Brentford head coach Thomas Frank is anticipating a "very difficult game" as the Bees welcome Unai Emery's in-form Aston Villa side to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
It has been an outstanding season for the west London club, exceeding even the wildest of expectations, as they place far from the ensuing relegation battle and find themselves in and amongst those fighting for a place in Europe next season.
However, three successive defeats has seen their chances diminish and up next is a team that have won seven of their previous eight Premier League fixtures, and another vying for one of the European spots.
Despite all the discussion of a European tour and growing optimism amongst the supporters, Frank has downplayed the club's chances and insists that this is not a must-win game in terms of defining the season, insisting the the aim is finish as "high as possible".
"It's been more of a narrative that you guys try to create than we want to be in a hunt for a European place," he said.
"I think, and again, it has never been the aim for us to just survive in this league, we never mention it, we always want to aim as high as possible and develop and get higher.
"For Brentford, second lowest budget and all that, to just stay in the league is an unbelievable success, to be close to maybe finishing top ten shouldn’t be possible, and to be on a European hunt, that’s remarkable. So we are not on a European hunt, but we want to aim as high as possible. We badly want to win tomorrow against Villa.”
Randomness the cause of current form
Since the club's 13-game unbeaten run in the Premier League was bought to an end by Everton in March, Brentford have struggled to reignite the flame that had seen them become a formidable force this season.
The Bees have acquired just five points from a possible 18 since, dropping points to the likes of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, the fixtures have been demanding, having hosted Champions League pursuers Newcastle United alongside trips to Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United.
The defeat at Molineux last week was unfortunate. Albeit not one of the team's finest performances on the road, fortune favoured Julen Lopetegui's side as two clearances, first from Ben Mee then Ethan Pinnock, deflected off an opposing player and into the Brentford net.
Despite the recent decline in form, Frank remains unphased and insists that the team is working as hard as possible in preparation to win this weekend.
“Let me put it this way: I’d prefer to be in that unbeaten run, 12 games, that’s more fun," he said.
"But every club that’s outside the top seven, the top six plus Newcastle, will have tried to avoid it, but most likely have a run of games where you’re not picking up as many points.
"You would like that it’s never like that, but if it’s not like that then you are a top six team or a top four team. Every other club will have patches like this.
"We are doing everything we can to win the next game, that is tomorrow, and we are looking at keeping the same processes in place in what we do: train well, prepare well, and make sure we train hard and do our very best to perform.”
Emery earns big praise from opposite number
Since Emery took charge of the West Midlands club from Steven Gerrard in October, Villa's performances have gone under the radar and the former Arsenal head coach has lead them into real contention for securing a UEFA Europa League spot.
A huge reason behind their success is the tactical astuteness of the three-time Europa League winner, with the 44-year-old winning 12 of his 18 Premier League matches in charge, including triumphs against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and, most notably, a 3-0 win over Newcastle United last weekend.
Frank confessed that he likes what he sees in the Spaniard's work and applauded the impact he and his coaching staff have had since returning to the Premier League.
“Big praise to Unai Emery and his staff.
"I think it’s very impressive what they have done; their consistency in their performances. I think they look difficult to beat, they look [like they have a] clear structure in what they want.
"It’s classic Unai Emery. Very, very positive they way he sets up his team with a very good, solid defensive structure in the 4-4-2 or they way they defend low and can still be aggressive going forward; very clear in what they want and when they are going forward, with a more narrow midfielders and two strikers central, difficult to close down.
"I think it’s very impressive what they have done. Clear identity, clear style, and I like what I see.”
Frank pleased for former star forward
A well-known face is set to return to Brentford on Saturday for the first time since his club-record sale to Aston Villa in August 2020.
Ollie Watkins donned the club's red and white stripes on 143 occasions during a four-year stay in west London, and became a cult hero at Griffin Park as he scored 49 goals and assisted 17 times, including a prolific 26-goal season during the 2019/20 campaign that lead the Bees to the Championship play-off final.
Brentford's failure to secure promotion meant Watkins' departure was an inevitability as he earned his step up to the Premier League. He has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the change in management and he has found the back of the net of 14 occasions in 30 league appearance, including six assists.
Questions about his former centre-forward were anticipated by the head coach, and when asked he couldn't hide his pleasure for the 27-year-old. However, he will be even more pleased if his team can cut off his supply lines and deny the in-form forward another goal.
"He’s doing fantastic. I’m really, really pleased for him.
"When you spend time with people you tend to get a relationship with them and [I’m] so pleased that he’s performing well. He deserves that, he works very hard as a player and as a person, and it doesn’t surprise me that he scores a lot of goals.
"He’s got that in him to be a regular top scorer-ish. I’m not saying the most goals in the Premier League but scoring a lot of goals in the Premier League. I’m very pleased that he does that.
"We are very aware that we need to do our very best to close him down, and if we can stop the rest of the players to provide good crosses or balls in behind for him then we’ve done a good job."
Team news
It has been confirmed that there are no new injury concerns ahead of this weekend's fixture and that "all [are] available from last game". Pontus Jansson and Keane Lewis-Potter are "unlikely" to feature again this season, while Kristoffer Ajer's close to returning to training with the squad following a lengthy layoff.