Written by Priya Kaur
With the Reds eager and raring to take on the first home match under newly appointed manager Arne Slot, we interviewed broadcaster, radio presenter and of course Brentford fan, Natalie Sawyer.
She reflected on Brentford’s opening day victory against Crystal Palace labelling it as a “gritty performance” and emphasised that it could’ve gone either way.
“It was a close match” she noted, pointing out the disallowed goal scored by Eberechi Eze, which brought controversy as “the whistle was blown early and VAR couldn’t intervene.”
As Brentford enters the fourth season in the Premier League, Natalie shared her thoughts admitting that the Bees have been “spoiled since the first season” after easily adapting to the Premier League.
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However, she tempered her expectations saying “I’d be very happy with a mid-table finish, maybe even pushing into the top-half.”
A major point of discussion was the absence of Ivan Toney, who doesn’t appear to be in the squad for the upcoming match.
Natalie explained that Igor Thiago, who was meant to be Toney’s replacement, suffered an injury in pre-season and is out until the new year.
On this, Natalie remarked that if Igor wasn’t injured, losing Toney would’ve been easier to bear, but noted that a £50 million price tag for the forward is a great piece of business and would be absurd to turn down, especially seeing as he is running into the last few months of his contract.
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Injuries continue to plague Brentford, with both fullbacks, Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey, ruled out for Sunday and “won’t be back until the international break.”
As a result, Kristoffer Ajer is expected to fill in at left-back.
Discussing transfers, Natalie gave her insights on the ex-Liverpool man Fabio Carvalho.
“Every transfer is a gamble” she stated, acknowledging that Carvalho still needs to adapt to Premier League level, especially given his limited playing time at Liverpool and his loan spells.
However, she expressed optimism about his potential, describing him as a “technically gifted player who loves to find little pockets of space and create something.”
Sepp Van den Berg has also arrived at the West London club, Natalie suggested that, as the back-line is ageing, it would be wise to bring in some cover.
Looking ahead to Liverpool’s first home game under Arne Slot, Natalie anticipates a challenging encounter.
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Despite the absence of Ivan Toney, who brings a significant physical presence, she remains curious to see how Thomas Frank will approach the match.
“We might see some change in tactics,” she speculated, hinting that “it wouldn’t be surprising if he goes to five at the back.”
It’s important to note that Brentford don’t die wondering, producing some solid results vs Liverpool, and if Brentford could replicate the intensity shown by Ipswich Town in their match vs Liverpool, then there might be a chance to take something away from the game.
However, the formidable atmosphere of Anfield creates a ‘perfect storm’ from The Reds’ point of view.
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