Thomas Frank is excited about Brentford’s attacking potential going into next season after Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Luton.
The Bees ran riot at Kenilworth Road with Yoane Wissa on target twice and Bryan Mbeumo able to pull the strings as the fulcrum of a fluid attack.
Keane Lewis-Potter also got on the scoresheet along with substitute Kevin Schade, while Mikkel Damsgaard caught the eye in a display all the more impressive given Ivan Toney’s absence.
With Toney eager to move on this summer, the five-goal spree at Luton was a timely example of Brentford being able to show there will be life after the anticipated departure of their talisman.
“We were very good offensively,” Frank acknowledged.
“Wissa getting two goals, a fantastic goal. Keane got a goal, Kevin Schade coming off the bench and got a goal.
“Bryan probably should have got a goal, but was at least two assists and was involved in all the goals, so very pleased with that.
“I think it is promising. I was actually going into this season very optimistic.
“I am always optimistic. Sometimes too optimistic! But I think it is good to have belief in your players.
“Then we have been so unlucky with injuries. You can see when we get more of our best players back the potential in the team.”
Saturday’s comprehensive win extended Brentford’s unbeaten run to five matches and Frank has set the target of ending a “tough season” on a high.
The Bees could be boosted by the return of Toney at Everton next weekend after he was absent at Luton due to his ongoing hip issue.
Frank revealed: “He was very close. If this was a play-off final, which it wasn’t, then I would have played him, but we need to get him absolutely right and fully fit.
“I meant what I said before, after Sheffield United, that I thought he would be ready for this game. It was just too short so I strongly believe he is ready for Everton. I really hope that.”
Meanwhile, Luton boss Rob Edwards admitted there would be no major repercussions following their second consecutive 5-1 loss.
“I didn’t rant and rave,” Edwards explained.
“I am not sure it would have had too much of an effect right there and right then. It might be a case on Monday. I’ll see how I feel once I have reviewed things.
“This week we need to show the things we’ve not done well enough and try to correct some things, but at this stage of the season as well what we can’t do now is lose people or blame people.
“I can’t become a different person just because we’ve lost a game of football.”
Postecoglou: Spurs have a confidence problem to overcome
Ange Postecoglou says that Tottenham need to "overcome" their low confidence after suffering a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
Spurs slipped to their fourth consecutive Premier League defeat, being left to bemoan their slow start as they found themselves 4-0 down by the hour mark thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott.
Richarlison came off the bench to salvage some pride for Spurs, scoring one before setting up Son Heung-min for a goal on his 300th Premier League appearance.
Spurs had the opportunity to cut the gap to the top four after Aston Villa’s defeat to Brighton, but they remain seven points off a Champions League spot.
Postecoglou’s side still have a game in hand over the Villans, though he was sure that Spurs would be able to put their recent poor run behind them.
Asked if Spurs had a confidence problem, Postecoglou told Sky Sports: "Maybe in the front third there is.
"It probably is a bit of a lack of confidence, but again, that's something the guys have to work through.
"You have to find a way to overcome that because, ultimately, if you don't put pressure on the opposition in the front third after you've worked your way up there, they're going to get comfortable with their position."
Spurs have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games, failing to win any of the last five.
Despite that run extending at Anfield, Postecoglou highlighted what he thought was an improvement on their recent performances.
He continued: "Obviously a hugely disappointing outcome for us but at least we were more like ourselves today in terms of our football.
"Our last two away games at Newcastle and Chelsea, apart from the results which weren't great either, we just didn't try and play our football.
"I thought today, even in the first half, some of our football, our pressing was back to where it should be."
Roma 1-1 Juventus: Juve miss chance to close gap to second after draw with Roma
Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw at Roma on Sunday, missing the chance to close in on Milan in second place in Serie A.
Roma took the lead after 15 minutes when Romelu Lukaku found himself in the perfect position to tap in the rebound from a Bryan Cristante shot.
Bremer levelled with a header for Juventus just after the half-hour mark when Federico Chiesa picked him out inside the box from a corner.
Both sides had chances to find a winner in the final minutes, with Roma keeper Mile Svilar making a fingertip save to push Manuel Locatelli's volley over the bar.
Third-placed Juventus have 66 points, five fewer than Milan, who drew 3-3 with Genoa earlier on Sunday. Roma are fifth with 60 points.
Data Debrief: Leading from the back
Since scoring his first Serie A goal in the 2019-20 season, Bremer is the defender with the most headed goals in the Big-5 European leagues, netting 13 in total. Each of his last seven goals have been headers.
His goal was enough to earn Juventus a point today, but it means that they have drawn each of their last four in the competition - a first since February-March 2012 under Antonio Conte.
Chelsea 8-0 Bristol City: Blues rout hands Hayes perfect home send off
Guro Reiten starred as Chelsea thrashed already-relegated Bristol City 8-0 to keep their title hopes alive in the Women's Super League on Sunday.
The Norwegian scored four goals, netting the opener from the penalty spot to get Emma Hayes' last home game in charge off to the best start.
She scored the other three in the second half in just over 20 minutes, while teeing up Agnes Beever-Jones for the seventh goal with just two minutes left.
Beever-Jones got two, with Sjoeke Nusken and Niamh Charles also adding to the scoreline to eradicate the goal-difference advantage that Manchester City, who lost to Arsenal earlier on Sunday, had over them.
Chelsea move to within three points of the Citizens, with a game in hand over them, remaining in the fight to lift their fifth-consecutive league title.
Data Debrief:
Chelsea have scored eight goals in a game for the first time since December 2022 against Leicester City, a match they also won 8-0.
The Blues have scored in their last six games in the WSL, though it does not come close to their longest run of games with a goal in the competition - a run of 20 from April 2023 to February 2024.
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