Brentford boast the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League with 11 matches without defeat; they prepare to face a club that would love nothing more than to bring it to an end.
The Bees host arch-rivals Fulham in what is an unfamiliar Monday night fixture since their promotion to the top-flight in 2021. It is anticipated to be a "feisty" encounter between 7th and 9th in the table.
In the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage in August, the hosts took a 2-0 lead within 20 minutes before Brentford drew level midway through the second half. As the visitors pushed for an emphatic winner, it was the white side of west London that secured the bragging rights through Aleksandar Mitrović's 90th-minute header.
"What a game," reflected Frank when it was first alluded to during his press conference at Jersey Road on Friday.
The 49-year-old is looking forward to facing Monday's opposition, with an experience of "very good games" against them, and believes the progression of both clubs this campaign sets the fixture up to be an enticing spectacle.
"My experiences of playing against Fulham has always been feisty and very good games, so I’m really looking forward to it," he said.
"I know our fans look forward to it. We know how important it is for all the fans and what a moment in Fulham’s history and our history to face each other in the best league in the world, [with] both teams in the top half.
"I’m pleased with that, also for Fulham because it adds a little more bite to the game, and I think it’s very nice.”
Revenge with a last-minute winner would be "fantastic"
While Brentford's head coach spoke highly of the entertainment aspect of the clubs' first-ever Premier League meeting, it's important to not negate the fact that Marco Silva's side was the one to come out on top.
The Dane was asked if he was hoping for a similar spectacle: "for the spectators, yes," he responded. However, he spoke of how "fantastic" it would be to get revenge with a near last-minute winner at the Gtech Community Stadium.
"Winning 3-2 with an almost last-minute winner, that would be fantastic," he said.
"It was a game with two good teams in it and Mitrović decided to finish the game off, like he has done many times, and he, of course, is a massive player for them. I think he is very good.
"It will be a very intense game, it’s two teams that want to press with intensity and work very hard. Hopefully we can etch it this time.
“Thinking back, it’s crazy because you need to trust the processes and what you are doing. [We] went very offensive and we got the equaliser and I went for the 3-2, and it bounced a little back and lost 3-2.
"I think it is important that we have an offensive mindset because if we do it enough times, hopefully we can get three instead of one point. I think it was a draw that would have been a fair result for both, but fair play to Fulham."
Brentford players know the importance of the rivalry
Brentford versus Fulham is a fixture enriched with history dating back to the late-1920s. With Fulham a once established Premier League side and Brentford fighting in the third and fourth tiers of English football, the rivalry faded out of existence for 16 years between 1998 and 2014.
However, frequent meetings in the Championship from 2015 with both pushing for promotion, most notably during the 2019/20 season, which the Cottagers earned their return to the top-flight at Brentford's expense, has reignited the fire.
Frank emphasised that his squad are aware of the importance of fixture, with eight of those involved in that play-off final in August 2020 continuing to play an important role and earning the head coach's praise.
“This squad definitely does, for various reasons," he said.
"One of them is that, from that play-off final two-and-a-half years ago, I think we have David [Raya], Rico [Henry], Ethan [Pinnock], Pontus [Jansson], Josh [Dasilva], Matty [Jensen], Christian [Nørgaard] and Bryan [Mbeumo]. Eight players that played in that play-off final - that's actually incredible.
"Now these eight players are, at this moment a snapshot of the table, top half of the Premier League.
"That's unbelievable praise to those eight and the rest who is coming in, the rest is doing a good job, to our recruitment department, and a little bit of praise to our coaching staff and the staff for doing a top job as well so we can compete.
"They definitely understand how big a derby it is. Some of the other London derbies, don't misunderstand me, also means something, but this, definitely for me, to us, this means more."