Brentford ended their debut Premier League campaign with a whimper as they fell to defeat against Leeds United in front of their own fans. A late winner from Jack Harrison, albeit via a scrappy deflection, saw the Whites steal victory right at the death.
That defeat also preserved Leeds' Premier League status for 2022/23, with Burnley relegated to the Championship as a result. It will also see both Brentford and Leeds go to battle again next season, although Bees fans will be tingling with disappointment that they didn't relegate the Yorkshire side on their own turf.
However, the loss should not detract from a wonderful season for Thomas Frank's men, who have gained plaudits for the way they have adapted since coming up from the Championship. There have been a number of memorable highlights and Frank will be hoping that there will be more in 2022/23.
READ MORE: Every word Thomas Frank said on Leeds loss, next season and more
Brentford reporter Uzzi Majid looks at talking points from the defeat against Jesse Marsch's side and how the Bees move forward.
General performance
Brentford started the game relatively well, and they almost made the perfect start after barely 15 seconds when Ivan Toney charged down a clearance to race down on goal, but was denied. The Bees were too wasteful in front of goal and should have been at least 3-0 up at the break, with Yoane Wissa, Mathias Jensen and Bryan Mbeumo all spurning good opportunities.
Brentford almost sent shivers down the Leeds spines a minute into the second half, when Mbeumo was all alone against Meslier but the Frenchman's effort was far too tame to trouble his compatriot between the sticks. That has been the story of his season, wasting far too many opportunities - although four goals and seven assists isn't a terrible return for someone in their first ever Premier League season. However, this experience will stand him in good shape and he'll be raring to go next term.
Avoiding second season syndrome
Thomas Frank made it very clear that he does not believe in the term 'second season syndrome', but that tag is going to be circled by the media next season especially if Brentford don't make a good start to the next campaign. Ironically, Leeds are the perfect example for the Bees not to emulate despite the Yorkshire club managing to survive. It's intriguing that Jesse Marsch's side came to TW8 needing to avoid defeat after what has been a tumultuous season for the Elland side.
What Brentford have to do is keep the core of the team, find a way to keep Christian Eriksen at the club and identify a number of key areas where the Bees need to strength and Frank will certainly which areas he'll need to upgrade. The club's hierarchy will not panic; they will invest shrewdly and have a list of targets already lined up and with the Bees already in the top flight for next season, attracting them should hopefully not be a stumbling block.
Cleansing and refreshing the squad
There's no doubt it will be a busy summer across Jersey Road and Brentford Community Stadium. Brentford have utilised their squad brilliantly when one considers the budget they have to work with, but many fans have rightfully spoken out about the lack of depth in a number of areas, along with Frank occasionally putting square pegs in round holes with a number of players out of position.
Looking at the current state of the squad, Brentford need at least four to five new signings they hope will breathe new life and competition into this current group. The Bees need cover in both full-back and wide attacking areas; the right-back issue has been a problem with Brentford fans, as the likes of Sergi Canos, Kristoffer Ajer and Mads Roerslev have filled in that position, but none of them are out-and-out right-backs. As for left-back, Rico Henry is Brentford's only fit left-back with Canos and Dominic Thompson the only deputies, who are not in the same league as Henry.
Central midfield will be an interesting area, particularly if the Bees don't manage to keep hold of Christian Eriksen. Losing the Dane who they took a chance on and signed on a free transfer would be catastrophic given the impact he has had on Brentford since he arrived at the end of January. In the worst-case scenario, finding a replacement would be challenging given what Eriksen produced in such a short space of time. Many fans are looking forward to seeing a fit again Josh Dasilva, but placing such pressure on a player who only just returned to action in February would be a weight on his shoulders.
There are a number of players who just aren't Premier League standard in order for Brentford to consolidate and establish themselves as a Premier League club. The likes of Charlie Goode, Mads Bech Sorensen and Dominic Thompson are not good enough at this level and will have to be moved on one way or another.
The Bees will also have a decision on the likes of Mathias Jensen and Sergi Canos, both of whom have a year left on their contracts. Jensen has been enjoying a run of solid form, but questions about his consistency will be asked about whether he can do it over a full season. Canos faced fierce criticism for his sending off on Sunday after taking two yellows in a matter of minutes - one of which was removing his top after equalising. His performances at right wing-back have been very questionable and he doesn't seem to offer much in an attacking role, so it'll be interesting to see whether the club choose to offer him fresh terms.
