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How does Brentford’s opening day win compare to previous play-off winning sides?

Brentford vs Arsenal, Premier League, 2021

Are the omens looking good for Brentford to stay up this season?

Brentford enjoyed a perfect start to life in the Premier League, as Thomas Frank's side enjoyed a 2-0 win over Arsenal on the opening day.
The Bees last featured in the top-flight back in 1947, meaning the majority of Brentford fans were witnessing their side in the division for the first time.Good things come to those who wait and goals by Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard ensured they hit the ground running.

After losing to London rivals Fulham in the 2020 Championship playoff final, Brentford again reached the finals in 2021 but managed to rectify their defeat with a 2-0 win over Swansea City.

An early penalty from Ivan Toney set them on their way before Emiliano Marcondes added Brentford's second of the match to secure promotion.

Now as the Premier League's surprise package, many are speculating about how Brentford will cope this season - however, their opening day victory certainly stands them in good stead.

After Brentford's dramatic entrance to the Premier League, Planet Sport takes a detailed look at how previous playoff-winning sides have coped in the top flight.

Fulham - 2020/21

Position: 18th

Points: 28

After beating Brentford in the playoff final, Fulham were the third team to secure promotion alongside Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion.

Despite finishing fourth below Brentford, Scott Parker's side edged the final in extra time courtesy of Joe Bryan's brace.
With a young and charismatic manager, many speculated that Fulham's season could go one of two ways - either their youthfulness and energy took the league by storm, or their inexperience shines through and they struggle to survive.
Scott Parker, Fulham, Premier League, 2021, Craven Cottage
Unfortunately for the Cottagers, it was the latter that defined their first season back in the big time.

An opening 3-0 loss to London rivals Arsenal hardly created a positive atmosphere around Craven Cottage, and a following 4-3 loss to fellow promotion side Leeds United failed to help matters.

Further losses to Aston Villa, Wolves and Crystal Palace followed before Fulham finally managed their first win of the season against fellow strugglers West Brom.

Parker's decision to play expansive and free-flowing football was widely complimented across the soccer community, but it frequently left his inexperienced and naive defence vulnerable.
Unable to quickly amend the defensive fragility, Fulham quickly slumped to the relegation zone and struggled from then on to really get going.

Despite a good run of form around February, which included a surprise 1-0 win over reigning champions Liverpool, Fulham failed to remain consistent and were eventually relegated with just 28 points.

However, while much of Fulham's wrongdoings came at the start of the season, Brentford fans can take hope from their superb start to life in the Premier League.

Aston Villa - 2019/20

Position: 17th

Points: 35

In a similar fashion to Brentford, it was second time lucky for Aston Villa in the playoffs. After their 1-0 loss against Fulham in 2018, they made no mistake the second time around against Derby County.

Anwar El Ghazi opened the scoring for the Villains just before half-time, before John McGinn doubled their lead on the hour mark.

Derby's Jack Marriot clawed one back for Frank Lampard's side with 10 minutes to go, but Villa dug in their heels and held on to secure promotion.

On their return, Villa were handed a tough task against Tottenham Hotspur in their opener, although McGinn's goal just nine minutes into the match proved to be a dream start.

However, Villa fans' hopes were spoiled in the second half when Tanguy Ndombele equalised and Harry Kane netted a late brace to seal a 3-1 win.

Although not the ideal start to their Premier League campaign, Villa only had to wait until their third match to register points on the table - a 2-1 loss against Bournemouth was followed by a 2-0 home win against Everton.

Bolstered by the attacking flair of Jack Grealish, Villa managed to remain competitive throughout the season but continuously flirted with the relegation zone.

After the league was postponed due to Covid-19, Villa's first match back in 'Project Restart' against Sheffield United was clouded by controversy.
Minutes before the half-time whistle, Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland caught the ball and appeared to fall back into his goal and carry the ball over his line. The only issue being that referee Michael Oliver didn't seem to be notified via goal-line technology.
The goal wasn't given and the match ended as a goalless draw, which proved to be a monumental moment in Villa's survival push.
A four-game unbeaten streak at the end of the season, including a 1-0 win over Arsenal, left Villa on 35 points, crucially, one clear of Bournemouth in 18th.
Thanks to a late rally from the side, and a slice of luck from faulty goal-line technology, Villa managed to survive the drop by the skin of their teeth.

Fulham - 2018/19

Position: 19th

Points: 26

A second appearance on the list for the Cottagers, who were promoted to the Premier League after their 1-0 triumph over Aston Villa in 2018.
A sole goal from Tom Cairney proved the difference at Wembley, and Fulham remained resolute despite Denis Odoi's red card in the 70th minute.
Back-to-back derby losses against Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur wasn't an ideal start for the Cottagers, but they registered their first three points in the following week in a dramatic 4-2 win over Burnley.
More points followed in a 2-2 draw against Brighton, but Fulham's defence again proved to not be up to scratch in the top flight, and they were frequently punished by superior sides.

A flurry of 3-0 losses to Manchester City, Everton and Bournemouth alongside a 5-1 drubbing by Arsenal immediately dampened Fulham's survival chances, and Slavisa Jokanovic's side failed to bounce back.

The Cottagers made a managerial change in November, bringing in former Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri in order to try and turn their form around, but the Italian suffered a similar fate to his predecessor and was sacked in February.
Parker was named as the caretaker manager, but with Fulham already deep in the relegation zone, even three wins in their final five fixtures weren't enough to save them from the drop.

Huddersfield Town - 2017/18

Position: 16th

Points: 37

Huddersfield returned to the top flight in 2017 after a 45-year absence, and they didn't lack any bite in their Premier League campaign.
Huddersfield Town, West Brom, Premier League, 2017
Despite finishing fifth in the Championship the year prior, Huddersfield managed to make the playoff final, where they were pitted against Reading.
After a goalless 90 minutes, neither side managed to find the breakthrough in extra time either, leaving a penalty shootout necessary to decide a winner.
Christopher Schindler capitalised on Reading's misses and scored Huddersfield's final penalty in a 4-3 shootout win to secure promotion.

Huddersfield enjoyed a similar result to Brentford on their return, winning 3-0 away to Crystal Palace on their opener. However, the Terriers went one step further and truly hit the ground running with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United.

A less successful run of results followed, but a remarkable 2-1 home win over Manchester United put an end to their slump.

Many Huddersfield fans will themselves tell you that they had little expectations heading into the season, but their fantastic start proved vital as they survived on 37 points and finished 16th.
The recurring theme seems to be that a strong start to a Premier League is vital in any newly promoted side's campaign. It's a promising omen for Brentford's league hopes after their 2-0 win over the Gunners this week.

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