Brentford 2026/27 preview: Europe is the next step under Keith Andrews

When Thomas Frank left Brentford to join Tottenham Hotspur, the Bees were instantly installed as favourites for relegation.

And why not? Not only had they lost their long-serving coach, but several big names were sold, including Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Nørgaard.

Not only did Brentford survive, but they also thrived under Keith Andrews. The Irishman led the club to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League, their joint-highest finish in the competition.

Is Europe the next step for the Bees?

Brentford enter 2026/27 with lofty ambitions

Brentford just missed out on qualifying for Europe due to finishing ninth. Indeed, it was on goal difference, making it even tougher to take.

The Bees won 14 top-flight matches last term, with only six teams recording more victories. They only lost three times at home across 19 matches, and Andrews will be keen to get the Gtech Community Stadium rocking once more.

If so, it will prove to be a difficult place to come and get a result. Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham and Arsenal all failed to secure all three points at the stadium last term.

End-of-season form was perhaps the only downside of the campaign, with Brentford failing to win a game between February 28 and May 1.

Andrews will certainly have this in mind, especially as a couple of wins during that barren spell would have sealed a place in Europe.

However, ambitions remain high entering the new season, and their first four games are manageable. Spurs at home isn’t the easiest start, but then they face Leeds, Sunderland, and Bournemouth with a real chance of securing nine points from those games.

A positive start could put Andrews and his men on the path to a top-eight finish this season, especially if Igor Thiago hits the heights he did last season.

Brentford have avoided losing key men this summer

The aforementioned trio of Mbeumo, Wissa and Norgaard departing last summer left plenty of holes to fill.

In came Jordan Henderson to fill the midfield void, while Dango Ouattara offered plenty in the final third.

Thiago’s 21 league goals also helped massively, but this summer, Andrews has only sold one player, letting Frank Onyeka leave to join Coventry.

Arrivals include Callum Wilson, Jaidon Anthony, Jannik Schuster and Mamadou Sangare as Andrews looks to add quality to his squad.

Sangare is the most exciting signing. The 24-year-old played a key role for Lens as they challenged PSG for the Ligue 1 crown last season, finishing with the highest average rating of any player (7.69) according to FotMob.

Adding plenty of quality while also retaining their key players from last season will give Andrews a massive boost.

Breakthrough talent: Kaye Furo

Thiago was the main man last term, but does he have competition this season? Kaye Furo was signed by the Bees in January, joining from Club Brugge, where he scored in the Belgian Pro League.

“His attributes are ones I like and feel we can develop within the environment we have created,” Andrews said. “I have no doubt he will be a big player for us.”

He featured three times for Brentford during the second half of last season, although just one minute of action came in the top flight.

With seven goals for Belgium U19s, Furo looks like the real deal. Hopefully he can grab his opportunity when presented with it throughout the upcoming season.

What constitutes a good season?

First and foremost, getting off to a solid start is imperative, especially as a bad run can really damage morale.

Ultimately, however, Andrews will surely be targeting a European spot given how cruelly his side were denied in May.

A cup run would be nice also. Brentford haven’t made it beyond the round of 16 in the FA Cup since 1989, although the club have reached the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup three times since the start of 2020/21.

Finishing eighth and a deep run in either the FA or EFL Cup would make for a wonderful campaign.