Why Brentford is the most entertaining place to watch football in England
Go to watch a Brentford game at the Gtech Community Stadium this season and you are unlikely to be bored.
Great goals and comebacks have become regular occurrences at home games, and the Bees came from behind once again to beat Bournemouth 3-2 on Saturday.
That came after they fought back from 2-0 down in their previous home game to beat Ipswich 4-3, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring a 96th-minute winner.
The match before that? A remarkable 5-3 victory over Wolves.
"We're in the entertainment business, so we thought we would give you something for the money," boss Thomas Frank said after that late drama, and his side ensured their fans got value for money again on Saturday.
"They are the league's entertainers," said BBC Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad.
After scoring twice on Saturday, forward Yoane Wissa told Sky Sports: "It's always magic that happens at the Gtech."
How do Brentford compare with the rest of the 92?
In the top four divisions of English football, no ground has seen more goals per game than Brentford's - 4.83.
From six Premier League games so far, there have been 29 goals in total.
Brentford have scored the most goals at home in the Premier League (18), while only one team has conceded more than the Bees (11).
Molineux has seen the second-highest number of Premier League goals, although that isn't a reason for Wolves fans to celebrate because the visitors have outscored them by 14 goals to nine.
Tottenham are the closest to Brentford in terms of the most goals scored at home, with 15 in five games, and Spurs have restricted their opposition to just four.
Outside the top flight, the League One Peterborough's fans have seen an average of 4.12 goals per home game this season, a figure boosted by their 6-1 win against Cambridge United on Saturday.
Most goals at home in the league
Average goals per game scored by both home and away team
| Teams | Goals per game |
|---|---|
| Brentford | 4.83 |
| Peterborough | 4.12 |
| Wolves | 3.83 |
| Tottenham | 3.8 |
| Arsenal | 3.6 |
| Man City | 3.6 |
| Norwich | 3.57 |
| Walsall | 3.57 |
'Sometimes I think, why are we doing this?'
Frank described the way his Brentford side have been playing at home as a "great advert for the Premier League in general".
"Sometimes I think, why are we doing this? But, of course, we make it very entertaining for the fans. We feel good at home. It's a fortress and we need to keep building."
The Bees are yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season and, asked if he would rather win 5-4 or 1-0, Frank said: "I need to say 5-4 because I want to score a lot of goals, to be positive and offensive.
"I would love a clean sheet at one stage in the season, but it's good teams we face and if you want to be offensive, sometimes you open up at the other end [in defence]."
Their attacking style has not gone unnoticed by pundits watching on, either, with both former Arsenal defender Martin Keown and ex-Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha praising the Bees during Saturday's Final Score programme on the BBC.
"In their last three home games, it is incredible," said Keown. "They have scored 12 goals and conceded eight, but it doesn't matter if they keep winning at home. That is the beauty of this team."
Onuoha added: "They remind me of Brighton at the start of last season, in that every time they were playing it felt like it was a really high-scoring game.
"For Brentford at home, they have those comforts. They are a joy to watch."
What else do the stats tell us?
-
In addition to having the most goals per game at home, Brentford also top the table in the Premier League for the most shots on goal from both sides (182).
-
Their home games also have the highest amount of expected goals (xG) with 23.3. West Ham are second (23), with Southampton third (18.22).
-
Brentford's 18 goals in six home league matches in 2024-25 so far is their most in the league since 1982-83, when they were in the third tier (also 18).
-
Wissa has scored in each of his last five home Premier League games (seven goals), becoming the second player to do so for Brentford this season after Bryan Mbeumo.
How about value for money?
Brentford season ticket holders are certainly getting good value. Their cheapest adult season ticket is £495, which is cheaper than 14 other teams in the Premier League.
There is more value for money because the Bees keep the same home shirt for two seasons, rather than changing it every year.
For visiting supporters, there are plenty of other things to do before or after a visit to the Gtech Community Stadium.
A short distance away is Kew Gardens, or even more entertainment is on offer at the London Museum of Water and Steam, which is less than 200 yards from the ground.
The stadium was opened in 2020 and offers all the bells and whistles of a modern state-of-the-art arena although, for older fans, there is one thing it is missing compared with the old Griffin Park.
Brentford's previous home had the somewhat unique selling point of having a pub on every corner of the ground.
You can't have everything.