Brentford hope to throw a spanner into Arsenal’s title challenge (Picture: Sky Sports)
Keith Andrews knows he is facing the best team in the Premier League on Thursday night, but warns Arsenal that his Brentford side pose plenty of threats themselves.
The Bees are enjoying a great season under Andrews, a campaign which is defying the lowly expectations of many when the Irishman took over.
The rookie boss replaced the experienced Thomas Frank, having lost the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard over the summer.
Not a lot was expected of Brentford in those circumstances, but they sit seventh in the Premier League table and are coming off back-to-back away wins over Aston Villa and Newcastle.
They now host Arsenal this week and, while Andrews expects a stern test, he says the Gunners should be worried about his in-form side as well.
‘We’re a pretty good attacking team ourselves. We’ve got a lot of strengths to how we play the game,’ he told a pre-match press conference.
‘There’s absolutely no doubt it’s going to be a really, really difficult game. They are the best team in the country. The table doesn’t tend to lie.
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Newcastle United v Brentford - Premier League
Keith Andrews wildly celebrated Brentford’s win at Newcastle (Picture: Getty Images)
‘They’ve got so many talented individuals that are capable of moments. And then equally, the way that Mikel has the team set up and how they can hurt you in different phases of the game.
‘You have to be on things for every minute of the game, every second of the game to try and nullify what they throw at you. So we’ll have to produce a top performance.’
‘I think he’s proved himself as a really good Premier League manager’
Frank left Brentford for Tottenham and has now lost that job, sacked on Wednesday morning after a home defeat to Newcastle.
Andrews worked with the Dane before he departed west London and feels for a man he considers a good friend.
Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Thomas Frank leaves Tottenham 16th in the Premier League (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I found out as I was in the meeting room, getting ready to present bits on Arsenal and my game plan to the players. I just got told about it,’ he said. ‘So, very sad, really, was my initial feeling.
‘Thomas is a friend, very aware of the football industry that we work in and what goes on in that. But my initial feeling was that of sadness and basically hope he’s OK, which I’m sure he will be. But today is obviously a really tough day for him.
‘I have huge empathy for him and feel for him and his staff at the moment, a lot of which I obviously know and worked with last year. So, I feel for him.’
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Having stepped up from the Bees to a Champions League club, Frank was criticised as being out of his depth, but Andrews does not see it like that.
‘No, not for me,’ he said. ‘I must be really, really honest at this point in saying I really don’t know what goes on at Spurs. I think you can appreciate I’ve got a really busy job myself. My absolute focus from day one has always been on this job.
‘But the last comment you said, is that fair? Absolutely not. No, Thomas is a really good manager. I think he’s proved that here over numerous years.’
Asked if he expects Frank to bounce back, Andrews laughed at the suggestion that he might not.
‘I don’t think that’s in doubt,’ he said. ‘I think he’s proved himself as a really good Premier League manager. Yeah, absolutely.’
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