Brentford manager Keith Andrews is preparing his side for what he calls a 'proper test' away to Hull City this weekend. A victory at the MKM Stadium on Sunday could lift the Bees into the Premier League's top four.
Andrews acknowledged the challenge posed by the newly promoted Tigers. "It's a proper test," the Brentford boss said. "They have a belief they can absolutely compete at this level." Hull, currently ninth, have taken points from Manchester United and remain unbeaten at home this season.
Brentford travel north sitting sixth in the table with 10 points from seven matches. Their recent form shows two wins, two draws and a single defeat, that being last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Liverpool. That result ended a positive run and saw midfielders Yehor Yarmolyuk and Vitaly Janelt sent off, ruling them out of the Hull trip through suspension.
They join captain Nathan Collins, who remains sidelined with a calf injury, and the suspended Mathias Jensen on the absentee list. In attack, Igor Thiago is expected to lead the line. The Brazilian scored on his Premier League debut against Liverpool and has a strong record against newly promoted sides, netting six times in his last six such appearances.
Andrews noted that Thiago is a marked man but stressed the team has goalscorers throughout the squad. Last season's second-top scorer in the division, Thiago has one goal this term, while Kevin Schade leads the club's charts with three. Brentford have scored 13 league goals so far, conceding eight.
Hull City present a specific challenge, having shocked Manchester United on the opening day. While winless in five, they have drawn three of those games and are just a point behind Brentford in the standings. This will be the first-ever top-flight meeting between the two clubs, with their last league clash a 5-1 Brentford win in the Championship in February 2020.
Brentford's quest for a first Premier League away win in Yorkshire continues, with their last top-flight victory there coming in 1947. The match kicks off at 2pm on Sunday, 25 October. Following this fixture, Brentford's next Premier League assignment is a home match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 2 November. The team's average goal minutes this season are 43 minutes for, and 58 minutes against.
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Brentford head coach Keith Andrews provided a squad update on 24 October. He confirmed that midfielder Jannik Schuster is available for selection after returning to training. Andrews also stated that Mathias Jensen has completed his suspension and is back in contention. Captain Nathan Collins remains sidelined with his calf injury. Brentford, sixth in the Premier League with 10 points from seven games, face Hull City on Sunday.
