Brentford operate in a flexible 4-2-3-1 shape with a clear emphasis on directness and second-ball recoveries. Against teams that press high, like Chelsea, they typically opt for long balls into the left half-space, targeting Kevin Schade or Yoane Wissa—two forwards with strong aerial metrics. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken averages 17.1 launched passes per 90 (4th highest in the league), with Brentford regularly surrounding the target area to win second balls and retain possession. When unpressed, they build short through pivots or use Mikkel Daamsgard and Bryan Mbuemo dropping deep to receive.
In possession, Brentford’s play flows through their central midfielders and wide rotations. K. Lewis-Potter overlaps on the left, while Schade inverts into the half-space. On the right, Mbuemo stays wide for 1v1s and can cut inside to cross. Brentford frequently create 2v1s on the flanks through underlapping runs—especially into the right half-space. Despite being 15th in shot volume (11.13 per 90), they lead the Premier League in non-penalty xG per shot (0.13) and shots on target percentage (40.1%), showing quality over quantity. 🎯
Off the ball, Brentford use man-oriented pressing during opponent build-up, triggering a press when the ball is played wide. If the press is bypassed, they drop into a 4-4-2 low block. This structure sees them concede the most attacking third touches per game (187.13) and the second-most shots (16.8 per 90), though the xG per shot conceded is low. They lead the league in blocks per game (5), underlining their last-ditch defending. 🧱
For Chelsea, the keys may lie in quick switches of play, targeting the far-side full-back, and exploiting half-spaces where Enzo and Palmer can operate between lines.