Brentford head coach Keith Andrews admitted his side is heading into what he called a really tough test when they face Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium today. Speaking before the match, in a video posted by the club via their official X account.
He said:
I think when you look at it in those terms, it’s pretty obvious it’s going to be a difficult task, and it’s also a task that we need to embrace.
We are in a really good place as a team. Our confidence should be at a place where we are confident going to a place like that and absolutely competing to win the game. And that is where I want us to be, and that’s where we will be.
Watch the video below:
As Softfootball reported earlier in their pregame report, this fixture falls right in the middle of Arsenal’s strong title push, and Brentford are aiming to cause the Gunners a major upset.
Andrews stated that it is obvious how difficult the game will be, though he also said Brentford must embrace it in their own way.
He feels the squad has shown a good mentality in the last weeks, and with Arsenal on the top of the table, following their 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend, he still believes Brentford should carry enough belief to compete properly.
When the conversation turned to set pieces, Andrews slightly laughed about how much attention it always gets, but he admitted it will matter quite a lot in this type of game.
He said:
There will always be a lot made of that: the set-piece battle, with two teams who are invariably pretty good at that aspect of the game.
In most games, set pieces play a part to different levels. I think this will be a game where it plays a very big part, and we hope we can come out on the right side of it.
Andrews finished by saying Brentford hope to come out on the right side of those battles if things line up decently for them.
He stressed the players need to stay focused, keep the energy high, and avoid being dragged too deep by Arsenal’s pressure. In his view, a little confidence and maybe a moment of bravery could push them further than people think.
