Two bottom-half battlers square off at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday following the international break, as Brentford host Burnley in the Premier League.
Both sides took the lead in their most recent matches only to fall to painful defeats, as the Bees suffered a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss at Manchester United, while the visitors were trounced 4-1 by Chelsea.
Match preview
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Neither Man United nor Brentford had been setting the Premier League alight heading into their Old Trafford showdown two weekends ago, where the Bees faithful were briefly in dreamland at the Theatre of Dreams thanks to a Mathias Jensen opener in the first half.
Not a single Red Devils attacker could unlock Thomas Frank's defence, but with his fifth and final throw of the substitution dice, Erik ten Hag introduced Scott McTominay in the 87th minute, and the flying Scotsman came up with a pair of incredible injury-time strikes to condemn Brentford to defeat.
McTominay's 97th-minute header was hardly the most venomous effort, but the ball sailed beyond Thomas Strakosha's futile reach and sparked delirium for the home crowd, while Frank was left to bemoan the "brutal" reality of professional football as his side's troubling winless streak continued.
Now without a triumph in six consecutive Premier League fixtures - drawing three and losing three top-flight encounters in that time - Brentford are sleepwalking towards the drop zone, currently occupying 15th place with just a three-point gap separating them from their 18th-placed visitors this weekend.
Not since overcoming Newport County on penalties in August's EFL Cup tie have Brentford come up trumps in a competitive fixture, and while they have scored in all of their Premier League games at the Gtech in 2023, they are one of five teams in the division yet to win a home match this term; Burnley can empathise in that regard.
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As was the case against Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season, when Lyle Foster's first-half goal preceded a Lilywhites onslaught, Burnley failed to build on an early lead when Chelsea paid a visit to Turf Moor a fortnight ago and suffered their sixth loss of the season in humbling circumstances.
The Clarets quickly succumbed to a Raheem Sterling masterclass, as Ameen Al-Dakhil turned the Englishman's cross into his own net before he won a penalty for Cole Palmer to convert, and the winger's deserved goal arrived in the 65th minute to put the result beyond any doubt.
Nicolas Jackson's late effort rubbed salt into the wounds for Vincent Kompany's team, whose return to the big time has been nothing short of a torrid affair so far; just four points from a possible 24 saw Burnley enter the hiatus lying in the relegation zone in 18th spot.
Nevertheless, only goal difference is separating Burnley from 17th-placed Luton Town, whom they defeated away from home on October 3 for their maiden top-flight win of the campaign, but a total of 20 goals conceded is only better than basement team Sheffield United, who have let 22 strikes fly past them.
During Sean Dyche's final season in charge, Burnley prevailed 3-1 in their first-ever Premier League meeting with Brentford at Turf Moor, but Frank's side completed their revenge mission five months later, winning 2-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium courtesy of a late Ivan Toney double.
Team News
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With just 10 minutes gone at Old Trafford, Brentford defender Aaron Hickey picked up his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season and will serve a one-game suspension this weekend, joining long-term absentee Toney on the naughty step.
Rico Henry's serious knee injury complicates Frank's full-back dilemma further, so Kristoffer Ajer could be deployed on the right-hand side of the backline this weekend, as Mads Roerslev takes his place on the left flank.
Kevin Schade (groin), Josh Dasilva (hamstring), Shandon Baptiste (shoulder), Mikkel Damsgaard (knee) and Keane Lewis-Potter (calf) will not make the cut either, while ex-Burnley man Ben Mee is close to returning from a muscular affliction, and first-choice goalkeeper Mark Flekken should have recovered from illness in time to displace Strakosha.
The Burnley physios also have a wealth of injured players to attend to, as Michael Obafemi is still recovering from hamstring surgery alongside Jordan Beyer, but four other treatment-room occupants are all in with slim chances of making themselves available.
Indeed, Hjalmar Ekdal (knee), Benson Manuel (ankle), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (calf) and Nathan Redmond (unspecified) are not thought to be too far away from comebacks, but it is difficult to see any member of the quartet being risked from the first whistle.
Right-back Vitinho also looked a little worse for wear as he came off just after the hour mark against Chelsea, although Sterling's wing wizardry may have played a part in that, and Kompany has a ready-made replacement in Connor Roberts if he fancies a change.
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Roerslev; Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Maupay, Wissa
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Roberts, Al-Dakhil, O'Shea, Taylor; Odobert, Brownhill, Berge, Koleosho; Amdouni, Foster
We say: Brentford 2-0 Burnley
Morale is not plentiful in either camp at the moment, and the likes of Odobert and Luca Koleosho would do well to target Brentford's full-backs amid Frank's defensive crisis.
However, not a single Premier League team has kept the Bees at bay at the Gtech in 2023, and Burnley's defensive shortcomings should rear their ugly heads for Kompany's side as Brentford finally pick up their first home win of the top-flight campaign.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
