An away clash with Leeds United is on the cards for Brentford on Sunday, as Thomas Frank’s men aim to make four Premier League wins on the bounce.
The Bees are buzzing at the moment and have beaten West Ham, Liverpool and Bournemouth in their last three Premier League games. Thomas Frank’s side did suffer the disappointment of exiting the FA Cup early at the hands of West Ham but they should be proud of their performances overall since the resumption of the season last month.
The west Londoners have a great chance to continue their winning moment against a struggling Leeds side, who are on a five-game winless run in the league.
Brentford Team News
Pontus Jansson and Frank Onyeka are currently out with hamstring problems for Brentford. Shandon Baptiste and Aaron Hickey are closing in on a return after featuring in a recent friendly, while Rico Henry will be available for selection again following his calf injury.
Predicted Brentford Lineup vs Leeds United (3-5-2)
Goalkeeper
David Raya has been a strong performer in the Brentford goal this season. The Spaniard is a sure-shot starter against Leeds.
Defence
Thomas Frank is expected to revert to a three-man backline despite the 4-3-3 formation working well in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth in the last game. Lining up in a 3-5-2 system, Kristoffer Ajer, who played at right-back against Bournemouth, could be a part of the three-man defence alongside Ethan Pinnock and Ben Mee on Sunday.
The defensive triumvirate of Ajer, Mee and Pinnock must defend very well against an exciting Leeds attack to earn a clean sheet.
Midfield
Vitaly Janelt deputised well at left-back against Bournemouth but he should be back in his original position in midfield on Sunday. Janelt is expected to join Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen in the Brentford engine room as they try to disrupt Leeds’ rhythm in the centre of the park.
This means Josh Dasilva should drop down to the bench. Having recovered from a minor calf problem, Rico Henry should start at left wing-back, while Mads Roerslev hopes to enjoy a productive outing from the other flank. Henry and Roerslev will get plenty of spaces to exploit and hit Leeds fast on the counter.
Attack
An extra presence in midfield should see Yoane Wissa drop out of the starting XI, with Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney forming the two-pronged Brentford attack. Mbeumo and Toney have struck a great partnership between them in the last couple of seasons and will be looking to combine well to cause problems for the Leeds backline.
Wissa has shown time and again his ability to impact games off the bench, so he could prove a real handful in the second half against the home side if called upon by Frank.
