By LONDON — Brentford will host Crystal Palace in their Premier League season opener on Sunday at the Gtech Community Stadium, with both London clubs looking to start their campaigns on a positive note.
Brentford, entering their fourth consecutive season in the top flight under manager Thomas Frank, aim to improve on last season’s 16th-place finish. The Bees have been active in the transfer market, signing striker Igor Thiago for £30 million ($38 million) and midfielder Fabio Carvalho for £22.5 million ($28.6 million) from Liverpool.
However, Thiago is sidelined for several months following knee surgery in late July. Brentford will also be without Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, and Josh Dasilva due to long-term injuries.
Crystal Palace, under the guidance of Oliver Glasner, who took over early in 2024, finished the previous season strongly. The Eagles face challenges in the transfer market, having already lost Michael Olise and with speculation surrounding the futures of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen.
Palace will be without Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is unavailable following his participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics with France. New signings Daichi Kamada, Chadi Riad, and Ismaila Sarr are in contention to feature.
The match is scheduled for Sunday, August 18, with kick-off at 14:00 BST (09:00 ET). Sam Barrott will referee the fixture, with Peter Bankes as VAR.
Recent head-to-head records slightly favor Crystal Palace, with one win and four draws in their last five meetings. The most recent encounter saw Palace win 3-1 on December 30, 2023.
Brentford’s expected lineup includes goalkeeper Mark Flekken, defenders Mads Roerslev, Nathan Collins, Ethan Pinnock, and Kristoffer Ajer. The midfield could feature Christian Norgaard, Vitaly Janelt, and Mathias Jensen, with Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney, and Yoane Wissa in attack.
Crystal Palace are likely to field Dean Henderson in goal, with a defense including Daniel Munoz, Joachim Andersen, Chadi Riad, Marc Guehi, and Tyrick Mitchell. Adam Wharton and Cheick Doucoure may start in midfield, supporting an attack of Daichi Kamada, Odsonne Edouard, and Eberechi Eze.
Both teams enter the match following mixed pre-season results. Brentford drew their last friendly 4-4 with Wolfsburg, while Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Nantes in their final preparation game.
The match marks the beginning of a Premier League season where both teams face different challenges: Brentford looking to establish themselves further in the top flight, and Crystal Palace aiming to build on their strong finish to the previous campaign under new management.
