Brentford head to League Two side Grimsby Town on Tuesday (7.45pm kick-off GMT) in the Carabao Cup, as they look to progress through to the quarter-finals of the competition.
The Bees beat Premier League opposition Bournemouth and Aston Villa in the two previous rounds. As for Grimsby - who currently sit sixth in the fourth tier - they defeated Shrewsbury Town, Manchester United, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Analysis, team news, match officials and more. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the fixture.
Pre-match Analysis
Stephen Gillett, Playmaker Stats: Open, high-tempo encounter expected
Brentford take on giant-killing Grimsby Town with a place in the last eight of the Carabao Cup up for grabs - and the League Two high-flyers top a host of stats in the fourth tier.
Conquerors of Manchester United in round two of the competition, the Mariners currently sit sixth in the table, just two points off top spot, and their data this season suggests they will dispute possession of the football on Tuesday night.
Manager David Artell has drilled his side to play an attractive, possession-based style with an emphasis on control, and Grimsby currently have an average possession share of 61 per cent in league play - the most in the division.
League Two's joint-top scorers have hit 27 goals this term, 18 of them from open play situations, and their shooting statistics in 2025/26 are impressive.
No team on the fourth rung of the Football League ladder averages more shots per game than Grimsby (14.9) this season, and the Mariners also top the charts when it comes to shots on target per 90 (5).
Brentford have earned a reputation for bursting out of the blocks over recent seasons, and Grimsby have shown an equally-impressive knack for scoring early in games during the current campaign.
No team in League Two has scored more goals in the first 30 minutes of games than Grimsby (10), and the Bees will need to be on their guard from the first whistle at Blundell Park.
Even more impressively, the Mariners are one of only nine teams in the EFL yet to concede a league goal in the first 15 minutes of games.
When it comes to end product in the final third, forward Charles Vernam is Grimsby’s primary danger man.
One of only three League Two players in double figures for goal involvements this term - with five goals and five assists - Vernam leads Playmaker's player ratings in the fourth tier, and Brentford's defenders should show him left if given the chance: all of his League Two goals have been fired in with his right foot.
With a place in the quarter-finals on the line, all the numbers point to an open, high-tempo encounter between a League Two side playing with confidence and a Brentford team hitting new heights since the international break.
Scout Report
Dan Long, Sky Sports: Promising campaign ahead for high-scoring Mariners
David Artell did an excellent job of keeping Grimsby in League Two after he replaced Paul Hurst at Blundell Park in November 2023 - but in his first full season, last term, he did even better.
Despite having the fifth-worst home record in the division, the Mariners had the fifth-best away record and flirted with the play-offs all season. A place in the end-of-season lottery looked nailed on at the start of April, but taking only three points from the last five saw those hopes scuppered on the final day.
“It’s bitterly disappointing to feel like we feel at the minute,” Artell told BBC Radio Humberside. “The bigger picture is that we’ve made huge strides and we’ve got to continue the upward trajectory.”
Still, a ninth-place finish - two points outside the top seven - was their best since 2005/06, when they came fourth under Russell Slade, before losing in the play-off final to Cheltenham at the Millennium Stadium.
Following a refreshing of the squad in the summer - with 12 players signed either permanently or on loan - Artell’s side have started in even better form they showed for a lot of last season and currently sit sixth, albeit only two points off top spot, such is the congested nature of the table currently.
They are the second-highest scorers in the top four divisions (27, level with MK Dons) and are averaging 1.71 points-per-game, which is a significant increase on 2024/25’s 1.48.
In terms of cup competitions, Grimsby are out of the Vertu Trophy already and have an FA Cup first round clash with National League South side Ebbsfleet to prepare for on Saturday. In the Carabao Cup, though, they have, arguably, been the story of the tournament so far.
The 3-1 win over Shrewsbury in the first round was good, if not out of the ordinary, but when Manchester United came to town, they shone.
Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren gave them a shock 2-0 lead at the break, and it was only thanks to Harry Maguire in the 89th minute that Ruben Amorim’s side did not crash out in normal time. But they did after a marathon 23-penalty shoot-out.
After one of the great nights of Grimsby’s recent history, they beat Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough to advance to the fourth round for the first time in almost a quarter of a century.
While a cup run is so enjoyable, Artell will not want it to come at the expense of what is shaping up to be a promising promotion quest; Grimsby have not been higher than the fourth tier since 2003/04. But from here, anything is a bonus.
In the Dugout
David Artell
David Artell started his career with his hometown club Rotherham and spent five years there, with his breakthrough coming in the 2000/01 season, when he played 36 league games as the Millers were promoted from the Second Division.
He did not play for the club again, however, and after zero appearances in 2001/02, he spent 2002/03 on loan at Shrewsbury in the Third Division.
The central defender signed permanently for Mansfield in the summer of 2003 and spent two seasons there, before two seasons at Chester, and three at Morecambe. In 2010, he signed a two-year deal at Crewe, with his time at the club culminating in promotion to League One.
Artell had further spells at Port Vale and Northampton, before dropping into non-league to sign for Wrexham.
He finished up playing in 2016/17, after time in the Welsh Premier League with Bala Town and Port Talbot - and then Kidsgrove Athletic and Droylsden back in England - but not before he had earned seven international caps for Gibraltar, having qualified as a result of his dad being born in the nation.
Artell became former club Crewe’s new manager in January 2017 and kept them in League Two in his first five months in the job.
In 2019/20, he oversaw their promotion to League One on points-per-game, which earned him the League Two Manager of the Year award. He was sacked in April 2022, shortly after relegation back to the fourth tier, though.
Artell has been in charge at Grimsby since November 2023 and signed a new deal until the end of the 2027/28 season in the summer.
The Gameplan
With Sam Allen, Grimsby Telegraph
Sam Allen, senior football writer for the Grimsby Telegraph, discusses how David Artell is likely to set up his team on Tuesday night.
"The shape they have primarily used this season is a variation of a 4-3-3, like a 4-1-4-1 out of possession, with the wingers coming back a bit," he said.
"That is the style Artell has used from early on in his career, going back to his days at Crewe as well. They like to get the wingers on the ball a lot.
"George McEachran, in the defensive midfield role, is brilliant at starting attacks, but also out of possession as well. There are two willing runners ahead of him in midfield, usually Kieran Green and Evan Khouri, but Jamie Walker has come in this summer and played in one of those roles as well.
"The defenders get involved in attacks a lot. As is the modern trend in football, the full-backs come into midfield and centre-backs get forward and play passes into the final third. It is a very fluid system."
Read our full interview with Sam Allen here
Team news
Andrews provides update ahead of Mariners test
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews said that his squad will be utilised for Tuesday night's Carabao Cup tie against Grimsby Town.
"Whatever team we pick is strong, I've been saying that to the players for weeks and weeks," said Andrews ahead of the trip to Lincolnshire.
"The bench has made a huge impact in recent weeks - goals from it, courage, personality and experience - so they need to be rewarded and the squad will be utilised."
Match Officials
Kirk to referee first Brentford game
Referee: Thomas Kirk
Assistants: Shaun Hudson and Jacob Graham
Fourth official: Jacob Miles
Thomas Kirk was promoted to Football League referee from the National League in June 2022, and this season is his first as a Championship official.
He has officiated nine games this term - including Newcastle United's 4-1 win over Bradford City in the last round of the Carabao Cup - and dished out 40 cards (39 yellows and one red).
This will be Kirk's first Bees fixture, when the west Londoners travel north to Blundell Park.
There will be no VAR for Tuesday night's game.
Memorable meeting
Brentford 4 Grimsby 0 (League Two, 16 August 2008)
Charlie MacDonald's first-half double helped Brentford to a comprehensive victory over Grimsby in League Two.
MacDonald opened the scoring with a superb shot with the outside of his right foot.
Nathan Elder forced home a second when keeper Phil Barnes fumbled a cross and MacDonald made it 3-0, slotting home Alan Bennett's through ball.
Glenn Poole added a fourth after great work by Elder, securing all three points for Andy Scott's side.