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Jul 29, 2020 at 7.45pm UK
BrentfordBrentford
3-1
SwanseaSwansea City
Watkins (11'), Marcondes (15'), Mbeumo (46')
Dalsgaard (9'), Benrahma (83'), T. (90+3')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Brewster (78')
Cabango (54'), Dhanda (75'), Ayew (82'), Roberts (90+3')
/esi/1339/6_G_1_117003/index.html?art_id=408239&game_id=117003&sport_id=1&ESI

Steve Cooper warns Swansea against playing for a draw against Brentford

:Headline: Steve Cooper warns Swansea against playing for a draw against Brentford:
Andre Ayew gave the Swans a slender first-leg advantage over Brentford with a late strike at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea boss Steve Cooper has warned about the dangers of sitting on a lead ahead of their play-off return at Brentford.

Andre Ayew's brilliant first-leg strike secured the Swans a slender 1-0 advantage heading into Wednesday's semi-final rematch at Griffin Park – the final competitive game to be played at the 116-year-old stadium.

But former England youth boss Cooper has no intention of playing for a draw as he attempts to end his first season of management in senior football by steering Swansea to the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley.

"We are going to treat the game as if it's 0-0," Cooper said. "I think it's a dangerous game if you don't do that.

"Of course a draw would be good, but we won't be playing for it. I don't know how you do that. It's not in our mentality to sit back.

"At times you have to manage games and sit back and see things out.

"That's part and parcel of football and getting over the line, but that's not the way we want to go."

Sixth-placed Swansea finished three places and 11 points below Brentford in the Championship standings after 46 games.

But the form guide is in Swansea's favour after a dramatic end to the season saw them claim the final play-off spot and Brentford miss out on automatic promotion.

Swansea have won their last three games, while the Bees have lost their last three.

"Brentford are obviously a good team and you can't take anything for granted," Cooper said.

"But we're focusing on ourselves rather than who we come up against, and we're in a really good place playing exciting football.

"I said before we're the afterthought of the four teams, but we're OK with that and believe in what we're doing."

Cooper says Swansea have been practising penalties in training, with the possibility of a spot-kick contest deciding the winner at Griffin Park.

Ayew had a penalty saved in the first leg before scoring the winner but the Ghana striker – who might have left Swansea last summer after a season on loan at Turkish club Fenerbahce – will step up should the visitors get a penalty in west London.

"He's our penalty taker. There's no reason to change," Cooper said of 18-goal Ayew.

"He's our big player. He's played in World Cups and the Champions League and he's in complete control of what he does.

"I thought he was as good as anybody on the pitch anyway before it (penalty miss) and he stepped up even more after it.

"He came in late last summer because of the Africa Cup of Nations but we hit it off straight away and he's been brilliant.

"We've never had a conversation about him going elsewhere. I'm sure he had opportunities and offers, but I've never had to persuade him to stay.

"He's never behaved like he wanted to go, the opposite in fact. It's been great to see a guy with his experience and ability operate as he has."

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last updated article - 2020-07-28 11:27:31:
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Championship Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeeds UnitedLeeds46289977354293
3Brentford462491380384281
4Fulham4623121164481681
5Cardiff CityCardiff4619161168581073
6Swansea CitySwansea461816126253970
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest461816125850870
8Millwall461717125751668
9Preston North EndPreston461812165954566
10Derby CountyDerby461713166264-264
11Blackburn RoversBlackburn461712176663363
12Bristol City461712176065-563
13Queens Park RangersQPR461610206776-958
14Reading461511205958156
15Stoke CityStoke46168226268-656
16Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds461511205866-856
17Middlesbrough461314194861-1353
18Huddersfield TownHuddersfield461312215270-1851
19Luton TownLuton46149235482-2851
20Birmingham CityBirmingham461214205475-2150
21Barnsley461213214969-2049
RCharlton AthleticCharlton461212225065-1548
RWigan AthleticWigan461514175756147
RHull City46129255787-3045
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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLiverpool38323385335299
2Manchester CityMan City382639102356781
3Manchester UnitedMan Utd381812866363066
4Chelsea382061269541566
5Leicester CityLeicester381881267412662
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs3816111161471459
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves381514951401159
8Arsenal381414105648856
9Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd381412123939054
10Burnley38159144350-754
11Southampton38157165160-952
12Everton381310154456-1249
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle381111163858-2044
14Crystal Palace381110173150-1943
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton38914153954-1541
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham38109194962-1339
17Aston Villa3898214167-2635
RBournemouth3897224065-2534
RWatford38810203664-2834
RNorwich CityNorwich3856272675-4921
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