This Sunday, Brentford welcome Crystal Palace to West London in a fixture steeped in home dominance. The Bees have been nearly unbeatable at home against the Eagles, remaining undefeated in their last six league meetings at the Gtech Community Stadium. You'd have to go all the way back to December 1957—when both sides were in the Third Division South—to find the last time Palace left Brentford with a win. That's over 65 years of home advantage.

However, there's a twist in the tale for Thomas Frank's side. Despite their fortress-like record against Palace, Brentford have struggled in broader London derbies. They've managed only five wins in their last 30 Premier League matches against capital rivals. Contrast that with Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace, who have found their stride on the road in London. The Eagles have won six of their last nine away derbies, suggesting they travel with confidence.

Defensively, Brentford are proving tough to break down. They're conceding just 4.2 shots on target per game—their lowest average in five Premier League seasons. But the flip side is a worrying lack of firepower: they're averaging only 3.9 shots on target themselves, also a five-season low. It's a classic case of give and take, but to make this home record count, the Bees will need to be clinical in attack.

That's where Igor Thiago steps into the spotlight. The striker has scored two or more goals in six different Premier League games this season—a feat only Erling Haaland has matched more often. To put that in perspective, the last player to hit a brace or better that frequently in a single campaign was Harry Kane in 2017-18, when he did it nine times. If Thiago can find his shooting boots again, Brentford might just keep their historic run alive.