What does that mean? For Brentford, the big news is Christian Eriksen missing out having test positive for Covid-19, thus ripping up the preamble but get well soon, Christian. He’s replaced by compatriot Mathias Jensen while Sergi Canos is dropped to the bench as Yoane Wissa comes in. On initial examination, this will be a hard-running Brentford team. Saman Ghoddos is also absent with the Covid.
For Leicester, a long-awaited return for Thomas Castagne, after three months out. No Wesley Fofana despite playing against Rennes, he is replaced by Caglar Soyuncu. In come James Maddison and Nampalys Mendy come in for Marc Albrighton and Wilfred Ndidi. Still no Jamie Vardy or Jonny Evans among others.
🚨 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🚨
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) March 20, 2022
🤐 Eriksen and Ghoddos out with Covid-19
➡ Jensen and Wissa start
Teams presented by @BlueJeansNet#BrentfordFC #LEIBRE pic.twitter.com/xLVos6RUKn
🦊 The home side this afternoon#BrentfordFC #LEIBRE https://t.co/SSvPFyyNHm
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) March 20, 2022
Updated
Here are the teams
Leicester: Schmeichel, Justin, Soyuncu, Amartey, Castagne, Mendy, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison, Barnes, Iheanacho. Subs: Jakupovic, Evans, Vestergaard, Pereira, Thomas, Choudhury, Soumare, Perez, Daka.
Brentford: Raya, Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry, Norgaard, Jensen, Janelt, Wissa, Mbeumo, Toney. Subs: Fernandez, Canos, Onyeka, Zanka, Fosu-Henry, Baptiste, Sorensen, Roerslev, Young-Coombes.
Preamble
Amid this time of turmoil, as real-world issues threaten to swamp this season’s Premier League, perhaps the tale of Christian Eriksen can revive the belief that we can have nice things. The bleakness of that day in Copenhagen last June when he collapsed with a cardiac arrest remains etched on the mind, but Thomas Frank offering the opportunity for his compatriot to work with him in west London has resulted in signs of the old Eriksen, and this week a recall to the Denmark team. And Brentford have certainly benefitted, with Ivan Toney in particular released and able to hit his scoring straps at just the right time. On 30 points, Brentford are just three points behind Leicester for whom the Premier League season has embraced disaster and Brendan Rodgers can thank his lucky stars for the Europa Conference League (a phrase not yet in common use). Brentford aren’t safe, and neither mathematically are Leicester (a long shot of course), but a win for either would just about guarantee Premier League football in 2022-23. That there are far worse teams below them probably guaranteed that but plenty to play for and a fast-moving Sunday lunchtime special would do us just fine.
Kick-off at 2pm, join me.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 29 | 50 | 70 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 29 | 55 | 69 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 28 | 38 | 59 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 28 | 13 | 54 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 29 | 8 | 50 |
| 6 | West Ham | 29 | 12 | 48 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 28 | 9 | 48 |
| 8 | Wolverhampton | 30 | 5 | 46 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 29 | 1 | 36 |
| 10 | Southampton | 29 | -9 | 35 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 29 | 1 | 34 |
| 12 | Leicester | 26 | -5 | 33 |
| 13 | Brighton | 29 | -10 | 33 |
| 14 | Newcastle | 29 | -17 | 31 |
| 15 | Brentford | 29 | -13 | 30 |
| 16 | Leeds | 30 | -33 | 29 |
| 17 | Everton | 27 | -18 | 25 |
| 18 | Watford | 29 | -26 | 22 |
| 19 | Burnley | 27 | -16 | 21 |
| 20 | Norwich | 29 | -45 | 17 |
