Leeds United vs Brentford
Saturday 17 December Elland Road Sky Bet Championship Kick-off: 3pm
The Opponents
It's been ten years since Leeds' last real tilt at promotion back to the Premier League but all signs are that, this year, under Garry Monk, The Whites will be one of the teams in the promotion shake-up come May. The first six games of the season produced just four points, which saw pressure increase on Monk, but since then Leeds have steadily climbed the table. Eight wins from their next 11 league games propelled United into the Play-Off places last month before their EFL Cup run was ended at Anfield by Liverpool in Round Five. Leeds have alternated wins and defeats in recent weeks with Tuesday's success at home to Reading leaving them sixth, a point clear of seventh place but ten points off the automatic promotion places.
By their recent standards it was a very quiet summer of recruitment at Elland Road with only five new faces joining on permanent deals in the shape of Marcus Antonsson [Kalmar], Rob Green [QPR], Kemar Roofe [Oxford United], Luke Ayling [Bristol City], and Eunan O'Kane [AFC Bournemouth]. Loan deals were agreed for Kyle Bartley [Swansea City], Pontus Jansson [Torino], Matt Grimes [Swansea City], Pablo Hernandez [Al-Arabi], and Hadi Sacko [Bordeaux] while Lewis Cook [AFC Bournemouth], Mirco Antenucci [Spal], Casper Sloth [Aalborg], and Sol Bamba [Cardiff City] were the main names to depart.
The Manager
Garry Monk is in his third year as a professional manager and first at Leeds United after he left Swansea City last season. The 37-year-old saved his former club from relegation and got them to the Round of 32 in the Europa League when he took over from Michael Laudrup in 2014. The following year he led his side to league doubles over both Arsenal and Manchester United as they finished eighth and Monk was awarded a new contract. Last season, after a run of one win in 11 games, he left Swansea after spending more than 12 years of his career with the Welsh club.
As a player he began his career with Torquay United before moving on to Southampton in 1996. He had spells with Stockport County, Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday on loan and eventually joined Barnsley on a permanent deal. The centre-back made just three appearances for The Tykes and left on a free at the end of the campaign. He joined League Two side Swansea City in 2004 and went on to play in every division for them until they reached the top flight in 2011, making the majority of his later appearances as captain.
The Match Officials
Referee: Darren Bond Assistant Referees: Jonathan Hunt and Matthew McGrath Fourth Official: Carl Boyeson
Ticket and Travel news
Advanced ticket sales end at 2pm this afternoon for tomorrow's trip to West Yorkshire. Buy in advance from Brentford and save £5 on the matchday ticket price.
A travel guide on getting to Elland Road is available here.
Pre-Match Views
Dean Smith is relishing a 'good test' at Elland Road.
Match Betting
Principal partners 888sport offer the latest odds on tomorrow's meeting.
Bees 9/4 Leeds United 6/5 Draw 49/20
Join Club Sponsors 888sport today and get industry leading odds on a range of sports markets!
Match Coverage
You can hear live match commentary on Bees Player from 2.45pm tomorrow, with Chris Wickham and Mark Chapman.
There will be live match updates on Twitter from 2pm
All the coverage of tomorrow's match can also be found in one place with our new club App. Download for free here.