The Premier League returns on Friday as Brentford play host to Arsenal, as the top flight’s newest entrants welcome a side that has enjoyed a 96 season unbroken spell in England’s first division. Thomas Frank’s Bees, who won the EFL Championship playoff promotion final in late May, have not played a game in Division One or the Premier League since the 1946-47 season but will hope that the long wait proves to be worth it when they take on the Gunners.
Here is how you can watch the match and everything you need to know:
Storylines
Brentford: After so many misses over a lengthy period where they have looked like a top flight team in waiting, there are few who doubt that Frank’s side will prove to be a dangerous proposition for their first opponent of the season. With Ivan Toney available for Friday’s game, Brentford will be able to deploy a formidable attack that found the net on 79 occasions in the Championship last season, nearly 40 percent of which came from the striker. Flank him with the likes of Bryan Mbuemo, Sergi Canos and new signing Yoane Wissa, and there is all the firepower needed to test the Arsenal backline.
Frank’s side are certainly going up to the Premier League with plenty of ambition. He said: “After the play-off final there was massive relief, satisfaction and joy because we achieved our target but, standing there at the top of the mountain, you looked over and there was another mountain which is even higher and even steeper. We now want to get on top of that. The players are elite sportsmen and we, as staff, want to win. There is no satisfaction in getting into the Premier League and doing badly.”
Craving even more coverage of the world’s game? Listen below and follow ¡Qué Golazo! A Daily CBS Soccer Podcast where we take you beyond the pitch and around the globe for commentary, previews, recaps and more.
Arsenal: With Chelsea and Manchester City to come before the international break, a fast start is imperative for Mikel Arteta, whose work over a season and a half in his first managerial job has been the subject of much debate among Arsenal fans this summer. A top four spot that used to have their name on it at the start of every campaign looks highly likely to be beyond the Gunners, barring the most dramatic of collapses from Chelsea, Liverpool and the Manchester clubs.
Meanwhile, their squad has something of an unfinished look to it. Arteta and technical director Edu Gaspar wanted to be “ruthless,” but have struggled to find takers for well-paid players who have been at the heart of the worst performing Arsenal squad in a generation. The side for the opening day may include two new signings — Ben White and Sambi Lokonga — but it could also have room for familiar faces such as Hector Bellerin, Alexandre Lacazette and Granit Xhaka. All of those players were available at the start of the summer and it is fair to question how much more this team can achieve when it is so unchanged.
How to watch and odds
Date: Friday, Aug. 13 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Brentford Community Stadium — London, United Kingdom
TV: NBCSN Live Stream: FuboTV (try for free)
Odds: Brentford +333; Draw +260; Arsenal -120 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Brentford vs. Arsenal
Prediction
Brentford are unlikely to be welcoming hosts to their first Premier League opponent but the quality of Arsenal’s attacking options could be a wake up call for the newly promoted side. Pick: Brentford 1, Arsenal 2
