Brentford’s first year in the top flight defied all expectations.

A famous 2-0 home win against Arsenal on the opening day set the tone for a memorable campaign in which the Bees secured a 13th place finish.

While a poor mid-season run of form saw the Bees pick up a solitary point out of a possible 18, the January arrival of midfield maestro Christian Eriksen was transformative.

Eriksen’s signing and the return of talismanic forward Ivan Toney helped the west Londoners win seven of their last 11 matches to finish 11 points clear of the drop.

Yet Eriksen's sixth-month fling with the Bees came to an end this summer after the Dane rejected the club’s offer of a long-term contract and joined Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United.

While the club have spent over £30million on transfers this summer can they replace Erikson at the heart of their midfield? And can they bring in the required strength in depth to remain consistent over an elongated season?

Who have they signed:

Brentford have brought in seven new faces to the Gtech Community Stadium, including former Burnley captain Ben Mee on a free, Scottish right back Aaron Hickey from Bologna for £14.8million and marquee signing Keane Lewis-Potter for £17million.

The club signed Lewis-Potter for a record fee after the 21-year-old scored 12 goals in the Championship for Hull last term.

Meanwhile Hickey penned a four-year deal in July, having made 36 appearances in Serie A last season, scoring five goals and registering one assist from right back.

Brentford are also reportedly pushing to sign Denmark international Mikkel Damsgaard from Sampdoria.

Who have they sold:

Six players have left the club either permanently or on loan. Only two of those players were involved in first team matters, however.

Finnish striker Marcus Forss has joined Middlesbrough for £3.2million while Eriksen, as mentioned, moved to Old Trafford on a free.

Replacing the latter will be key - the extra quality Eriksen brought to the midfield was evidenced in the player’s man of the match display against Chelsea, when the Bees ran riot at Stamford Bridge in a 4-1 win.

Thomas Frank is unlikely to let too many other players go given last year’s squad proved to be thin as injuries began to mount up at the halfway stage.

The lack of depth almost proved to be the club's undoing, so the manager will likely be looking to add rather than sell.

Key Player: IVAN TONEY

Brentford have key players in a number of positions, not least Christian Norgaard, who recorded a league-high 80 tackles from midfield last term, and Rico Henry, who can feel aggrieved to have not yet received an England cap after an impressive season at left back.

However, Toney remains the club's talisman.

The striker registered a record-breaking goal scoring season in the Championship as Brentford won promotion via the playoffs in the 2020/2021 season, and pressure was on the forward to perform in the top flight.

Despite an injury-hit maiden Premier League season, Toney was one of the key protagonists as Brentford secured their survival, netting 12 goals and registering five assists.

Moreover, the striker’s expected goals number was 12.63, the fourth highest among forwards in the division while he also recorded the second-highest expected assists figure for his position of 8.38.

Young Gun: JOSH DASILVA

At 23 Josh Dasilva is perhaps veering away from ‘young gun’ territory, yet there is no doubt that the midfielder is supremely talented.

Dasilva has endured a difficult few months in which he has suffered hip and hamstring injuries.

However, now that the former England under-21 international has returned to fitness, there is a creative vacuum in midfield triggered by Eriksen’s departure that Dasilva should be looking to fill.

Manager: THOMAS FRANK

Frank has enjoyed unprecedented success since becoming Brentford manager in 2018, having guided the club to the top division for the first time in 74 years.

Since then, the Dane’s stock has continued to rise - he is intelligent, tactically astute, and popular with the fans and media alike.

Frank signed a new contract with the club in January, committing his future until 2025 and the former Brøndby IF manager is likely to remain at the helm, even if the worst were to happen and the club were to finish in the bottom three.

Season prediction: 15th

Brentford is a club with joined-up thinking - they have good players, a good manager and a good business model. The Bees have been a welcome addition to the Premier League and under Frank have proved they can consistently punch above their weight.

If they are to avoid the dreaded ‘second-season syndrome’ however, someone will need to step up and fill the void left by Eriksen.

Meanwhile, new signings Lewis-Potter and Hickey will need to find their stride quickly - which is a lot to ask of players of such a young age with no Premier League experience.

However, the placement of the Qatar World Cup may provide a much-needed rest to many in the Brentford dressing room, given relatively few of the squad qualified for their tournament with their respective national teams.

A squad as thin as theirs is likely to benefit from the extended season and it could provide the extra advantage in the battle for survival.