Six-fixture February at Red Lion
Our February schedule includes five league games and a fourth-round FA Cup fixture, and we'll have a meet-up for all six at The Red Lion, 151 Bleecker St. The month begins with a road match against Aston Villa (Sunday, Feb. 1). The pub will open its doors early for that one (9 a.m. ET kickoff; doors open around 8:30). We also could potentially run into former Bee Yoane Wissa for the first time when we take on Newcastle (Saturday, Feb. 7). Outside of the Premier League, we face FA Cup Cinderella story Macclesfield (Monday, Feb. 16). See the graphic for our full meet-up schedule.
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The season's a marathon, not a sprint, we're always told. But you can't quickly look past the enthusiasm we felt on Jan. 7, when our midweek win over Sunderland -- combined with a couple other results -- put us into fifth place in the Premier League! Ahead of Manchester United. Ahead of Chelsea. The game also marked some massive individual accomplishments: Caoimhín Kelleher made his fourth PK save of the season (67 percent PK save rate at that juncture) on an Enzo Le Fee panenka attempt. Thiago netted his 15th and 16th goals to set a season league record for most goals in a PL campaign from a Brazilian player. The top reaction of the match had to be Yehor Yarmoliuk scoring his first Brentford goal in the 73rd minute!
A new media outlet has been doing a superb job of covering the football fandom throughout New York City. The NYC Bees and Brentford were featured in the Ultra World Podcast on Jan. 9, with a bunch of us chatting with hosts Sean Cassels and Marc Ernay. (Ultra World Podcast - Ep. 8: Brentford Fandom) The duo dropped into The Red Lion back in late August and the conversations provided a good taste of this dedicated group of New York- and New Jersey-based Bees supporters! Interviews included myself, Bruce and Sarah Muni, and Dan Mitzelman. Big thanks for sharing your back stories and interest, and thank you to Sean and Marc for their work in putting together this feature! (Marc also joined us in the celebratory post-game photo, pictured to the left of the Ultra World logo.)
January Window: Janelt and Ayer extensions, Furo signs: Historically, Brentford's January Transfer Window features maybe some sporadic incoming signees, but it's also a stretch where the club focuses on reworking some important contract extensions. Such is the case with both midfielder Vitaly Janelt and defender Kristoffer Ajer.
Janelt worked out a new deal on Jan. 17, keeping him in place through the summer of 2030. The 27-year-old became the first Bees player to reach 150 Premier League appearances, and head coach Keith Andrews was quick to recognize that "he's going to be a big player for us for many years to come."
Ajer's extension deal also runs through the summer of 2030, and he has been a significant piece in multiple defensive roles. Ajer was brought in from Celtic, joining the Bees before the club's first Premier League season in 2021.
New to the fold, 18-year-old Kaye Furo signed a five-and-a-half-year deal, after playing for Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League. Furo instantly trained with the first team upon his arrival. The transfer window closes on Monday, Feb. 2.
AFCON: Onyeka's Nigeria takes 3rd: Brentford's Frank Onyeka was part of the Nigeria side that finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations on Jan. 17. After a scoreless regulation, Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-2 in penalties. Onyeka hasn't had much playing time for the Bees, and reports have circulated for a couple weeks about a potential sale or loan.
Quick hits: Midfielder Myles Peart-Harris completed a permanent transfer to Championship side Oxford United on Jan. 9. Peart-Harris debuted for the Bees back in September of 2021, but his stint with us typically lead to multiple loans. He made nine appearances for Brentford in all competitions. ... Midfielder Paris Maghoma also made a permanent transfer; he is bound for Norwich City in the Championship. Maghoma logged 10 games with the Bees in all competitions. ... Forward Gustavo Nunes will be playing for Championship club Swansea City for the rest of the season. The 20-year-old will be on loan after making five appearances off the bench during his injury-riddled first campaign with Brentford. ... Midfielder Yunus Konak has been loaned to Oxford United for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The 20-year-old is signed with Brentford through June of 2029, so hopefully this extra playing time will pay dividends for our long-term plans. ... Matt Cox has been loaned to League Two side Shrewsbury Town for the rest of 2025-26. ... The Brentford Women completed a perfect January: Three league wins, including a 7-0 drubbing of Ebbsfleet United on Jan. 25, and a Capital Cup victory over Sport London E Benfica.
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If you ever have any thoughts, feel free to email (brentfordnyc@gmail.com) or chat with me anytime! #COYB!
Charlie
