Brentford after five gameweeks
Brentford are fourth after Gameweek 5, unbeaten, with 3-0 wins over Tottenham on the opening day and Chelsea in GW5 and draws with Leeds, Sunderland and Bournemouth in between. Ten scored, four conceded, two clean sheets.
Keith Andrews is in his second season as head coach after Thomas Frank left for Tottenham, and the club’s identity — direct, dangerous from set pieces and long throws — is intact. Bryan Mbeumo has gone to Manchester United, and the attacking points he used to take have gone to someone else.
Schade has taken the points, not Thiago
Kevin Schade is Brentford’s top FPL scorer and one of the most in-form players in the game: three goals and two assists from five starts, and second on penalties. At £6.2m he is the Brentford pick.
Igor Thiago scored 22 league goals last season, finishing second in the Golden Boot, and is first on penalties. He has started every game this season and scored once. At £7.8m that is the price of last season’s output, not this one’s. Hold him if you own him — penalty takers turn quickly — but Schade is the buy. Vitaly Janelt has two goals from midfield at £5.0m, Mamadou Sangaré two assists, and Keane Lewis-Potter takes the direct free kicks.
The value defence
Michael Kayode is the top-scoring available Brentford defender, with a goal from four starts at £4.6m. Kristoffer Ajer has played every minute at £4.5m. Caoimhín Kelleher has played every minute in goal at £5.0m and kept two clean sheets.
Nathan Collins is out with a calf injury, and Mathias Jensen, first on corners, is out until around the GW6 deadline.
Brentford’s next five
After the international break Brentford play Aston Villa (A), Liverpool (H), Hull (A), Nottingham Forest (H) and Brighton (A). The FPL difficulty ratings put Liverpool and Brighton at 4 and Hull at 2.
Schade is the Brentford player to own through it, with Kayode as a cheap defender for the Hull and Forest weeks. The live table on this page carries each player’s price, ownership and flag.