Sport
Bournemouth and Brentford continue to punch above their weight
The Champions League is traditionally for the biggest clubs in European football. Bournemouth and Brentford, however, could be in the mix to qualify for the most prestigious competition in the club game despite the two outfits having the two lowest average home attendance in the Premier League.
Bournemouth and Brentford have long had a reputation for being overachievers, but their overachievement has reached new levels this season. Having spent recent seasons fighting against relegation, the two teams are now firmly in the top half of the table and dreaming of continental qualification.
Under Andoni Ireola, Bournemouth have become one of the most dynamic, modern teams in the Premier League. The Cherries play a brand of quick, attack-minded football that has earned them a lot of admirers, and a lot of impressive results. Indeed, Bournemouth have beaten Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur this season.
This is especially impressive considering Bournemouth lost their top scorer at the end of last season when Dominic Solanke made the summer switch to Spurs. Without Solanke, many anticipated the Cherries would struggle for firepower in the final third, but they have barely missed a step after selling the England international for £65m.
Some of that £65m was re-invested in the signing of Evanilson from Porto as Solanke’s replacement and the Brazilian has hit the ground running for his new team. His record of four goals in 14 games this season doesn’t quite do justice to the impact the 25-year-old has made on the south coast.
Antoine Semenyo looks to have taken a step forward in his development this season. The Ghanian winger has registered five goal contributions and has given Bournemouth another dimension in the final third of the pitch. On the other side, Marcus Tavernier has also been a consistent threat.
Lewis Cook, Milos Kerkez, Ilia Zabarnyi and Justin Kluivert have also caught the eye this season with Ireola the perfect coach to get the best out of them with his tactical nous. On his current trajectory, it won’t be long until the Spanish manager is being linked with some of the biggest jobs in the Premier League. Ireola is one of the best young coaches in Europe right now.
Thomas Frank’s name has popped up occasionally in relation to big managerial vacancies, but the Dane is still at Brentford and pushing the Bees higher up the table than ever before. Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Newcastle United made Brentford the Premier League’s top scorers until Chelsea scored four against Tottenham Hotspur the following day.
At home, no team has a stronger record than Brentford this season. Frank’s side have won seven of their eight games at the Gtech Community Stadium, drawing the other one. They have also scored 26 goals in the process, highlighting the variety of an attacking line that can harm opponents in countless different ways.
“To be able to keep scoring, in a way is a little bit unreal, but I try to enjoy it,” said a delighted Frank after seeing his team put four goals past Newcastle United in a thrilling 4-2 home victory on Saturday. “The number of goals we’ve scored in the league, I don’t think any of us understand how crazy good that is.”
Brentford’s continued rise is all the remarkable considering they sold Ivan Toney in the summer transfer window. The Bees also have one of the smallest budgets in the Premier League, but could have the Champions League in their sights if the bigger clubs – see Manchester United, Newcastle and Spurs – continue to trip up. Bournemouth are similarly making their presence felt.
