For the first time in 75 years, Brentford will be competing in the top flight of English football following their promotion from the Championship last season.
The Bees are in high spirits and their fans are hopeful that they can compete among the big boys in the Premier League, with plenty of mouth-watering encounters to look forward to.
Here, Sports Mole previews Brentford's 2021-22 campaign and takes an in-depth look at what the supporters can expect during the course of the season.
© Reuters
FIXTURES
The first game of the 2021-22 campaign gets underway at the Brentford Community Stadium on August 13, when the Bees face three-time Premier League winners Arsenal, a side they have only faced competitively once in the last 74 years.
Brentford then stay in London for their first away match, with a trip to Crystal Palace a week later before rounding off the month of August with a visit to Aston Villa, managed by former Bees boss Dean Smith.
A run of 10 games between October 30 and Boxing Day will see the Bees face just two of last season's top eight sides, and Thomas Frank will be keen to accumulate points during this period if they are to avoid a potential relegation scrap.
Brentford's final game of 2021 is a home encounter with champions Manchester City, before big away visits to Anfield, the Etihad Stadium, the Emirates, Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford are to come in the second half of the season. Their final game of the campaign is on home soil against Leeds United, with Bees fans hoping that their top-flight status is secure before then.
> Click here to see all of Brentford's 2021-22 fixtures
SUMMER SIGNINGS
© Reuters
In
Kristoffer Ajer (£13.5m, Celtic)
Frank Onyeka (£9m, FC Midtjylland)
Myles Peart-Harris (£1.4m, Chelsea)
Out
Emiliano Marcondes (free transfer, Bournemouth)
Henrik Dalsgaard (free transfer, FC Midtjylland)
Luke Daniels (free agent)
Ellery Balcombe (loan, Burton Albion)
Total spent to date: £23.9m
Total received to date: £0m
Net transfer balance: -£23.9m
SQUAD
© Reuters
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Patrik Gunnarsson, Nathan Shepperd
Defenders: Dominic Thompson, Rico Henry, Charlie Goode, Ethan Pinnock, Pontus Jansson, Julian Jeanvier, Mads Sorensen, Mads Roerslev, Luka Racic, Lewis Gordon, Kristoffer Ajer
Midfielders: Christian Norgaard, Mathias Jensen, Josh Dasilva, Tariqe Fosu-Henry, Shandon Baptiste, Vitaly Janelt, Jan Zamburek, Maxwell Haygarth, Mads Bidstrup, Frank Onyeka, Myles Peart-Harris
Forwards: Sergi Canos, Marcus Forss, Joel Valencia, Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo, Saman Ghoddos, Halil Dervisoglu, Aaron Pressley, Alex Gilbert
> Click here for full details of Brentford's 2021-22 squad
STRONGEST XI
STAR PLAYER – Ivan Toney
© Reuters
It is fair to say that Ivan Toney will be vital to Brentford's attack this season, after an exceptional 2020-21 campaign in front of goal. The 25-year-old scored 31 goals in the regular Championship season before finding the net on two more occasions in the playoffs, taking his overall tally to 33, which is a record for an individual player in the second tier.
After developing his game in the lower divisions with several clubs including Wigan Athletic, Scunthorpe United and Peterborough United, Toney made the switch to Brentford last summer, a move which helped elevate his game to another level. The Englishman now gets a chance to test his striking abilities against many of the best clubs in the world.
Toney is now Brentford's talisman, the player they rely on in the final third, and if he can have another successful year in front of goal, then he could not only help pull the Bees away from a potential relegation battle, but also earn himself an England call-up, something which former teammate Ollie Watkins was able to achieve after an impressive first season in the top flight.
MANAGER – Thomas Frank
© Reuters
Brentford's success over the past few seasons has largely been down to the impact Thomas Frank has had as head coach. The 47-year-old has played a key role in converting a below-average Bees outfit into one of the strongest teams in the second tier.
His attractive style of play made Brentford one of the top-scoring sides in the Championship and he will be hoping that they can carry their momentum into the Premier League this season.
Frank, who studied sports psychology at the Copenhagen Institute of Sports Medicine, began his coaching journey with youth teams in his homeland of Denmark, before joining Brentford as an assistant coach to Dean Smith.
Smith's departure to Aston Villa in 2018 then resulted in the Bees promoting Frank as the club's new manager. Frank had a rocky start to life in west London, winning just one of his first 10 games in charge. However, since then Frank has stabilised his team, transforming them into one of the most exciting football clubs to watch in English football.
The club's faith in Frank's philosophy has never wavered and the Dane became the first manager to guide the Bees into the top flight since Harry Curtis back in 1935.
LAST SEASON – 3rd in Championship - promoted via the playoffs
© Reuters
In a unique and challenging season like no other, Brentford finally secured promotion from the Championship after seven years in the division.
The Bees finished in third place, claiming 24 wins and 15 draws from their 46 league games, which earned them a place in the playoffs. Despite losing 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final to Bournemouth, Frank's men came out on top in the reverse fixture, winning 3-1 on home soil.
Brentford then made the trip to Wembley for the second successive season, having lost in the playoff final to London rivals Fulham a year earlier. This time, however, there was plenty to celebrate as they beat Swansea City 2-0 in May, reaching the promised land for the first time in their history.
Frank has certainly moulded his side into an entertaining outfit. The Bees finished as the Championship's top scorers in the last two campaigns, netting 159 goals in total during the regular seasons.
PREDICTION
Everything points towards Brentford being a welcome addition to the Premier League. The Bees solidified last season and they are determined to build on the foundations that have enabled them to get this far.
For the first summer in a while, they have not had to worry about losing their best players to bigger clubs. They have a talented core group who seem destined to take the step up in the top flight.
Tactically smart and packed with potential, Brentford fully deserve their place in the Premier League and they may well have the quality to survive.
Replicating such a successful first year in the top flight, as Sheffield United and Leeds United managed to achieved in recent seasons, is unlikely but avoiding relegation, which is certainly their priority, will be a realistic ambition for the Bees this campaign.
VERDICT: 16th
