This season, the Premier League has presented two unique examples of teams that have shown that success can come either through attractive, possession-based football or a compact, defensive approach. Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford. Two teams with different approaches but with identical success in results.
Brentford’s efforts to secure a place in next year’s UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League were commendable. They have a strong squad, a skilled manager, and impressive performances, making them serious contenders for European qualification for a significant part of this season.
The title of the article may be slightly misleading. There is a need to explain why we considered Brentford as the best defending team, even though it’s not the best team in the league in terms of goals conceded.
This tactical analysis will look to provide a comprehensive scout report of some of the defensive principles and tactics deployed by Thomas Frank’s side.
Brentford in numbers
In terms of pure numbers, Brentford has the eighth-best record for goals conceded in the Premier League.
To evaluate defensive behaviour, we need to categorise the teams into two big groups: possession-based and non-possession-based teams.
Over the last 15 years, and after the appearance of Pep Guardiola in world football, a new trend has emerged in how teams defend: defending with the ball. In simple words, the team with the ball does not have to defend, thus minimising the danger of conceding a goal. On the other hand, teams that are unable to retain possession for extended periods during a game are not destined to concede goals and lose matches. If these teams can excel in the art of defending without the ball, they will also succeed.
To find the best team performing in the defensive phase, the first important aspect to consider is ball possession. For a team to defend without the ball and execute fundamentals such as pressing, covering, shifting, stepping in front, defensive triangles, etc, they should have less possession than their opponents. The table below shows that Brentford has the fourth-lowest average possession in the Premier League.
The six teams with the lowest ball possession rank among the seven worst teams for conceding goals. The only exception is Brentford, which appears in the top 10 best teams with the lowest number of goals against.
Another metric that should be considered is the expected goals against. Expected goals (xG) for or against is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal. So, in simple words, it represents the high-quality chances that a team is creating or conceding.
The numbers, once again, show that Brentford has the lowest probability of conceding a goal without having more than a 45% average ball possession. All the teams that rank above Brentford in the specific metric are teams with more than 45% ball possession.
The last metric to check in the analysis is the PPDA: passes allowed per defensive action. The PPDA metric takes into account the number of passes permitted by the opponent in their half before a defensive action is initiated. Brentford has the eighth-best PPDA. All the teams above are groups that have a better average ball possession per game.
A team with high ball possession always finds it much easier to maintain a good PPDA. The main reason is that they can press the ball more efficiently by having more players near where the ball is lost. The exception is Leeds, which, due to Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, was built to play a high-intensity pressing style of football.
Considering all of the above, it’s acceptable that Brentford has the best defensive and transition-to-defence behaviour. They work hard in zonal and man-oriented pressing, denying opponents scoring chances.
Even though they defend for a long time during the games, they manage to have the second-lowest number of total fouls and fouls per minute (8.84) and the fifth-lowest number of yellow cards.
Of course, we should not forget to mention the contribution of goalkeeper David Raya to Brentford’s amazing defensive numbers. He is now at the top of the list in total saves and saves per minute with 148 and 3.72, respectively, in the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Structure out of possession
Coach Thomas Frank demonstrates his flexibility in selecting formations by adapting them according to the opposing teams. In the ongoing season, he has utilised formations featuring either a back three or five defensive lines in 40% of the matches, while employing a back four formation in the remaining 60%. The consistent element across these structures is the utilisation of a midfield trio positioned in the centre.
Brentford is a team capable of playing two different formations: 5-3-2 and 4-3-3, with some variability. During the game, the flexible lines effectively defend against situations of superiority on the flanks.
Upon analysing matches with back three formations, it’s clear the manager preferred it against possession-dominant teams. By employing a defensive back five setup, which translates to a 5-4-1 or 5–3-2 during the defensive phase, Brentford could effectively create a compact block and restrict spaces in the central area of the field.
High pressing
Brentford’s defensive strategy involves high-pressure tactics. One forward from the front two starts running in a curved shape, blocking passes to the flanks. They aim to push the ball to one side and set up a pressing trap to regain possession.
The team employs a 3-2 structure. The front two block the passing lanes to the full-backs and the midfield three cover the central areas. This strategy compels the goalkeeper or defender to choose between playing a long ball or risking the loss of possession in a perilous zone.
Middle and low block
In middle or low block, Brentford defends in a 5–3–2 against teams with high ball possession percentages. In the rest of the games when the starting formation is 4–3–3, the team’s defending structure is 4-5-1. These tactical adjustments demonstrate Brentford’s adaptability and strategic mindset in varying game situations.
Brentford have shown remarkable defensive resilience in their first season in the Premier League, especially against the top teams. One of their key tactics is to use a medium or low block, which means defending the space close to their own goal and limiting the space behind for the opposition to exploit.
Depending on the situation, Brentford can use a 4-5-1 or a 5-3-2 formation depending on their initial structure, with the wing-backs dropping back to form a back five when needed. This allows them to stay compact and disciplined, and also to man-mark the opposition’s forwards, inside wingers, and attacking wing-backs. Brentford’s low block is effective because it forces the opposition to play wide or take long shots, which are easier to deal with for their goalkeeper and defenders.
The above structure changes when Brentford wants to avoid being outnumbered on the flanks. The wide spaces are the areas where most teams try to create chances. Brentford’s defenders swiftly and cleverly react when the opposition overloads one side of the pitch. They employ zonal and man-marking tactics, adjusting their backline both horizontally and vertically to cover spaces and opponents. The team’s midfielders and forwards provide support by tracking back, creating a tough and unified defensive unit.
When defending with a 4-5-1 formation against teams that push their full-backs up and bring the wingers inside or push up their inverted full-backs, the solution is for the wingers to track the movement on the flank. This temporarily changes the formation from 4-5-1 to 5-4-1. The solution is simple: assign responsibility to specific players to track movements in that tactical situation. Midfielders and wingers need to do a lot of off-the-ball work and running, but it simplifies defending by reducing communication errors for switch players.
The tactical situation mentioned above does not impact the formation when the team is positioned in a 5-3-2 setup. To maintain balance on the flanks, the side midfielder near the ball moves wide to assist the wing-back. The remaining two midfielders shift to cover the central area. The situation on the flank becomes one of equality: 2 v 2 or 3 v 3. The success of the action now depends on the individual quality of Brentford’s defenders. This way, Brentford can maintain a compact shape and deny space for the attackers.
Fundamental defensive principles
The team can defend efficiently because the players have clear instructions to follow. These are the fundamental defensive principles of Thomas Frank’s game model.
First and most importantly, the players must always try to be behind the ball in a compact block. If possible, the team should have all eleven players behind the ball and always defend with great density. That makes it difficult for the opponents to progress between the lines. It also forces them to attack from the flanks or attempt a long pass behind them. For that reason, Brentford has the highest number of aerial duels per game, with 39.53.
Compactness is a fundamental aspect of Brentford’s game strategy. During the defensive phase, all players have responsibilities. One crucial task is to maintain the team’s defensive formation consistently.
Synchronised shifting is necessary when the opponent switches the play. Additionally, all passes within the block should be pressed promptly.
After losing possession, the players of Brentford swiftly shift their mindset and assess whether they can apply immediate pressure. If not, their collective effort is focused on regrouping into a medium or low compact block by making fast recovery runs.
One of the most significant fundamentals of Thomas Frank’s philosophy is the priority of closing the centre off. Statistically, the most assists and chances are given or created from central spaces. By protecting them, the risk is reduced. Brentford’s players apply aggressive pressure to any opponent who receives a pass inside the block or tries to drive inside.
Another important aspect is moving the pressure up from the low and middle blocks into a high press in an organised way, which allows the team to apply pressure during the games. Brentford applies high pressure on only two occasions. The first occasion is when the goalkeeper experiences static build-up. The second scenario occurs when the opponents execute short-distance backwards passes, triggering a particular response. The specific action from the opponents is the signal to intensify pressure in the upper regions of the field. The pressing tactic persists until the opponent either executes a long pass or loses possession during a short build-up play.
Conclusion
Brentford has proven to be a formidable force and a prime example of a top-tier defending team. Their commitment to defending and compactness is unparalleled, as each player fulfils their defensive responsibilities with precision and determination.
This scout report aimed to show that the maintenance of the defensive block is a cornerstone of their game model, ensuring that their opponents find it difficult to break through. The players fulfil the defensive principles of Brentford’s game plan with much discipline and focus.
Brentford’s defensive prowess has undoubtedly contributed to their success in the Premier League. As other teams strive to improve their defensive capabilities, they can look to Brentford’s model as a source of inspiration.
