Whatever happens, Brentford have exceeded expectations

Dango Ouattara and Keane Lewis-Potter dropped to the floor at the end of Brentford’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday. After being outplayed by their opponents, Brentford should have been pleased with the result. But, despite Ouattara’s late equaliser, there was a sense of deflation.

For the second year in a row, Brentford had failed to win their final home game of the season and dropped points, which could ruin their dream of qualifying for European competition for the first time in their history. It felt awkward watching head coach Keith Andrews give a brief speech on the pitch and see the squad embark on a lap of appreciation in front of a disappointed fanbase.

However, whatever happens, Brentford have exceeded expectations this season.

They are in a great position to secure a top-10 finish for the third time since they were promoted after winning the Championship play-off final in 2021. Missing out on European football would be sting, but it is important to look at the bigger picture.

On the opening day of the season, Brentford were losing 3-0 to Nottingham Forest at half-time. They were being ripped apart by Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Dan Ndoye. It was the worst possible start for Andrews in his first game as a senior head coach, having stepped up from looking after Brentford’s set-pieces during the 2024-25 campaign to replace Tottenham Hotspur-bound Thomas Frank, the Dane departing after nearly seven years in charge.

During that match, summer signing Antoni Milambo looked out of his depth and was replaced at half-time by Kevin Schade, and Lewis-Potter looked uncomfortable on the right wing after previously excelling as a left wing-back.

Yoane Wissa, who scored 19 top-flight goals the previous season, was not in the squad as he pushed for a move away, while former captain Christian Norgaard, star forward Bryan Mbeumo and first-choice goalkeeper Mark Flekken had already secured moves to Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

It seemed as if Brentford had gone through too many changes too quickly. But since then, Andrews has made a mockery of suggestions he was a poor appointment.

Keith Andrews replaced Thomas Frank in the summer (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

Brentford, currently eighth in the table and three points adrift of sixth-placed Bournemouth who have a game in hand, head into the final game of the season against Liverpool at Anfield with the chance of recording the club’s highest finish in the top flight since the 1937-38 season, when they finished sixth.

This season they have beaten Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa, and took a point against league leaders Arsenal in February. Michael Kayode’s long throw-ins have caused problems for opponents, including Palace on Sunday, but they have also scored fantastic goals through clever passing moves involving Igor Thiago, Jordan Henderson and Ouattara.

They have lost momentum since their dramatic 4-3 victory over Burnley on February 28, drawing six of their next nine games, winning one and losing twice. This is partially because they do not have enough quality options from the bench — Milambo and Fabio Carvalho both suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries before December, ruling them out for the rest of the season, while Reiss Nelson has not started a league game since he arrived from Arsenal on loan in September due to a series of fitness issues.

Brentford should hopefully avoid a repeat of last summer’s turmoil. Vitaly Janelt’s deal was due to expire in June but he extended his stay for four more years, along with Kristoffer Ajer. Last week, they completed the signing of Austria Under-21 international Jannik Schuster from Red Bull Salzburg.

At the beginning of February, top scorer Thiago agreed a new contract until 2031. A couple of weeks later, Andrews signed a new six-year contract and during his end of season speech praised the club’s senior figures, including owner Matthew Benham.

“When you become a head coach, a manager, I don’t think there is anyone better in the business,” the former Republic of Ireland international said during his post-match speech. “If Carlsberg did owners, it would be Matt so thank you very much.”

“Sometimes, it’s not actually getting involved, sometimes it’s allowing you to breathe and not feeling like you’re being micromanaged,” Andrews added in his post-match press conference. “The trust, again, go back to that word that they have in me and that I feel from them, is the biggest example of that in terms of how we work as a dynamic.”

Brentford’s squad contains a strong blend of players who helped establish them in the Premier League and an exciting crop of talent with the potential to take them to the next level.

After everything that happened last summer, qualifying for Europe would probably put Brentford ahead of schedule. Their fans will be hoping Caoimhin Kelleher and Henderson can spoil Mohamed Salah’s farewell on their return to Anfield to cap an impressive season which started so ominously.