The international break has drawn to a close and Brentford return to Premier League action with a tough fixture against Newcastle, who will be seeking for three points on home turf after failing to pick up any against Liverpool or Brighton in their last two games.
Brentford have played four games so far this season in, winning one and drawing three putting them on a total six points. Thomas Franks men have proven their resilience and ability to adapt in the absence of star striker Ivan Toney. Forwards Bryan Mbuemo and Yohan Wissa have stepped up with the goals and will be the danger men for Newcastle to be aware of. Mbuemo is returning fresh from a successful international break with Cameroon and has been pivotal to the teams frontline offering versatility which defenders have struggled to cope with. His recent goal for the bees earnt them a point verses Bournemouth and was a highlight of the match with the skill he demonstrated to spin in behind and slot the ball home with beautiful composure. Whilst Brentford remain undefeated and have perhaps been unlucky to not snatch more points from their opening four games, they must look to the future as Newcastle pose a different challenge.
Eddies Howes team will want to bounce back from two disappointing results and what better place to do it then at home. Last season in this fixture Newcastle prevailed as 5-1 winners easing past the bees who crumbled after falling behind in the match. This game must be on the mind of the Brentford players and manager Thomas Frank who will have to change his approach from last season to try and secure the win. St James' Park brings an electric intimidating atmosphere something that can unsettle opposition players so only Saturday will tell if mentally the Brentford players can channel out the noise to put on a good show for travelling supporters. Champions League qualified Newcastle will provide a great test for Brentford who keep on proving why they belong in the Premier league with consistent pleasing to the eye performances.
Brentford have managed to invest well this transfer window bringing in record signing Nathan Collins from Wolves for 23 million. Collins alongside other players such as Rico Henry have been particular stand out performers, solidifying the bees backline and playing with admirable confidence. Collins signed in the summer after former club captain Pontus Jansson moved on with his career and with pressure on his shoulders Collins hasn't failed to settle in. His presence, physicality and understanding on how and when to play out from the back is something Frank will likely look for him to exploit against Newcastle who may apply some pressure from the front. Collins progresses play well and it will be exciting to see how he progress more across the season. This game will be a tactical match between two clever managers, both Eddie Howe and Thomas Frank have a lot of talent to work with and it's hard to predict what direction this game will go in.
It's a game that could be won or loss in the midfield, a good head-to-head to review would be Mathias Jensen and Newcastle's Italian powerhouse Sandro Tonali. Jensen is a very underrated player for the bees, defensively and offensively he has so far outperformed Tonali making five more tackles, two more interceptions and progressing play with four more forward passes. Tonali has played well but these two going up against each other will be something to keep an eye on. Who will spark the game to light with a moment of magic could it be one of these midfield maestros?
Brentford will have to be weary of Newcastle's clinical frontline, whilst the midfield battle is exciting with the likes of Alexander Isak on the pitch there is so much creativity and skilfulness that all Brentford players must remained switched on to as Newcastle can ramp up the heat when they want. It was a missed opportunity for Newcastle to not go on and beat a ten-man Liverpool the feeling of dropping these kind of points in such a competitive league is something Howe will use to inspire his players to try and break down a resistant Brentford who will look to counter in the other direction.
Newcastle vs Brentford commences on Saturday at 5:30 pm. The game can be watched on Sky Sports and isn't one to miss as it has the potential to be a thriller. Both teams are eager to win, will Brentford be able to perform on the St James' Park turf or will history repeat itself in the form of another defeat to Eddie Howes men.
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