Direct, Disciplined, Dangerous: Keith Andrews’ Brentford Blueprint for Europe

Brentford were among the favourites for relegation at the start of the season, but now Keith Andrews has them dreaming of Europe.

From Relegation Favorites to European Hopefuls

As Brentford’s players trudged off the pitch at the City Ground on Matchday 1 of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, many of those watching will have felt justified in their pre-season predictions.

Despite this being their fifth season back in the top flight following promotion in 2021, the club had been through quite a bit of unwanted upheaval over the summer, losing long-term head coach Thomas Frank, star forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, and captain Christian Nørgaard.

Former set-piece coach Keith Andrews replaced Frank, which seemed on the face of it like quite a risky appointment. The former Blackburn Rovers and Republic of Ireland midfielder was a respected coach, but to be thrown into his first managerial role in such circumstances felt to many like it would only end one way. A lot of people predicted 2025-26 would be a season of fighting relegation for Brentford.

They were awful on the opening weekend, losing 3-1 at Nottingham Forest. They were 3-0 down within two minutes of the second half starting, and fully deserved to be. They fought back a little after that, but Forest also seemed to ease up once they had a three-goal cushion.

Current League Position

However, that loss was proof, if it were needed, that judging anything from the first game of the season is often foolish. Twenty-four games later, Forest are fighting relegation while Brentford are in the hunt for European qualification.

Saturday’s 3-2 win at Newcastle United took them to seventh place, level on points with Liverpool at 39 and just four behind Chelsea in fifth, which will almost certainly be a Champions League spot again this season.

Brentford’s 39-point return from 25 games is their best effort at this stage of a Premier League season, beating the 38 they managed in 2022-23.

Brentford’s Best Premier League Starts

They host Premier League leaders Arsenal on Thursday, which will be a real test of how far they have come. But just how has a rookie manager been able to not only keep Brentford from dropping off, but actually push them on further?

Andrews has made management look pretty easy to this point, while his players have moved on from Mbeumo, Wissa and Nørgaard seamlessly.

Key Summer Arrivals

As well as that trio departing, there was also a change in goal as Caoimhín Kelleher replaced Mark Flekken, who left for Bayer Leverkusen. The former Liverpool stopper has played in all 25 league games for Brentford this season and has largely impressed. He has saved three penalties in the Premier League. No other keeper has saved more than one this season. He also has the highest save percentage of shots from outside the box at 93.1 percent, minimum six such shots faced.

Another summer signing who quickly made an impact was Dango Ouattara. He may have seemed to some like an underwhelming replacement for Mbeumo, but the former Bournemouth man has five goals and one assist in 19 Premier League games. Only Cole Palmer with seven goals in 14 games has more goals having played fewer than 20 Premier League games this season.

Ouattara was crucial in the win at Newcastle, too, first putting in a sublime cross for Vitaly Janelt to make it 1-1 in the first half, playing a key role in the lead up to their penalty, and then latching onto Mathias Jensen’s pass to score the winner.

He has also won four penalties in the Premier League this season, at least twice as many as any other player, which has very much benefitted his team, especially spot-kick taker Igor Thiago.

Dango Ouattara’s Impact

Igor Thiago Steps Up

With Mbeumo and Wissa departing in the summer having scored 39 Premier League goals between them last season, the pressure was really on, but Thiago has stepped up.

The 24-year-old has 17 goals in the Premier League this season, at least five more than everyone bar Erling Haaland with 21. In the win at Newcastle, he scored his sixth penalty in the league this season. Only Kylian Mbappé with eight and Nadiem Amiri with seven have netted more across Europe’s big five leagues this term.

Thiago’s haul of 17 goals is already the most by a Brazilian player in a single season in the Premier League, and although he was not a new signing, arriving in the summer of 2024, he has certainly had the impact of one. He played just 168 Premier League minutes in 2024-25 due to injury, not registering a single goal involvement, and only attempting two shots.

Igor Thiago’s Goalscoring Record

Home and Away Form

Following the loss at Forest on the opening weekend, Brentford beat Aston Villa 1-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium in Andrews’ first home game in charge. That was an early hint at how important their home form would be. They won five of their first seven at the Gtech under Andrews (D1 L1), and have now won seven of their 12 home games in total (D3 L2).

Things were initially not as peachy on the road, losing seven of their first eight Premier League away games this season (W1). However, they now even appear to have gotten the hang of travelling. Brentford have won four of their last five away games (L1).

That could owe to an all-or-nothing approach. They are the only team in the Premier League yet to draw away from home (W5 L8).

Home vs Away Record

Late-Game Specialists

Their ability to push games late on to try to force a result has paid off. Brentford have scored 14 goals in the 76th minute or later, the joint most in the Premier League this season along with Liverpool, and Ouattara’s 85th-minute strike at St. James’ Park on Saturday was the most recent of those. It is already more than the 12 they managed in the same period of games in the whole of last season.

Set-Piece Evolution

Brentford had a bit of a reputation as a team who played for set-pieces under Frank, though they did only score eight goals from corners (five) and free-kicks (three) last season. Only six teams scored fewer.

Even in a campaign in which so many teams have become so reliant on non-penalty set-pieces, Brentford have become even less potent from them. They have only scored twice from corners in the Premier League, the joint fewest in the division this season, and none from free-kicks.

They have, though, scored six penalties, the joint most with Chelsea, and three from throw-ins, the joint-second most with Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland. That also follows on from last season, when they scored six times from throw-ins, at least three times more than any other team.

Andrews’ Brentford have been one of the most productive teams from open play this season. In total, 72 percent of their goals have come from open play. Only Man City with 82 percent and Liverpool with 80 percent have higher.

Goal Sources Breakdown

The Long Ball Approach

They might not be focused on set-pieces, but one modern Premier League trend Brentford absolutely lean into is long balls, defined as passes that travel at least 32 metres. The average number of long balls per game in the top flight was 93.4 last season, which is up to 99.5 this season, and Brentford have attempted the most in the league after Matchday 25 with 1,390.

It is not a completely alien concept to the Bees, though. They recorded the fourth-most long balls last season behind Everton, Bournemouth and Palace, and the fifth most the season before. Their average hasn’t changed that much, either, up from 53.8 last season to 55.6 this. It seems the league-wide average rising is more to do with other teams being more inclined to follow Brentford’s example.

Long Ball Statistics

Quality Over Quantity in Attack

When it comes to scoring goals, they do like to be thorough. Only four teams have attempted fewer than Brentford’s 258 shots in the Premier League this season prior to Matchday 26, but they are seemingly going for quality over quantity. Their 0.16 xG per shot is the highest, and that is a metric Brentford have long excelled in. They had the highest xG per shot last season at 0.14, the joint-third highest the season before at 0.13, and the joint highest also in 2022-23 at 0.14.

That is partly because they have taken eight penalties, each having an xG of 0.79, but even without penalties, their xG per shot of 0.14 is league-leading.

It makes sense to wait until you are in the best possible position before shooting as you so often cede possession with a shot, and Andrews’ men do whatever they can to take theirs from inside the opposition’s penalty area. Their 61 shots from outside the box is the fewest of all Premier League teams, and just one of their 39 goals this season has been from outside the box.

In total, 97 percent of their goals have been from inside the penalty area including six penalties, the biggest percentage in the Premier League. Under Frank, and as suggested by their aforementioned xG averages, Brentford also consistently focused on taking their shots as close to goal as possible, with their 102 shots from outside the box the second fewest in the league last season after Southampton with 97. They did take 92 more shots from inside the box than relegated Saints, though.

Shot Selection Excellence

Tactical Continuity

When analysing the shape of Andrews’ Brentford, it’s even clearer that he has not wanted to change too much too quickly. In possession, their main formation is still a 4-2-4, as it was last season under Frank, while they sometimes slip into a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.

Out of possession, Brentford still mostly sit in a 4-2-2-2, though they do switch to a 4-2-3-1 more often than they did under the Dane in 2024-25.

And that could be the key, here. Andrews was confident enough to take on the job but modest enough to know he didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. What Brentford did under Frank worked, and all the new boss had to do was tweak things slightly.

Formation Comparison

After all, Arne Slot came into Liverpool last season and only made slight changes to the team and system that Jürgen Klopp left behind, and it won him a Premier League title. That might not be the outcome for Brentford, and they must be wary of second-season syndrome in 2026-27 if Liverpool are anything to go by, but that element of continuity seems to be paying off for the Bees.

Global Recognition

Arguably more importantly than their Premier League position, we say with tongue firmly bedded in cheek, is their Opta Power Ranking. As of 10 February 2026, Brentford are 13th in the world, just two spots below Real Madrid in 11th. Beat Arsenal, currently top of the rankings, on Thursday and they could potentially climb higher.

Despite the positive vibes around the club, their last home game was a shock 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest. Just like the last time they lost to the Tricky Trees, Brentford will be eager to show one-off defeats aren’t going to define what could be a truly historic season for them.

The Philosophy Behind the Success

Andrews’ approach has been characterized by pragmatism and intelligence. Rather than attempting to impose a completely new system, he recognized what made Brentford successful under Thomas Frank and enhanced it.

The emphasis on long balls reflects a clear understanding of Brentford’s personnel and the realities of Premier League football. By playing direct passes that bypass midfield congestion, they can get their dangerous attackers into goal-scoring positions more quickly.

The careful shot selection demonstrates tactical discipline. In an era where many teams shoot from distance hoping for the best, Brentford patiently work the ball into high-quality positions. Their 0.16 xG per shot proves this approach works.

The continuity in formations shows respect for what came before while allowing for minor adjustments. The increased use of 4-2-3-1 out of possession provides additional defensive solidity when needed.

Key Players Stepping Up

Beyond the headline signings like Kelleher, Ouattara, and the emergence of Thiago, several other players have been crucial to Brentford’s success.

Vitaly Janelt has provided energy and quality in midfield, scoring important goals including the equalizer at Newcastle. Mathias Jensen’s creativity from deeper positions has been vital, as evidenced by his assist for Ouattara’s winner.

The defense has been solid despite losing Nørgaard, with the backline maintaining organization and discipline. Kelleher’s penalty-saving ability has proved decisive on multiple occasions.

Read More: Arsenal’s Defence Built the Lead – Now Their Attack Could Win them the Premier League

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