Brentford vs Sunderland: Confirmed lineups, shape clash, and the changes Andrews has made

The teams are in at the Gtech Community Stadium, and the pre-match shape battle is already drawn. Brentford run out in a 4-2-3-1, the structure Keith Andrews has trusted through the opening two weeks of the Premier League season. Sunderland arrive with a 5-4-1: five across the back, four midfielders sat tight in front of that line, and one forward looking for the counter. That is the geometry the home side have to unpick over 90 minutes.

Andrews has made one change to the side that opened with a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and then drew 1-1 at Leeds United. Dango Ouattara comes into the front three, with Jaidon Anthony the player making way. The rest of the attacking shape is unchanged, and the double pivot in front of the back four stays put. Sunderland's five-man back line tells its own story: this is set up to absorb, stay compact, and strike on the break rather than control territory.

Brentford's 4-2-3-1 is built to commit numbers forward. With Ouattara in, the home side have a fresh runner in the wide channel, and the question is how quickly the visitors' back five can slide across to shut off the supply lines into the central three. Sunderland's 5-4-1 mechanics are clear: pack the central zones, force play wide, and let the lone forward feed off second balls. The away side are not coming to the Gtech to dominate possession; they are coming to deny space and wait.

That tension, Brentford's attacking shape against a deep, disciplined block, is the single biggest factor in how this match reads before a ball is kicked. Brentford have taken four points from their opening two league fixtures while also progressing in the Carabao Cup, so the platform is there. For Sunderland, the task is simpler in description and harder in execution: stay in shape, frustrate, and take what comes on the transition.

The one change Andrews has made is the headline note. Ouattara replaces Anthony in the front three, and a new signing, El Hadji Malick Diouf, could feature from the bench. Beyond that, the shape tells the story. Brentford will ask questions of a five-man defensive line; Sunderland will ask whether Brentford's creative hub can find the gaps that low blocks typically concede only on set pieces and turnovers. Kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium is at 3pm, and the tactical brief is already on the pitch in personnel terms.

FotMob, BBC.