Brentford star Mikkel Damsgaard has insisted that the Bees can “dream” of achieving European qualification this season.
Damsgaard has been a regular fixture in Thomas Frank‘s side this season, scoring two goals and providing eight assists in 25 Premier League appearances.
The Denmark international has started 22 of those 25 matches, including Saturday’s successful away outing against fellow London side West Ham United.
Kevin Schade‘s fourth-minute effort proved enough to clinch a 1-0 win, ensuring that the Bees could celebrate three consecutive away victories for the first time in their top-flight history.
The victory took Brentford onto 34 points from 25 league matches, leaving them in 11th position and three points adrift of the top half of the table.
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Damsgaard outlines European dream
While Brentford are sitting in the bottom half, Damsgaard is still dreaming of the possibility of mounting a European bid despite acknowledging that it will be a tall order.
Speaking to Telecom Asia after the win over West Ham, Damsgaard said: “The win was important in so many ways, including keeping hopes alive for a strong finish.”
“It’s really important that we beat the team below us now and it also helps us push for a place in Europe next season.
“Listen, I’m not sure, but one thing is certain, we take it one game at a time. It’s a long way to go, but we can look ahead a little, and hopefully, if we can get on a streak of a couple of wins – which we have not been able to do so far this season – we can maybe dream of something.”
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How many European spots does the Premier League have?
As it stands, the top four in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League, while the team that finishes in fifth will secure Europa League qualification.
However, there is a possibility that a few more European places could become available depending on a number of different scenarios.
The Europa League spot handed to the FA Cup winners will go back to the league if the club that wins the trophy achieves a top-five finish.
Meanwhile, the Conference League spot given to the EFL Cup winners will also go back to the league if the triumphant team finishes in the top five (or the top six if the FA Cup winners achieve a top-five finish).
There is also a scenario where if the Premier League earn an extra Champions League place then the Europa League and Conference League spots will drop down the table by one position.
As a result, there is a chance that securing a top-eight finish could be enough to secure European football as was the case in the 2023-24 campaign.
From Brentford’s perspective, they are currently five points adrift of Fulham in eighth position and seven points away from Newcastle United in seventh place.
Their current focus will be on Friday’s trip to face Leicester City the King Power Stadium, where they will attempt to record a fourth consecutive Premier League away victory.
