EFL Cup Preview: Brentford vs Sheffield Wednesday

FIy999 2024/10/28 07:37

The Gtech Community Stadium faithful will be praying for a calmer affair when their beloved Brentford side host Sheffield Wednesday in the last 16 of the EFL Cup on Tuesday.


preview


Death, taxes, and goal-laden extravaganzas at the Gtech Community Stadium. A couple of weeks on from sharing an extraordinary eight goals at home with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brentford served up an equally unforgettable spectacle with Ipswich on October 26.


From 2-0 down to 3-2 up, Thomas Frank's side were ostensibly resigned to picking up just one point when super sub Liam Delap sent the away end into bedlam, only for Bryan Mbeumo's cross from the right to evade everyone - including Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric - and cap off an unbelievable victory for the buzzing Bees.


While Brentford's backline did not earn many plaudits, two-goal Mbeumo - who only trails Erling Haaland in the Premier League's Golden Boot race - and fellow brace-scorer Yoane Wissa continued to prove that the Bees' attack remains prolifically potent in the post-Ivan Toney era.


Frank's side coincidentally also had to come from behind to make it this far in the EFL Cup, reversing a 1-0 deficit against Leyton Orient to prevail 3-1 in round three, and that success is one of five that Brentford have achieved in six home games in all competitions this term.


Furthermore, not since the 2010-11 campaign have Brentford fallen at the last-16 stage of the EFL Cup, with that defeat coming on penalties against Birmingham City, who memorably went on to conquer the competition that year - promising omens for Sheffield Wednesday if they can spring a surprise here.


Tuesday's trip to West London represents a fourth straight away day for Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup, but they have had no problem coming up trumps on enemy territory so far, rocking up to all of Hull City, Grimsby Town and Blackpool and emerging victorious each time.


The latter contest saw Di'Shon Bernard strike the only goal of the game in the first half as the Owls made it past the third round of the EFL Cup for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, where their journey ended at the hands of Stoke City in the quarter-finals.


Winners of the tournament all the way back in 1991 - where Manchester United were their victims in the final - Sheffield Wednesday harnessed their own comeback powers at Fratton Park on Saturday, as Danny Rohl masterminded a 2-1 turnaround triumph over Portsmouth to leave the Owls in comfortable mid-table obscurity.


Including their trio of EFL Cup wins, Sheffield Wednesday already have a stellar five away victories to their name this season - also besting Coventry City 2-1 before the October international break - but the head-to-head history books do not favour the visitors.


Indeed, Brentford won each of their final three Championship clashes between March 2020 and February 2021 before joining England's elite, and Sheffield Wednesday have not beaten the Bees away from home since 2015, when the hosts were still housed at Griffin Park.


Brentford possible starting lineup:

Valdimarsson; Roerslev, Mee, Van den Berg, Meghoma; Jensen, Konak, Trevitt; Carvalho, Schade, Yarmolyuk


Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Charles; Palmer, Bernard, Iorfa; Valery, Bannan, Charles, M. Lowe; Musaba, Windass; Smith

  • Brentford

  • Sheffield Wednesday

All comments

  • Hot
  • Time

No comments yet

HolaSports

Try leaving your comments

  • Reply

  • Like

  • Fav

  • Share