Brentford
How Brentford built a model that kept delivering in the Premier League
Brentford’s structure, set pieces and recruitment kept them competing despite summer losses.
On a summer day last year, Billy Grant was writing a fan season preview for The Guardian and trying to be optimistic about Brentford.
The newspaper was not nearly as generous, placing the club 18th and expecting relegation. That view seemed understandable. Brentford had spent four years punching above its weight in the Premier League with one of the division’s smallest wage bills, but the summer had stripped the squad of Thomas Frank, Christian Nørgaard, Mark Flekken and Bryan Mbeumo. Yoane Wissa was on strike, Jordan Henderson arrived on a free transfer as the headline signing, and the attack was left leaning heavily on Igor Thiago, who had barely played in his first season because of a meniscus injury.
Keith Andrews, the set piece coach, replaced Frank. On paper, it looked like a gamble. Brentford then lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest on opening day, and Grant, who hosts the Beesotted podcast, admitted the mood was bleak. “They literally wiped the floor with us,” he says. “The fans were really concerned. We were rubbish. Thiago was terrible. Forest tore us to pieces.”
Nine months later, Brentford were at Anfield on the final day chasing Europa League qualification. A late Dango Ouattara header might have taken them there, but they finished ninth on goal difference. They had become one of the league’s most efficient teams from set pieces, while also showing they could score and win in different ways, including a 3-2 home victory over Liverpool in October.
The key to that consistency lies in Brentford’s structure. Owner Matthew Benham, an Oxford physics graduate who built Smartodds, has shaped the club around data since taking full control in 2012. Phil Giles, Cliff Crown and Lee Dykes form a back-office framework that decides style and recruitment, leaving the coach to train and manage the team. When Frank left, Brentford did not need a new philosophy. They needed someone who could execute theirs.
That is why Andrews, who had only been at the club for a year, fit so neatly. The directors all arrived at his name independently. As Dykes put it, “A no-brainer.”
Brentford’s history explains the logic. Benham’s early investment rescued a struggling club, and later decisions, including the promotion of Frank, showed the value of patience and continuity. The club has also built a reputation for identifying players and staff others overlooked, then turning them into key assets.
As Grant says, “Nothing seems to faze them.”
Arsenal
Premier League Gameweek 1 Team of the Week: early standouts across the opening weekend
Opening weekend standouts from Pickford, De Cuyper, Sangaré, Gvardiol and Chelsea’s revived attack.
The Premier League season opened with a busy first weekend and several individual displays immediately demanding attention. Chelsea’s refreshed attack helped shape the closing stages of the round, while a number of other clubs also produced performances that stood out for different reasons.
Everton’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Merseyside was not straightforward early on. The visitors started brightly, but poor finishing and Jordan Pickford kept them at bay. Pickford’s best moment came with a sharp save to deny Eddie Nketiah, and his contribution was among the best goalkeeping efforts of the weekend. Only Newcastle United debutant Lukáš Horniček prevented more goals on the opening weekend.
Brighton & Hove Albion also enjoyed a dominant afternoon, with Maxim De Cuyper pushed into a more advanced role in the demolition of Aston Villa. His energy caused constant problems, and he was directly involved in the move that led to Victor Lindelöf’s own goal before adding another by attacking the box with real purpose. That return earned him the Fantasy Premier League Player of the Week award and a 17-point haul.
There was also a memorable debut for Nobel Mendy, who marked his first appearance for Hull City by scoring against Manchester United. The defender helped his side make the most of set-pieces, and he finished the match with 12 clearances as Hull protected their two-goal cushion.
At Manchester City, Josko Gvardiol made the difference against Bournemouth after an opening spell in which City’s fluidity caused problems. He timed his run perfectly to meet Rayan Cherki’s pass and finish calmly beyond Đorđe Petrović, even if the effort was initially flagged offside.
Brentford had strong contributions from Keane Lewis-Potter and Mamadou Sangaré in their win over Tottenham Hotspur. Lewis-Potter struck early, while Sangaré’s debut showed exactly why the Bees committed a club-record fee for him. He linked play effectively, assisted the opener and was involved again for Brentford’s third.
Newcastle United also had reason to be encouraged by Yoane Wissa, whose all-round work helped drive their display against Liverpool. He was central to the transition that led to Joe Willock’s go-ahead goal after Cody Gakpo had drawn Liverpool level.
Chelsea’s own attacking momentum was reflected by Cole Palmer and João Pedro. Palmer looked sharp after a disrupted previous campaign, while João Pedro scored in under 30 seconds and later returned the favour for Palmer. He now appears to be the league’s strongest centre forward outside Erling Haaland.
Arsenal’s opening-night win over Coventry City also featured a debutant contribution, rounding off a weekend in which several new and familiar faces made a strong first impression.
Arsenal
Six early calls after the Premier League opener
Opening weekend produced statement wins, setbacks and early clues about where the season may head.
The Premier League has wasted little time in reminding everyone why pre-season certainty rarely survives opening weekend.
A composed Friday night start was followed by a string of heavy results and eye-catching shifts across Saturday and Sunday. For a division long billed as one of the most unpredictable in years, the first round of fixtures offered exactly that, forcing plenty of early assumptions into revision.
Arsenal made the clearest statement. Their 3-0 win over Coventry City was controlled, calm and entirely in keeping with a team defending a title. Coventry, in their first top-flight match in 25 years, were worn down gradually and given little encouragement. With the additions made this summer and an already deep squad, the champions look well placed to make another serious run at the top.
Aston Villa, by contrast, left the south coast with real concerns. Their defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion was severe, with the game effectively gone at 4-0 inside 31 minutes and João Gomes later sent off before half-time. Unai Emery has repeatedly found solutions in the past, but the scale of change around the squad means there is now a bedding-in process to manage.
Newcastle United also left their opener with more than frustration. A late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty denied them victory against Liverpool, yet Matthias Jassle’s influence was already visible. There is a clearer identity to their play, and the vertical approach looks suited to a team and support base that should respond to it.
Brentford, meanwhile, may have unearthed a major success in Mamadou Sangaré. The midfielder impressed in the 3-0 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur, and the praise from teammates has been immediate. Caoimhín Kelleher called him “superb,” while Keane Lewis-Potter described him as a “joy to play with.”
Among the promoted sides, Hull City and Ipswich Town both delivered encouraging responses after Coventry’s rough start. Hull beat Manchester United 2-0, while Ipswich edged Sunderland 2-1 late on. Neither club is under any illusion about the task ahead, but both showed enough to suggest they can compete.
At the other end of the conversation, Sunderland’s opening defeat will sharpen questions about a second-season hangover, while Arsenal’s brightest argument may already be individual acclaim. Martin Ødegaard is back, baby!
Arsenal
Ten Premier League Signings That May Have Gone Under the Radar
A closer look at the quieter Premier League transfers that have slipped past many observers.
Premier League clubs have already committed huge sums this summer, with the division’s spending said to have reached about $3 billion. Yet some of the moves have barely registered amid the wider noise of the 2026/27 season getting under way.
One of the quieter deals saw Arsenal add Illan Meslier on a free transfer. Once viewed as a major prospect at Leeds United, the French goalkeeper arrives after a difficult spell in which mistakes pushed him down to third choice. He did not play a minute last season, and he is expected to provide cover for David Raya alongside Kepa Arrizabalaga.
João Gomes also changed clubs without quite commanding the same attention as some of the bigger deals. After being linked with Manchester United and Atlético Madrid, he moved from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Aston Villa in a $46 million transfer completed the day after the World Cup final. The midfielder offers energy and force rather than creativity.
Bournemouth continued their pattern of shrewd recruitment by signing Álvaro Rodríguez, an ex-Real Madrid striker who produced seven goals and five assists for Elche in 2025/26. The 22-year-old adds depth as Bournemouth balance domestic and European commitments.
Brentford turned to Callum Wilson on a free transfer after West Ham United’s relegation. The 34-year-old scored seven league goals last season, all while starting only 11 matches, and now sits behind Igor Thiago in Keith Andrews’s plans.
Chelsea added Pep Chavarría for $21.6 million from Rayo Vallecano, while Crystal Palace brought in Takehiro Tomiyasu on a free after his injury-hit spell at Arsenal and brief time with Ajax. Everton also strengthened with Christian Nørgaard, who left Arsenal after helping them win the Premier League title.
Manchester United moved for free agent Karl Darlow as backup to Senne Lammens after loan exits for André Onana and Altay Bayındır. Newcastle United signed Aladji Bamba for $47 million, and Sunderland added Thomas Meunier in one of their few new arrivals.
