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At the Gtech Community Stadium this Saturday, two struggling teams will face each other in the Premier League as Brentford hosts Burnley. Both squads experienced the disappointment of losing after initially taking the lead in their recent matches. The Bees endured a heart-wrenching 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United, while the visitors were handed a heavy 4-1 loss by Chelsea.
Before their showdown at Old Trafford two weekends ago, neither Manchester United nor Brentford were performing exceptionally well in the Premier League. During the match, the Bees' fans briefly reveled in a dreamlike state at the Theatre of Dreams when Mathias Jensen scored in the first half. However, none of the Red Devils' attackers could breach Thomas Frank's defense. In the 87th minute, with his final substitution, Erik ten Hag introduced Scott McTominay, who, in injury time, scored two incredible goals to secure a victory for Manchester United and leave Brentford with a bitter defeat.
McTominay's 97th-minute header might not have been the most powerful shot, but it sailed past Thomas Strakosha's desperate reach, bringing joy to the home crowd while leaving Frank to lament the harsh reality of professional football as his team's winless streak continued. Brentford has not won a game in six consecutive Premier League matches, with three draws and three losses in that period. They currently sit in 15th place, with just a three-point gap separating them from their 18th-placed opponents this weekend.
Brentford's last victory in a competitive fixture was against Newport County in an August EFL Cup match. Although they have managed to score in all their Premier League games at the Gtech Community Stadium in 2023, they are one of five teams in the league yet to win a home match this season, a situation shared by Burnley.
Just as they did against Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season, Burnley failed to capitalize on an early lead when Chelsea visited Turf Moor a fortnight ago. This resulted in their sixth loss of the season in a rather humbling manner. Burnley was quickly overwhelmed by a remarkable performance from Raheem Sterling. Ameen Al-Dakhil inadvertently scored an own goal from Sterling's cross, and Sterling also won a penalty that Cole Palmer converted. In the 65th minute, Sterling himself scored a well-deserved goal, sealing the result decisively.
To make matters worse for Vincent Kompany's team, Nicolas Jackson added insult to injury with a late goal. Burnley's return to the top flight has been far from smooth, with just four points out of a possible 24, placing them in the 18th spot and within the relegation zone. Only goal difference separates them from 17th-placed Luton Town, whom they defeated away from home on October 3 for their first Premier League win of the season. However, they have conceded a total of 20 goals, a statistic surpassed only by Sheffield United, who have allowed 22 goals.
During Sean Dyche's final season as manager, Burnley secured a 3-1 victory in their first-ever Premier League encounter with Brentford at Turf Moor. Yet, five months later, Brentford exacted their revenge, winning 2-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium, thanks to a late brace by Ivan Toney.
Aaron Hickey, a defender for Brentford, received his fifth caution of the Premier League season with just ten minutes remaining at Old Trafford. He will serve a one-game suspension this weekend and join long-term absentee Toney on the sin bin.
Due to Rico Henry's major knee injury, which further compounds Frank's full-back situation, Kristoffer Ajer may be used this weekend on the right side of the backline while Mads Roerslev switches to the left flank.
Mikkel Damsgaard (knee), Kevin Schade (groin), Josh Dasilva (hamstring), Shandon Baptiste (shoulder), and ex-Burnley players Ben Mee and Keane Lewis-Potter (calf) are also out, but first-choice goalkeeper Mark Flekken should have recovered from illness in time to replace Strakosha.
Michael Obafemi is currently recovering from hamstring surgery, so the Burnley physios also need to take care of a lot of other injured players. However, none of the other five patients using the treatment area have a good chance of returning to play.
Brentford will welcome Burnley in a Premier League match this Saturday, and both teams are seeking to ignite their campaigns. Currently facing similar challenges, it's expected to be a closely contested encounter, though Brentford is likely to have the advantage playing on their home turf.
Last season marked an unforgettable debut for Brentford, surprising everyone and securing a top-half finish. However, they've struggled to replicate that success in the early stages of this season, managing just one win in eight matches. Despite their poor results, manager Thomas Frank believes their performances deserve better.
In their last Premier League game before the international break, Brentford suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Manchester United. They had the lead for most of the match after an early goal from Mathias Jensen, but a late collapse cost them.
Brentford's Achilles heel has been their defense, often letting them down despite leading in most of their matches this season. They'll be eager to address this issue when facing newly-promoted Burnley on Saturday.
Burnley has also struggled this season, securing just one win. They seem to be grappling with the quality of the top-flight competition. Currently in the bottom three, they are four points behind 14th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, providing a glimmer of hope amidst their challenging start.
In their previous Premier League fixture, Burnley suffered a 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea. Despite an early goal by Wilson Odobert, they conceded four times to the Blues.
One slight positive for Burnley is their better performance on the road across all competitions this season. Their sole Premier League victory came as a 2-1 win at Luton Town, and they also secured a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.
While it is believed that Hjalmar Ekdal (knee), Jordan Beyer (knock), Benson Manuel (ankle), Johann Berg Gudmundsson, and Nathan Redmond (unspecified) are all close to returns, it is impossible to imagine any of the other four members of the group being put at danger right away.
Vitinho similarly appeared to be in worse shape when he left the field against Chelsea shortly after the hour mark, though Sterling's skill on the wings may have had something to do with it. If Kompany feels like a change, Connor Roberts is a ready-made option.
Brentford is set to welcome Burnley as the Premier League action resumes after the international break. Brentford finds themselves in 15th place, facing a challenging start with only seven points from a possible 24. They are eager for a victory, especially after surrendering one-goal leads in their last two matches. In their most recent outing before the break, they conceded two stoppage-time goals against Manchester United, resulting in a 2-1 loss. Prior to that, they drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest, letting a 1-0 lead slip away. The main issue for Brentford this season has been their leaky defense, as they've conceded 12 goals in eight league games, although they've managed to score 11 goals in the process. Notably, both teams have scored in six of their last eight matches in all competitions.
Burnley, like Brentford, is going through a tough period. Their return to the Premier League hasn't been impressive, with only one win in eight games. Despite scoring first in their recent match against Chelsea, they ended up losing 4-1. Their lone victory was a 2-1 result against Luton Town, giving them four points so far. Burnley has a chance to climb out of the relegation zone in this match, but they may be concerned about their defensive record. They've only kept clean sheets in the League Cup, against Nottingham Forest and Salford City. However, their scoring has been relatively consistent, having failed to score in just two of their last ten matches in all competitions. Their recent away form has been solid, with three wins in their last five away matches and only one loss.
