Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler said he is “not a fan” of the numbers surrounding Brentford’s poor away form as the Bees look to extend his side’s winless run to six games.
Thomas Frank’s tally of one point from eight away games is their worst record in the 2024/25 Premier League ahead of their visit to the Amex Stadium on Friday (7.30pm GMT).
“They don’t give you any guarantee of winning the game,” Hurzeler said of Brentford’s away results. “We see this as an opportunity to break out of this vicious circle of bad experiences.
“We have to try to play more intensely and give the fans a gift. Further development takes time – especially with this young team. That’s why we have to be patient with them.”
Good to see Joel out there again. 👊🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/dDI9dRlnJ6
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 23, 2024
Brighton results: Hurzeler “responsible”
Albion took the lead but failed to win for the third time in five games in a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Saturday, missing a number of chances.
The 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on December 15 was part of a winning streak in their last five home games in all competitions.
“We have experts for the strikers, experts for the defenders,” said Hurzeler. “We try to improve the players with every training session.
“I am responsible for the poor results. It is my responsibility to help the players get out of this situation. I consider it a privilege to work during the Christmas season.”
Score your first goal #PL The finish feels so good… 🤩 pic.twitter.com/zHAT5euV9p
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 22, 2024
Brighton vs. Brentford: Guests “strong”
Centre-back Adam Webster or winger Solly March could return from injury on the bench against their 12th-placed opponents, while Hurzeler will hope midfielder Mats Wieffer is not bothered by an injury that forced him off in the second half at the London Stadium.
Hurzeler described Jan Paul van Hecke as a “warrior” after the centre-back played most of the game with a bandage on his head following a painful aerial attack.
Brentford suffered their first home defeat of the season on Saturday, losing 2-0 to fourth-placed Nottingham Forest. “They’re really intense,” Hurzeler said.
“They focus on the things they can influence…they really care about the little details. Against the big teams they play with a back five, so let’s see if they can get away with that against us or with a back four.
“They are very flexible – a strong team with a very good coach who has shown very good development (under Frank). It’s a big challenge for us.”
