Brentford boss Thomas Frank _(Image: Jacob King)_
BRENTFORD boss Thomas Frank wants more home comforts but feels Newcastle will provide their “biggest test” of the season so far at Gtech Community Stadium.
The Bees experienced more travel sickness on Wednesday when they went down 3-1 at Aston Villa to make it only one point from seven away matches in the Premier League this term.
It is a markedly different story at home, where Brentford boast the best record in the division with six wins and plenty of high-scoring encounters, including 5-3 and 4-3 victories over Wolves and Ipswich respectively.
Only West Ham have left the Gtech Community Stadium with a point after a 1-1 draw in September, but Eddie Howe’s Newcastle will arrive having won at Wolves and Nottingham Forest already during an up-and-down campaign.
“I think they have looked good this season,” Frank told a press conference.
“Eddie Howe, his coaching team and the club have done a brilliant job over the last three seasons. First, make them stay in the league. Two years ago they finished fourth. Last year, Champions League campaign, first time in a long time, experience from that and still managed to finish seventh.
“This season I think they are back to the high level of two years ago. I don’t think they’ve been rewarded enough with points and results.
“If I see their games, they were brilliant at home to Arsenal, brilliant at home to Liverpool, very good away to Chelsea – unlucky not to get something out of the game. Home to West Ham, they absolutely dominated them.
“So, I think it’s an Eddie Howe team that is up to its best and so it is going to be a big test for us. This will be the biggest test that we’ve faced at home so far this season.”
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Brentford could be boosted by the return of captain Christian Norgaard and Kristoffer Ajer for the visit of Newcastle.
This will be the first of two meetings between the clubs this month, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final at St James’ Park pencilled in for December 18, but Frank has only one focus.
He added: “Not to be disrespectful, I don’t want to speak too much about the next couple of games.
“I am more OK, we lost (at Villa), how can I get it out of our system and focused on how we can win against Newcastle on Saturday? That is my only focus.”