Keith Andrews urged his players to "stay present" prior to Brentford's clash with Chelsea under the lights last Friday, and everyone connected to the club will be more than happy to oblige after a storming 3-0 derby win.
The Bees' head coach "loved everything about" a pulsating derby victory that saw his side - still unbeaten in 2026/27 - enter the international break fourth in the Premier League table.
After a competitive first period with little in the way of clear-cut chances, the hosts turned the screw in the second half. Jaidon Anthony headed home his first Brentford goal from a well-worked corner shortly after the hour, and further goals from Igor Thiago and substitute Fábio Carvalho secured a famous victory that left the Gtech buzzing come full-time.
And Brentford certainly appear to have an affection for Friday night football. Across seven Premier League games on a Friday, the Bees have now won six, with their average of 2.71 points per game the best of any side to play three or more matches on a specific day of the week in the competition's history.
Across seven Premier League games on a Friday, the Bees have now won six, with their average of 2.71 points per game the best of any side to play three or more matches on a specific day of the week in the competition's history
The Bees excelled at both ends of the pitch against Xabi Alonso's Blues, and Jannik Schuster's impressive start to life in the Premier League continued, as the young Austrian assisted Anthony's opening goal and turned in another towering display.
He may only have turned 20 in May, but Schuster has settled remarkably quickly since replacing the injured Nathan Collins 17 minutes into the 1-1 draw with Sunderland at the start of the month.
Relishing the physical side of Premier League football, Schuster again excelled alongside the rock-solid Kristoffer Ajer to give Brentford a solid defensive base, while his individual numbers already rank among some of the best in the top tier.
In his fledgling Premier League career to date (253 minutes and counting), Schuster has already racked up 30 clearances. His average of 10.7 clearances per 90 minutes is the second-highest in the division this season. The former RB Salzburg defender also won three aerials and blocked three shots against Chelsea, and the manner in which he handled Danny Welbeck, on his first Premier League start for the Blues, suggests Brentford landed an exciting young talent in the summer.
A second clean sheet of the season against a hitherto free-scoring Chelsea side will have delighted Andrews and his backroom staff, and Mikkel Damsgaard's numbers hint at the Bees' collective willingness to put in the hard yards. Brentford's no.24 had more touches than any of his team-mates, but the Dane also put in a shift out of possession, making more tackles (four) than any other player on the pitch last Friday.
The Bees allied that graft and intensity with quality - and their midfield's long passing was a case in point.
Brentford's starting midfield trio of Vitaly Janelt, Yehor Yarmoliuk (making his 100th Premier League appearance) and Damsgaard picked their moments to vary the range and tempo of their passing, pinging 13 accurate long balls between them over the course of the contest. That figure was achieved from just 19 attempts, giving the trio a long-pass completion rate just shy of 70 per cent.
With Anthony now off the mark for the Bees, Thiago on target for the first time in the Premier League this season and Carvalho scoring for the second time in the space of a week since returning from injury, there were positives all over the park.
International breaks arguably never come at a good time - but Brentford fans will enjoy admiring the table over the next three weeks after the club's best-ever start to a Premier League season.