Brentford capped a fantastic first part of the 2022/23 season by stunning champions Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium before the World Cup break.
Thomas Frank’s men have managed to avoid sliding into a second-season slump and sit pretty in 10th spot in the standings. While no one really knows how teams will respond when Premier League action resumes again following the 2022 World Cup, the signs are all positive for Brentford.
That being said, here are three things we have learned from Brentford’s season so far.
#Giant killer
Brentford have proven to be some sort of giant killer this season. At the start of the season, the Bees mauled Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United 4-0 at home in what was arguably the best performance in the club’s history.
Thomas Frank’s side held a strong Chelsea side to a 0-0 draw in October, and on another day could have won the West London derby as they dominated Graham Potter’s side from start to finish. But the biggest shock came just at the cusp of the international break when Brentford stunned Man City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to an Ivan Toney brace.
Seven points from a possible nine against the likes of Man United, Chelsea and Man City is a superb return, one that shows that this Brentford team have the ability to smash any team on their day.
#Mikkel Damsgaard is yet to show his worth
Mikkel Damsgaard made his big break at the Euros in 2021, earning an exciting move to Brentford from Sampdoria earlier this summer.
Brentford paid €15m to sign Damsgaard from Sampdoria, which is a snip considering the talent he is. The west London club have proven to be savvy customers in the transfer market and the chances are that the move for the Denmark international will pay off one way or another.
There’s no doubting Damsgaard’s talent and potential, but he hasn’t had the best start to Premier League life. The 22-year-old is yet to produce a goal or an assist in nine Premier League games, demonstrating he has not really found his feet in a Brentford shirt yet.
Thomas Frank and Brentford fans would hope Damsgaard enjoys a solid World Cup campaign with Denmark and comes back as a better, improved and motivated player.
#Fluid attack
Brentford have scored 23 goals in 15 games, with Ivan Toney almost half of those. While Toney is the team’s chief source of goals, the Bees are a lot more than the England striker going forward.
In Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, Brentford have two really smart, diligent and quick forwards who can make a real difference on their day. Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard and Josh Dasilva have shown they can chip in with goals, while wing-backs Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey offer a lot going forward.
Frank’s side are a threat going forward, capable of scoring goals and stretching the opposition in different ways. The biggest positive for Brentford has been how the players have consistently done well, with goals spread everywhere across the pitch.
