Brentford Take Their Bow in the Premier League
Facing Arsenal the last team they played in the top flight 74 years ago
Brentford Community Stadium will host season opener. Picture: Brentford FC
This Friday evening (13 August) Brentford FC will become the fiftieth team to play in the Premier League and for the first time ever, the opening game of the season will be played in a brand new stadium.
The game against Arsenal has a strange historical symmetry because the last time the two London sides met in a league fixture was at Griffin Park on 26 May 1947 when defeat for Brentford meant relegation and a 74 wait for a return to the top flight.
The Brentford Community Stadium will become the sixtieth to host a Premier League game.
Arsenal are likely to field Bukayo Saka who grew up a short bus ride away from the ground in Greenford. Fans in pre-season have chosen to remember his Euro heroics rather than his penalty miss with even the supporters of north London rivals Spurs applauding him onto the field. Most of the traditionally classy Bees fans are expected to do likewise.
Manager Thomas Frank has promised that Brentford would continue with the attack-minded approach than won them promotion through the play offs.
He said, “We need the fans. I expect two things from Friday night; my players will run themselves into the ground and the fans will be right behind us through every minute. This is the kick-off to a new world where we have never been before. We are just excited and looking forward to playing against a good side.”
The game kicks off at 8pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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August 13, 2021
