Brentford manager Thomas Frank congratulated Eddie Howe and Newcastle United on ending their trophy drought as he prepares his side for a trip to St. James’ Park on Wednesday night.
The Bees will be Newcastle’s first opponents since they ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy, with goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak securing a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Final.
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Brentford have been in superb form themselves, winning five away league games in a row, and have quietly pushed themselves into the congested race for European qualification.
They are currently 11th in the Premier League, but only seven points behind Manchester City in fifth, and would cut the gap to Newcastle in sixth to three points with a win. Frank was full of praise for his opponents’ recent success and was under no illusions at the challenge facing his side.
“I hope they had an unbelievable party, they deserved it. I’d like to congratulate every Newcastle fan because I think it’s amazing, the first domestic cup in more than a lifetime maybe for some. I think it’s an incredible achievement for them, I’m really happy on their behalf.”
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Dismissing the notion of the Newcastle squad still nursing a hangover, the Brentford boss expects the Magpies to be well up for it in their first match since their trip to Wembley.
“I’m pretty sure they are ready and will come flying out, under the floodlights, kind of a celebration. And talking about playing for Europe, they will try everything they can to hunt down that Champions League spot.”
Newcastle have tended to raise their level against the more elite sides, as they did at Wembley, and are unbeaten at home against the ‘Big Six’ this season. However, they have struggled against teams in the crowded mid-tier of the league, losing to Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham at St. James’ Park.
They also lost the reverse fixture 4-2 at the Gtech Community Stadium, a result which Eddie Howe and several Newcastle players have described as a turning point in their season. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa both scored that day as they enjoy the best season of their careers, with 15 and 13 league goals respectively. Wissa has scored in his last three games against the Geordies.
™️ Trademark, Bryan
Our opener against the Magpies back in December 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9HH8Cq0kwg
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 1, 2025
Newcastle’s Swedish sensation Alexander Isak will have to be kept quiet, as he has scored in every Premier League game against Brentford to date. However, arguably even more crucial to Newcastle’s success is their midfield trio of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, who have emerged as one of the best units in the division.
“I think all three Tonali, Joelinton, Guimaraes are physical, really strong and good,” Frank said, “All three can twist and turn. All three are technically very good and composed on the ball. That’s a good combination. Of course there’s a little bit of difference in the three players but I like how they complement each other.”
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Brentford have not won at St. James’ Park since 1934 and a win would be a huge boost to their aspirations, as they have a tough looking run-in. They have away trips to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest to come, as well as fixtures against Chelsea, Brighton and Fulham.
However, The Bees’ manager was in no mood to look too far ahead, while acknowledging the good platform Brentford have given themselves for the final sprint of the season. “It is literally one game at a time,”, he said, “I think you can get sidetracked a little bit by looking too far ahead.”
“The last four days we did everything we can, turned every stone to nail the details to try to win the game, I think we’ve got a real chance but also know it will be incredibly difficult.”
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In terms of injuries, Brentford will have right-back Michael Kayode back in the squad but Mathias Jensen will miss out. The trio of Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey and Gustavo Nunes all played in the Brentford B team game on Monday, but the trip to the northeast will come too soon for them.
There is hope that they will return before the season ends, with Henry the “furthest ahead” of the three. Striker Igor Thiago’s recovery from a knee injury is going a “little bit slower”, though there have been no setbacks. Fabio Carvalho will miss the remaining games with a shoulder injury.
For Newcastle, Anthony Gordon is serving the final game of his three-game ban for the red card he received in the FA Cup against Brighton. Lewis Hall and Jamaal Lascelles are both expected to miss the rest of the season, while Sven Botman has had minor knee surgery and could be in line to return in around a month.
“It’s the boy from Blyth!”
A bullet header from Dan Burn! 💥 pic.twitter.com/TWjNryvqeu
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 16, 2025
Tom Johnston
Sports journalist from London with a passion for football, cricket and NFL. Experience includes The Telegraph, writing match previews for OddsNow and investigating sports washing in the Middle East. Newcastle United FC and Detroit Lions.
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