Sunday's match.

Will you be cheering on the Citizens or getting behind the Gunners?

Make your selection

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

If Brentford miss out on qualifying for Europe, then lack of squad depth will be one of the main reasons.

During the January transfer window we were fair to players who weren't getting any game time like midfielders Frank Onyeka, Yunus Konak, Paris Maghoma and Myles Peart-Harris in letting them leave either on loan or permanently.

Unfortunately those decisions have backfired on us as we are now desperately short in midfield.

Antoni Milambo, Fabio Carvalho and Josh Dasilva are long-term injury casualties, but Vitaly Janelt got injured in February and Jordan Henderson was hurt on recent England duty.

Mikkel Damsgaard played the first half against Everton despite suffering from illness and the only option to replace him was Reiss Nelson, who is a winger not a midfielder.

At Leeds, the bench had five teenagers on it and there were four on Saturday. In each game, Keith Andrews only made one substitution.

This is not blaming those players but, apart from Romelle Donovan, it would have been unfair to throw the others on given their inexperience.

Meanwhile, Everton made a triple substitution in the 74th minute on Saturday and although we retook the lead almost immediately, the fresh legs then swung the momentum in their favour.

Despite all this, we still got a point against the Toffees. It would almost have felt better at full-time if it had finished 1-1 as, having been 2-1 up going into stoppage time, not winning from there is more disappointing.

That makes it four consecutive Premier League draws for the first time. The away ones at Bournemouth and Leeds were decent results, but Saturday and the match with Wolves could ultimately prove costly.

But it's not all doom and gloom. We are still in contention for Europe and this weekend's derby with Fulham is even more important than usual.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Tom: Brentford played well but the squad is looking a little thin now. We're so close to being a really good team. I hope we can keep hold of Igor Thiago and Michael Kayode and add two or three decent first-team players next season, then I think we'll really be in the European race. This year is probably one season too soon.

Gabe: No more late goals, my heart can't cope.

Nigel: Poor from the Bees. To give possession away needlessly with 90 seconds left was pure, but avoidable, naivety. It happens a lot and we don't learn. We left far too many gaps for Everton to exploit. Their equaliser in the 91st minute was no surprise. Our squad is down to bare bones. Not sure if we have anything left to secure European berth.

Dave: When will the Bees ever learn how to hold on to a lead? Stupid mistakes cost us another game.

Everton fans

Ifan: As my late dad said, "an away draw is always a good result", and I'll always stand by that. Well done Everton!

Paul: Probably a fair result overall. Not Everton's best away performance by any stretch. But spirit to score a late winner shows the fight in the squad.

Colin: Once again, great resilience and determination from the players who respond well to everything David Moyes asks of them. It's such a relief to be in the position we're in today compared to the past few years.

Kenneth: A hard-won point. European football still on.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 2-2 Everton

• Burnley 0-2 Brighton

• Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

Brentford boss Keith Andrews, speaking to BBC Sport after his side drew with Everton: "We wanted to attack the game and try to win. That's the nature of every game. When you're winning going into injury time you feel like you're in a good position.

"We worked hard to get into that position. We played well in the second half until we scored. The equaliser was disappointing for us."

What could they learn from this? "Lots. The nature of it is we are a very young side in the main - managing games and moments. We weren't under severe pressure. It wasn't like Caoimhin [Kelleher] was producing save after save. I'm proud of what the players did today and we should have won the game.

"The first half we played well without being brilliant. Dams [Mikkel Damsgaard] wasn't well. It was a risk playing him - he had disrupted sleep - and that affected our energy. We were slow and laboured. Second half I really liked the look of us."

On Igor Thiago: "He's in an amazing place with how he's playing. There's a confidence and rhythm to his game. To play for his national team was his dream. We always have full confidence in him. He's always involved. He gives a platform for us to play off. He's amazing in both boxes. The work-rate off the ball. He's on that upward trajectory – all the things that make a complete centre forward."

Did you know?

• Brentford's Igor Thiago became the first Brazilian to score 20 or more Premier League goals in a season.

• Having scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture and two goals at home against Everton, Igor Thiago is the first player to score five or more goals against the Toffees in a Premier League season.

Timothy Abraham
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The battle to qualify for Europe is getting tight at the business end of the season, and after four consecutive draws the Brentford might reflect on this result as an opportunity missed.

Yet as the margins get finer, they have a player in Igor Thiago to provide the cutting edge and cool head required to keep them in the hunt in what remains of the campaign.

The 24-year-old, who bagged a hat-trick in Brentford's away win over Everton in January, scored the Bees' fastest goal of the season when he struck from the spot after three minutes.

It ensured he also became the first Brazilian player to reach the milestone figure of 20 goals in the Premier League.

His 21st goal was decidedly more fortuitous, but it meant he now has the best haul by a Brentford player in a Premier League season - overtaking a record jointly held by Ivan Toney (2022-23) and Bryan Mbeumo (2024-25).

It's not just his goals that are crucial either - against Everton he dropped deep and tried to create openings for his team-mates.

Given he had to wait until he was 17 to sign for a club, having faced several rejections at trials around Brazil, Thiago is not the kind of player to coast to the finish.

He could help Brentford secure European football for the first time in their history and potentially earn a spot in Carlo Ancelotti's World Cup squad, having scored his first goal for Brazil during the recent international break.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Everton's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Brentford boss Keith Andrews makes two changes from the side which drew 0-0 with Leeds in their last Premier League outing.

Dango Ouattara and Mikkel Damsgaard are both recalled to the starting line-up for the visit of the Merseyside club.

Jordan Henderson and Ethan Pinnock the players to miss out for the Bees.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Lewis-Potter, Collins, Van den Berg, Kayode, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Damsgaard, Ouattara, Thiago

Subs: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson, Owen

David Moyes sticks with 10 of the Everton players who were part of the side which claimed a 3-0 home win over Chelsea last time out.

The only change to the side is in defence with Jarrad Branthwaite preferred to Michael Keane, who drops to the bench.

Striker Thierno Barry and Tyrique George are also named among the Everton subs.

Everton XI: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Garner, Gueye, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil, Beto

Subs: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Barry, George, Dibling, Coleman, Rohl, Iroegbunam

Image source, BBC Sport

Now we know that fifth place gets you into next season's Champions League, both of these teams must be thinking they have got a chance.

They are level on 46 points in seventh and eighth, and the way the teams immediately above them, Liverpool and Chelsea, are playing then you don't feel it is beyond Brentford or Everton to catch them.

Who would have thought last summer that there was the possibility of Everton finishing above Liverpool this season? It could happen though, and next weekend's Merseyside derby is going to be very interesting.

Everton have to go to west London first, though. I was horribly wrong when I predicted the reverse of this game at Hill Dickinson Stadium in January. I went for a 1-0 Toffees win and the Bees won 4-2.

This time? It will be a lot closer. Yes, I know I am sitting on the fence but there is a predictions title at stake for me here, so I am going to follow form and say Brentford will get their fourth draw in a row.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

There are four games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Arsenal v Bournemouth (12:30)

• Brentford v Everton (15:00) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Burnley v Brighton (15:00) - Listen on Sports Extra 2

• Liverpool v Fulham (17:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Brentford v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Fulham".

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford host Everton on Saturday afternoon with both teams targeting European football next season.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford and Everton are currently locked on 46 points in the Premier League table – currently three points off the Champions League place of fifth – with the Bees a place ahead on goal difference in seventh.

Brentford were convincing winners when they travelled to Merseyside in January, running out 4-2 victors to end a six-game winless run against the Toffees in the Premier League.

Keith Andrews side have lost just once in their eight most recent league outings although they've only won one of the past six.

Draws have instead been the order of the day, with Brentford facing the prospect of four in a row for the first time as a Premier League side.

A goal from striker Igor Thiago may be needed if Brentford are to get back to winning ways. He needs just one more to tie the club Premier League record of 20 in a single season, currently held by Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo.

Thiago scored a hat-trick against Everton earlier this season and the superlative form of such a standout striker may be the cause of some envy in the visitor's dugout.

Everton are enjoying a resurgent season of their own as they also target European qualification, although the Toffees have done so largely without the services of a top-level striker.

Thierno Barry has improved over the course of the campaign while Beto's performance in scoring two goals in the win against Chelsea last time out was hailed as his best showing in an Everton shirt by manager David Moyes, but Everton's two centre forwards have still only totalled 12 league goals between them in comparison to Thiago's 19.

Everton have still found a way to shrug off recent relegation battles and financial difficulties to pursue Moyes' goal of a European place - only Arsenal and Manchester United have amassed more points than Everton's 21 since matchday 19.

The 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on 14 March was a first away from home for the Toffees in 2026 but their form on the road has generally been excellent.

They have picked up 41 points in away games since Moyes returned to the club in January 2025, second only to the Gunners, winning four of the past six.

If Everton are to avenge their comprehensive loss to Brentford three months ago, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could once again be key.

Pickford made one of the saves of the season, external to earn Everton their most recent away victory at Newcastle in February and, based on expected goals on target, the 32-year-old has prevented 24 since the start of 2022-23 – nine more than any other Premier League keeper.