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Sheffield Wednesday – Brentford. Mark O’Haire’s prediction (VIDEO)
For the first time in 20-odd years, there’s a serious feel-good feeling back around Sheffield Wednesday. The club have smashed their all-time record in the first phase of season tickets going on sale and sit in the play-off positions following last weekend’s thrilling come-from-behind win at Birmingham.
The Owls remain unbeaten in the league this calendar year and Carlos Carvalhal’s men now only trail the automatic promotion places by six points.
This weekend Brentford arrive with the hosts seeking to maintain their fine form at Hillsborough. Only Middlesbrough have defeated Wednesday in their own backyard and that came back in August. When welcoming teams below them in the Championship standings, the Owls have W9-D1-L0.
Wednesday are scoring at a rate of almost two goals-per-game on home soil and in Gary Hooper, they have a striker who’s now netted nine goals in his last 10 appearances, as well as claiming seven of the club’s last nine goals in league action.
The hosts have enjoyed a 60% share of the total shots-on-target in their Hillsborough outings and although midfield marauder Sam Hutchinson is a doubt this weekend, the Owls look a little on the large side at 2.00 to secure a seventh Championship success in 11.
Brentford sit on the right side of the top-half but Dean Smith’s side have struggled in recent weeks (W1-D1-L5). Although the Bees boast the league’s best away attack with 23 goals, 19 of those came against bottom-half dwellers and the Londoners have been second-best against the division’s leading lights.
An incredible 38 of Brentford’s 40 points have been accrued against clubs in 10th and below. The capital club have managed just W0-D2-L11 against the top-nine as they’ve shipped at least two goals in 10/13 fixtures.
Only six sides have faced more on-target efforts on their travels and the Bees’ 46% shots-on-target ratio on the road is on the wrong side of average. Only once since Boxing Day have Smith’s troops fired in more efforts on-target than their opponents and last week’s convincing defeat at Brighton reinforces my feelings the Bees are going nowhere soon.
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