Football Season Guide

After going on an extraordinary 21-game unbeaten streak and registering the Championship’s best scoring record, Brentford cliched Premier League promotion through playoffs for the first time in their history. Thomas Frank’s side played eye-catching attacking football and dominated by applying pressure high up the pitch, with the Danish coach being versatile in terms of formations used and switching from 3-5-2 to 4-3-3 during the season. Emiliano Marcondes, who scored in the playoff final against Swansea, left on a free transfer, but Brentford haven’t experienced any major departures for the time being. Meanwhile, they brought in Kristoffer Ajer to strengthen their defence, as well as talented midfielder Frank Onyeka. Most importantly, Brentford have retained the services of key players such as Ivan Toney, who scored a whopping 33 goals last season, as well as wingers Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos, both of whom shined in the Championship, but they will need to step up and prove they are Premier League material. Despite having already signed Onyeka, Brentford need to further strengthen their midfield to be able to compete in top-flight. Their attacking prowess is their main stength and may take teams by surprise at the start of the campaign, but a strong midfield can provide them with consistency – a crucial virtue for teams who want to stay out of danger.