Brentford 2021-22 Premier League Preview
Can the Bees stay in top tier?
After beating Swansea City in the 2021 EFL Championship play-off final in May, Thomas Frank’s Brentford booked their place in the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. The Bees’ first ever Premier League game will see them go up against fellow Londoners Arsenal at the Brentford Community Stadium on 13th August.
Naturally, Brentford are one the favourites for the drop. It will be fascinating to see how Frank’s talented team fare in the top tier after two excellent seasons in the Championship. Can Brentford stay in the Premier League? We have the latest betting odds and predictions.
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Table of Contents
- 1 2020-21 Review: Bees win the play-offs
- 2 2021-22 Fixtures: Frank’s side open with London derby
- 3 Brentford Transfer News: Not many new faces
- 4 Who Are City’s Biggest Challengers: Bees embroiled in a relegation battle?
- 5 Norwich City Preview: Can the Championship champions survive?
- 6 Watford Preview: Will the Hornets make an impression under Munoz?
- 7 Crystal Palace Preview: Will Vieira be successful at Selhurst?
- 8 Burnley Preview: Can Dyche’s Clarets continue to defy the odds?
- 9 Brentford players to watch out for in the 2021-22 season: Toney to replicate his Championship form?
- 10 Our Brentford Predictions: Frank’s men to stay up
2020-21 Review: Bees win the play-offs
After losing the 2020 Championship play-off final to rivals Fulham, Brentford took time to recover and settle down at the start of the 2020-21 campaign. They began with a 1-0 loss at Birmingham City. Then on matchday four, the Bees let a 2-0 lead slip to lose 4-2 at home to Preston North End. Frank’s troops had a mixed start, winning three, losing three and drawing one of their opening seven.
After a 3-2 loss to Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on 24th October, Brentford went on a remarkable 21-game unbeaten run to fire themselves up the Championship table. During that superb spell, the Londoners racked up 13 wins and drew eight. Over a two-month period from December to February, the Bees won eight and drew one of nine.
After four straight victories, Brentford suffered a shock 2-0 home reverse to Barnsley in mid-February. That was the start of a three-match losing streak, which saw them slip out of the race for automatic promotion. However, Brentford lost just one more regular season game after that, winning eight and drawing six of the other 14.
Frank’s men went up against Jonathan Woodgate’s Bournemouth in the play-off semi-final. After a 1-0 loss to the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium, Brentford went through to the final with a 3-1 home victory in the 2nd leg. In the Championship final at Wembley Stadium, first-half goals from Ivan Toney and Emiliano Marcondes gave them a deserved 2-0 win and a place in the 2021-22 Premier League.
2021-22 Fixtures: Frank’s side open with London derby
Brentford get the new season up and running on the Friday night when they welcome Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to the Brentford Community Stadium. They then have another London derby straight after, as Frank takes his troops to Selhurst Park to play Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace. It may be early days, but that already looks like a huge game.
In October, the Bees will take on Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester City in an extremely tough month. Their first fixture against Premier League champions Manchester City will take place just after Christmas. The reverse game at the Etihad Stadium is scheduled for February.
In the last five fixtures of the season, the Bees face the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Everton. Their final match will see them go up against Leeds United at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Brentford Key Facts
- Brentford will play Premier League football for the first time this season
- The Bees finished third in the Championship last term, collecting 87 points
- The Londoners moved into their new home a year ago
- They were Second Division champions way back in 1935 but have never won the top flight
Brentford Transfer News: Not many new faces
Brentford have not made too many changes to their playing squad. Apart from the capture of Frank Onyeka from Midtjylland, the Bees have been relatively quiet. However, Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer is reportedly on the brink of joining the club.
Emiliano Marcondes – who scored in the play-off final win over Swansea – has left the English capital after his contract expired. Luke Daniels’ contract is also up, while Aaron Pressley has joined Wimbledon on loan, and Henrik Dalsgaard has left on a free to Midtjylland.
Who Are City’s Biggest Challengers: Bees embroiled in a relegation battle?
Brentford are likely to be one of the teams in a relegation scrap this season. Several promoted clubs have found the step up in quality too hot to handle and have suffered an instant return to the Championship – Brentford will be desperate to avoid that, as will Norwich and Watford.
The bookies have the three promoted teams at their favourites for the drop, while the likes of Crystal Palace and Burnley have also been tipped for a season of struggle.
Norwich City Preview: Can the Championship champions survive?
After winning the Championship title with ease last season, Norwich City are gearing up for another year in the Premier League. They only lasted one season when they were last in the top tier following promotion, but can Daniel Farke’s men survive this time around?
The Canaries have also been busy in the transfer market, bringing in a whole host of new players. Plenty have left Carrow Road, too. As you expect, City are one of the favourites for the drop, but can they prove their doubters wrong?
Watford Preview: Will the Hornets make an impression under Munoz?
Watford are also back in the Premier League after just one year away. The Hornets finished runners-up to Norwich in the EFL Championship last season, racking up an impressive 91 points in the process. However, they are one of the favourites for relegation this term.
Xisco Munoz has been an extremely busy man in the summer, bringing the likes of Danny Rose, Josh King and Ashley Fletcher to Vicarage Road. Watford’s transfer business might not be done and dusted just yet. Can Munoz build a squad capable of staying in the Premier league this season?
Crystal Palace Preview: Will Vieira be successful at Selhurst?
Patrick Vieira is back in the English capital after being appointed new Crystal Palace manager following Roy Hodgson’s departure. The former Arsenal man was a hero at Highbury, but how will he fare in London as a boss in the Premier League?
After several players have headed for the exit door, the Palace team will look completely different this season. Vieira will no doubt be a busy man from now until the end of the transfer window. Can the Eagles avoid a relegation battle this term?
Burnley Preview: Can Dyche’s Clarets continue to defy the odds?
Since arriving back in the Premier League, Sean Dyche’s Burnley have done exceptionally well to have kept themselves afloat. Before a ball is kicked each year, the Clarets are among the favourites for the drop, and this season is no different.
Burnley have let a few of their old heads go in the summer, including Ben Gibson and Robbie Brady, who left after his contract at Turf Moor expired. The Clarets have proved the critics wrong in recent years – can they do the same this season?
Brentford players to watch out for in the 2021-22 season: Toney to replicate his Championship form?
After Ollie Watkins moved on to Aston Villa, Brentford wasted no time in persuading Ivan Toney to sign on the dotted line at the Brentford Community Stadium. The Northampton-born ace had been prolific for Peterborough United in the third tier.
To say Toney was a hit would be the understatement of the century. The striker would go on to become the bargain of the summer as he hit the ground running in west London. Toney topped the Championship scoring charts with an exceptional 31 goals to his name. He was also on target in the play-off semi and final.
During his days with Newcastle United, Toney made just two Premier League appearances back in the 2015-16 campaign. He then dropped to EFL League One before finding his feet in the Championship with Brentford. Toney will no doubt play a vital role for the Bees this season, but will his goals keep them up?
Our Brentford Predictions: Frank’s men to stay up
Winning promotion to secure Premier League football for the first time can be a daunting and equally exciting prospect for many a team. This Brentford side will relish the underdogs tag and are sure to cause a few upsets along the way.
They could do with a few more signings before kicking off their season against the Gunners, but they have a real togetherness in their current squad, which bounced back from play-off heartache to finally get the job done last term.
With Premier League football and a new stadium, these are certainly exiting times for Brentford Football Club and its fans. Paddy Power have them priced at 8/11 to stay up and 6/5 to be relegated. We fancy the Bees to avoid the dreaded drop this season.
