Brentford

Here is a selection of the key facts and figures before Everton host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, 17:30 BST.

• Everton are looking to complete only their second league double over Brentford, previously doing so in the 1952-53 second division.

• None of the 10 league meetings between Everton and Brentford at Goodison Park have ended in a draw, with the Toffees winning seven of these to the Bees' three.

• Brentford have won their past two Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 18 combined. They last won three in a row in October and November.

• Bryan Mbeumo has been involved in nine goals in his past 10 Premier League starts (four goals, five assists), while Brentford have won 39% of their league games when the Cameroon international has started this season, compared to 12.5% when he has not.

• Brentford's Yoane Wissa has scored five goals in his past five Premier League away games, as many as he had in his previous 29 appearances on the road in the competition.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's trip to Everton in the Premier League.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Frank said he "hopes" Ivan Toney will be available for Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury but he is "not counting on" defender Aaron Hickey returning this season from his respective hamstring issue. He added that the Bees have no fresh injury concerns.

• On his side's campaign so far: "It's been a tough season - every [season]is in the Premier League, no matter where you are in the table. But this season in particular because of injuries and other things that have been happening."

• He conceded that losing Bryan Mbeumo to a long-term injury hindered his plans: "The big thing is we knew that we'd miss Ivan (Toney) for a big part of the season, and of course it was a loss, but I was confident when we went into the season and didn't buy another striker."

• More on the impact of playing without Toney and Mbuemo: "We got Neal [Maupay] in on loan to help the squad, but I thought the other players were good enough. But if you also take out the next player in line, which is Bryan, then it becomes a bit tricky."

• When asked whether Saturday's 5-1 win over Luton was a glimpse of life after Ivan Toney Frank said: "Potentially, let's see what happens with Ivan - but it's important to see the quality we have in the squad. It was promising."

• On the big win over the Hatters: "I think it was a statement win - we've had a few over the last few years. Not only in the fact we won but the way we performed throughout the game. Everything Luton threw at us we controlled and we were such a threat going forward."

Follow the rest of Thursday's Premier League news conferences

Live commentary of Everton v Brentford from 17:30 BST on Saturday on BBC Radio 5 Live

Manchester United are interested in Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney. The club believe the 28-year-old would bring experience and leadership to their dressing room. (90min), external

However, Tottenham could also make a £45m move for Toney, if there is a lack of competition for his signature. (GiveMeSport), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Brentford striker Neal Maupay has offered a tongue-in-cheek take on Antony's celebrations against Coventry City.

Maupay, who infamously mocked Tottenham midfielder James Maddison's goal celebration earlier this year, posted "not even I would do this" to BBC Match of the Day on X.

At the conclusion of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final shootout after a 3-3 draw following extra time, Antony was spotted cupping his ears in victory at the deflated Sky Blues players, despite coming on as a substitute when Manchester United were winning 3-0.

His behaviour was a stark contrast to that of captain Harry Maguire, who immediately went to shake the opposing players' hands.

Ex-Coventry forward Clinton Morrison also criticised Antony on BBC Radio 5 Live, saying: "He needs to concentrate on himself because he could be playing in the Championship next season."

And breathe…

Saturday was a great day to be a Brentford fan as we secured another season in the Premier League – barring a massive set of improbable results.

We have said all along that we were so low in the table because of our horrendous set of injuries, and the performance at Luton – easily our best of the season – proved just that.

With Bryan Mbeumo outstanding in the front three and Ethan Pinnock imperious at the back, and even in front of goal too, it showed just what we can do with a much stronger side.

I have said in this column in recent weeks that I thought 35 points would be enough to guarantee safety and we reached that mark by winning at Kenilworth Road.

It was clear the players and staff now think we are safe and the post-match scenes were reminiscent of those at Watford at a similar stage of our first Premier League season, when again an away victory secured our survival.

On Saturday, the players spent a long time celebrating with the fans at full-time, and the sight of owner Matthew Benham greeting them, Thomas Frank and his coaches as they left the field just confirmed the feeling of job done.

We are now unbeaten in five matches since the international break and it would be good to keep that momentum going for the final four games.

Saturday's win was achieved without the injured Ivan Toney. He has been great for the club – helping us win promotion and stay in the Premier League – and if this is to be his last season, I hope he features again at some point and produces a goalscoring farewell.

Ian Westbrook can be found on Beesotted podcast, external

Ruben Amorim remains Liverpool's number one target to replace Jurgen Klopp but Brentford manager Thomas Frank is being considered if the Portuguese goes elsewhere. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Monday, 22 April marks Earth Day - a day in the international calendar that provides the opportunity to reflect, make change and understand more about sustainability and the impacts of climate change.

Sport and football are not immune to these issues and there has been increasing awareness of their relationship to the environment over the past few years.

Football has a global footprint and, as it continues to grow, it has been subject to questions and criticism over some of the decisions that could hinder efforts in reducing its impact, including expanding Uefa cup competitions and the men's Fifa World Cup.

The effects of adverse weather related to climate change has been increasingly felt, with a study last year showing extreme weather has affected 40% of football players and spectators.

But, football and its fanbase also have an opportunity to be part of the solution, with clubs like Forest Green Rovers showing how the sport's environmental footprint can be reduced.

We have taken a look into some of the key things Brentford are doing to become more sustainable:

• The Gtech Community Stadium has solar panels on roof that generate over 70,000 kWh per year.

• Single-use plastics have been removed from the matchday experience for fans with sustainable alternatives available.

• The club release new kits bi-annually instead of every season.

• Defender Ben Mee has openly discussed the issues of climate change and what he is doing to be more sustainable.

• They have increased ecology value around the new stadium and planted trees, grasslands and kept existing scrub, hedgerows, and trees at the training ground.

One important area all Premier League clubs can address to reduce their carbon footprint is their travel, as shown in BBC Sport research.

Why is this important?

Football For Future is a non-profit organisation working with stakeholders across football to create a more environmentally sustainable culture and founder Elliot Arthur-Worsop told BBC Sport: "Climate change will be the defining challenge of our generation, and the future of football will be affected too.

"We're already seeing the impacts, with more than 120,000 English grassroots games being called off annually, and major tournaments such as the World Cup and Afcon being moved because of extreme weather.

"Beyond the pitch, the climate crisis threatens livelihoods and global food and water security.

"With its unparalleled social influence, football has an opportunity to inspire global climate action, from micro-behaviours to essential policy change."

What would you like to see your club do more (or less) of to be greener?

We asked for your thoughts on Luton Town's defeat by Brentford on Saturday.

Here are some of your answers:

Luton fans

Mark: I've been following Luton Town for 40 years now and I genuinely can't remember a worse performance . If it wasn't for our goalkeeper Kaminski, we would have lost by double figures. I'm in shock.

Nigel: We didn't show up. Looked very flat. Worst performance of the season! Very worried now. Need to find our fighting spirit again for the last four games and hope other results go our way!

Robosco: What did I witness? A very uncharacteristic display by Luton, the team selection was a total surprise with players coming back from injury not expected until next week. Brentford a very strong and skilful team exploited a team who obviously hadn’t played together as a team since the injuries started. Barkley had a bad day but his first in 30 games.

Brentford fans

Michael: Brentford were fantastic, scoring five goals away without the injured Ivan Toney. To all the people who think that Brentford are a one-player team, we proved last week and this week we can win without Toney. Well deserved. Up the Bees.

Tony: It’s been coming for a little while after a decent run recently. Almost safe!

Philly Bees fan: Getting Ethan Pinnock back on the pitch was huge. Brentford were firing on all cylinders and Luton had a terrible day. We’ll take it and love it. We’ve had a tough season with a lot going against us, but we’ve kept battling. We were due a triumphant performance.

Conor: What a game. This match was so key in keeping us up, and boy we delivered. We knew this would be the day we stay up. Unfortunately there was no clean sheet, but we know we've got four winnable fixtures. Next week - Everton. Hoping for another great result away from home.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's three Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch highlights of Sunday's games here

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentary in full:

Luton Town 1-5 Brentford

Image source, Getty Images

A fourth successive season in the Premier League is within touching distance for Brentford.

With four games left to play, and 12 points up for grabs, they are 10 clear of the relegation zone following an emphatic win at Luton.

Yoane Wissa's double set the Bees on their way as they dominated from the first whistle, beautifully curling in his first before prodding in his second to round off a scrappy move.

Brentford put the game to bed with two goals in as many minutes just after the hour mark, with Ethan Pinnock heading in a corner and Keane Lewis-Potter stealing in at the far post to grab his third of the season.

Kevin Schade rounded off a fine afternoon for the visitors from the bench, although Brentford were unable to hold on to a clean sheet as Luke Berry snatched a goal in injury time.

Ivan Toney looks almost certain to depart in the summer and the Bees, who were without him at Luton, are showing they have more than enough firepower to cope.

The job isn't mathematically done just yet but it looks set to be a comfortable final few weeks for Thomas Frank's men.

Thomas Frank spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Brentford's victory against Luton: "We've finally got a bit of momentum. We had some very good performances recently, especially against Man United and Aston Villa.

"Today we performed very well and had some players back. It's remarkable that we still potentially were without four starts.

"I respect Rob Edwards and his staff and they make it difficult for every team, that comes here. We were very dominant and on top throughout the game, which interests me massively.

"We hit a top performance in many ways. We wanted Luton to earn the right to attack. We also knew we had to play off behind them when we had the chance. We found a good balance between the two."

On multiple goalscorers: "So pleasing for [Yoane] Wissa, scoring two goals, I was very happy for that. Keane [Lewis-Potter] also and [Kevin] Schade from the bench. Bryan [Mbeumo] was unlucky not to score but he assisted two."

On when Ivan Toney will return: "My aim and hope is that Ivan is ready and available for Everton."

On moving to the edge of safety: "We knew that playing against Luton who were seven points below us, it was a big day. We want to keep this momentum going into next season.

"There's a very important game against Everton but this league is crazy and relentless. On a season when it's not going your way then it can be very difficult."

• Brentford have won back-to-back Premier League games (for just a second time this season) having gone winless in their previous nine (D4 L5). The Bees are also unbeaten in their past five in the league (W2 D3), their longest run without defeat this season.

• Brentford secured their biggest ever away top-flight victory, netting 5+ goals for the first time on the road at this level (160th such game). Meanwhile, this was the first time Luton have lost a home top-flight match by 4+ goals since February 1984 (0-5 v Man Utd).

• Brentford have won seven of their past eight league games against Brentford (L1), including each of the past four since a 2-1 loss in the Championship in 2019-20.

• Yoane Wissa (10 goals in 2023-24) became the first player other than Ivan Toney to reach double figures for goals in a Premier League campaign for Brentford.

• Yoane Wissa netted his first ever Premier League brace in this game. Indeed, Brentford had failed to win any of their previous five league games when Wissa had found the back of the net before today (D2 L3).

• Bryan Mbeumo has had a hand in 11 goals in his past 10 away Premier League starts for Brentford (7 goals, 4 assists). The Cameroonian now has four assists for Yoane Wissa in the Premier League, with no Brentford player assisting a specific teammate on more occasions in the competition.

Forward Yoane Wissa scored twice as Brentford made easy work of Luton to pull 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Wissa met Bryan Mbeumo's pass first time to curl in the opener emphatically from the edge of the box with 24 minutes on the clock.

The DR Congo forward grabbed his second on the stroke of half-time, reacting quickest to a loose ball after Luton failed to deal with Mbeumo's low cross.

Defender Ethan Pinnock, making his first start since 10 February, headed in a Sergio Reguilon corner in the 62nd minute to put the Bees firmly in the driving seat.

Luton looked dejected and devoid of ideas when Keane Lewis-Potter was afforded space at the far post two minutes later, heading in Mbeumo's cross, before substitute Kevin Schade rounded off the scoring for the visitors.

The home side rarely threatened but were gifted a chance in injury time when the ball fell to the feet of Luke Berry, who side-stepped goalkeeper Mark Flekken and finished from a tight angle.

Brentford have climbed above Crystal Palace into 14th and are 10 points clear of the relegation zone with four games left to play, while Luton remain 18th and one point from safety.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Luton fans - Let us know your thoughts on the game

How did you rate Brentford's performance? Have your say here

Follow all of the reaction here

There is three Premier League matches on Saturday, and we will bring you every moment.

All times are BST

BBC Radio 5 Live commentary:

• Luton v Brentford

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on singer-songwriter and Arsenal fan Sam Tompkins.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

I am at this game for BBC Radio 5 Live, and it will be my first time at Kenilworth Road all season.

There is an argument that had you had offered Luton this situation before the campaign started, and told them that with five games to go, they would have a chance of staying up, then they would have taken it.

However, I cannot help thinking there have been a few missed opportunities for the Hatters in recent weeks, and they should be in a much stronger position.

This is a huge game for Luton because it is a chance for them to climb out of the bottom three and also drag Brentford back into the relegation fight, or at least make life uncomfortable for them.

The Bees are not safe yet but after beating Sheffield United last week, they probably only need one more win.

I don't see them getting it here, though. Both teams have got a goal in them, but also I don't see either of them keeping a clean sheet.

Sam's prediction: 2-2

They will both throw the kitchen sink at each other, but it will end up in a draw.

Read the rest of their predictions here

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Luton at Kenilworth Road.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Defender Kristoffer Ajer (calf) and midfielder Christian Norgaard (back) are available for selection after injury, while striker Ivan Toney (hip) is also pushing to start after being named on the bench in the past two games.

• On whether the importance of this game would affect his thinking about selecting Toney if he is not quite 100% fit: "With all of your important players, you're willing to push them hard to play. All of the important players normally are players that have an extraordinary mentality like Ivan. They can push through things."

• He continued: "It's an important game because it's the next game in line, it's not like a cup final or a play-off final. I can tell you the difference because I've tried it twice - there's a big difference. This is an important Premier League game, like the Sheffield United game was, like the Manchester United game was and like the Brighton one was."

• On whether a win against the Hatters will effectively secure Premier League safety: "I know there's always that talk. You call it a six-pointer and things like that, for me it's just the next in line. It's a game I badly want to win and we'll do everything we can to win. I've never gone into a game just playing for a draw. Of course there are games when you're in it, and if you can't win, don't lose. But we're going into the game trying to win it, and if we don't, let's see what happens."

• Frank said he "really likes and admires" Luton and their manager Rob Edwards: "He's done a top job together with his coaching staff and the players - very impressive with most likely the lowest budget [in the division]. They make it difficult in every game for every single opponent. It will be a big battle in every way and at home especially they've been really good."

• On the decision to scrap FA Cup replays, Frank said: "I think it's the right decision to make. I love the FA Cup, every tradition about it and I understand some are against it because they want to protect the traditions. It's important in English football that we're aware of the traditions because there's something precious about that. Unfortunately, the amount of games in the schedule and the intensity in the game makes it difficult to add more games in."

• The Bees boss added: "For me, the FA Cup will still be the biggest cup tournament in the world and the most historic one, and that will not change because we don't have replays."

Follow Friday's Premier League news conferences

Listen to commentary of Luton v Brentford on BBC Radio 5 Live from 15:00 BST on Saturday

Here are the key facts before Luton Town host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

• Luton have won just one of their past 12 Premier League games, though it was their most recent one at Kenilworth Road against Bournemouth. The Hatters are yet to record back-to-back home victories this season.

• Brentford have lost both of their away league games against the promoted sides so far, going down 1-0 at Sheffield United and 2-1 at Burnley. The Bees have not lost three away games against promoted teams in a season since the 1988-89 third-tier campaign, when they lost to Cardiff City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers.

• Luton have scored a league-high 39% of their Premier League goals in the final 15 minutes of games this season (18/46), with those goals being worth seven extra points to the Hatters.

• Brentford are unbeaten in their past four Premier League games, having lost 14 of the previous 18. Thomas Frank's side are looking to win consecutive league games for the first time since November.

• Ross Barkley has scored five Premier League goals for Luton this season, only netting more in 2013-14 (six) and 2015-16 (eight). He also has four assists this term, and could register double figures for goal involvements for the third time, after also doing so in 2015-16 (16) and 2016-17 (13).

• Vitaly Janelt is the only player to have played in every league game for Brentford this season. Should he feature on Saturday, he would be the first player to make 100 Premier League appearances for the Bees.

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Luton v Brentford at 15:00 BST on Saturday

The feeling at full-time against Sheffield United on Saturday was one of relief as much as joy.

Brentford had won at home for the first time since January and, more importantly, pushed further away from the bottom of the table.

The job is not done yet – but if we can avoid defeat at Luton Town this weekend, then we will be well-placed to reach my safety target of 35 points to ensure a fourth Premier League season.

We have found form at just the right time – and it is no surprise it coincides with the return of players like Bryan Mbeumo after injury.

We are now unbeaten in four games – our joint best run of the season - and only play one more top-half side, with Newcastle United on the final day.

It has also been good to see Mikkel Damsgaard finally get some game time.

There was excitement when we signed the Denmark international at the start of last season, but injury and lack of form have prevented him establishing himself in the side.

However, after some good cameo performances as a substitute, he has started the past two games – at Aston Villa and then on Saturday – and shown the quality he possesses, especially in his passing.

Damsgaard also came so close to his first Bees goal, against the Blades. His cross was deflected in for an own goal to open the scoring and then he was denied what looked a perfectly good goal when his low strike was ruled out by VAR for a supposed foul by Nathan Collins.

With three years left on his contract, Damsgaard could play a key role going forward.

Ian Westbrook can be found at Beesotted podcast, external