Reading will attempt to produce one of the standout results of the Carabao Cup third round when Premier League Brentford visit the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday evening, with Leam Richardson’s side hoping their encouraging attacking start to the campaign can help bridge a two-division gap.
The 8pm encounter offers the Royals an opportunity to measure their progress against top-flight opposition while Brentford arrive in Berkshire looking to extend an unbeaten beginning to the season under Keith Andrews. Although the visitors will inevitably be regarded as favourites, Reading have already demonstrated enough attacking quality this term to suggest this is unlikely to be a straightforward assignment.
Richardson’s team go into the cup tie looking for a response following Saturday’s 2-1 League One defeat away at Cambridge United. Jack Marriott had given the visitors a first-half advantage, but Cambridge recovered after the interval to turn the contest around. It was a frustrating afternoon for Reading, particularly because they created enough opportunities to believe they could have taken something from the match.
The result brought an end to an encouraging sequence of three successive competitive victories. Reading had beaten Stevenage 3-0 away from home in the previous round of the Carabao Cup before producing emphatic home league victories over Mansfield Town and Blackpool.
A 5-0 success against Mansfield was followed by a 3-1 victory over Blackpool, providing evidence of the considerable attacking potential Richardson has at his disposal. The Cambridge setback therefore needs to be viewed within the wider context of a side that had been building momentum rather than as evidence of a sudden downturn in form.
Home advantage could also be significant. Reading have been particularly productive at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, scoring 11 home league goals already this season. Their ability to create chances has been one of the most encouraging features of the opening weeks, and the Royals have averaged more than 17 attempts per game.
Perhaps even more importantly against Premier League opponents, they have shown an ability to hurt teams quickly in transition. A significant proportion of their league goals have come from counter-attacking situations, something Richardson may consider particularly useful if Brentford dominate periods of possession.
Marriott has been central to Reading’s attacking threat. The experienced striker has started the campaign in impressive goalscoring form and currently leads the League One scoring charts. His movement, awareness and ability to finish opportunities could make him one of the key figures if Richardson elects to use him from the start.
Reading do, however, have alternatives in attack. Summer recruitment has provided Richardson with greater variety, including Jamie Reid and Jacob Brown, allowing the manager to alter the profile of his centre-forward without necessarily changing the overall structure of the team.
One of the most intriguing players in the contest could be Kyreece Lisbie. The winger arrived during Reading’s extensive summer recruitment and has already made an impact, contributing three assists and establishing himself as one of the division’s more creative attacking players during the opening weeks.
There is an additional storyline attached to Lisbie because of his previous spell with Brentford B. Facing his former club gives the youngster an opportunity to demonstrate his development, and his pace could be particularly useful if Reading attempt to attack spaces behind Brentford’s full-backs.
George Earthy is another summer addition capable of influencing the evening. Signed from West Ham United, the England Under-21 international arrived with a strong reputation and has quickly provided glimpses of his ability. His technical quality between midfield and attack gives Reading another route through which to create chances, while Richardson also has the likes of Charlie Savage, Liam Fraser, Paddy Lane, Randell Williams and Daniel Kyerewaa available within a squad containing far greater depth than in some recent seasons.
Other summer business included the arrivals of Udoka Godwin-Malife and Reid, while defender Josh Knight joined on loan from Portsmouth and Josh Stokes arrived on loan from Bristol City. Collectively, those additions have given Richardson greater competition and flexibility as Reading attempt to mount a stronger League One campaign.
Cup football has already provided encouragement. The Royals began their Carabao Cup campaign against Bromley, progressing after a penalty shootout, before delivering a far more emphatic performance at Stevenage in round two. A 3-0 away victory earned Tuesday’s opportunity against Premier League opposition and demonstrated that Richardson is prepared to take the competition seriously.
Brentford nevertheless represent a substantial increase in difficulty.
Andrews’ side have made an unbeaten start to their competitive campaign and travel to Berkshire following a 2-2 Premier League draw at Bournemouth on Saturday. Kevin Schade scored both Brentford goals on the south coast, opening the scoring before later rescuing a point after Bournemouth had moved 2-1 ahead.
It was not Brentford’s most convincing performance of the season, something Andrews acknowledged afterwards. The Bees lacked some of the cohesion and attacking conviction their head coach wanted, but their ability to emerge with a result despite not performing at their highest level was another indication of the resilience within the squad.
Three consecutive Premier League draws against Leeds United, Sunderland and Bournemouth have followed an impressive 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. While Andrews will want to turn draws into victories, Brentford remain unbeaten after four league matches and have already shown their attacking power in this competition.
Their second-round performance should serve as a warning to Reading. Brentford travelled to Birmingham City and produced a devastating 6-1 victory, underlining the strength available to Andrews even when making changes to his usual Premier League line-up.
Callum Wilson scored his first Brentford goal in that match and could be handed another opportunity in Berkshire. The experienced striker was one of five first-team additions during the summer and gives Andrews a proven alternative to Igor Thiago at centre-forward.
Jaidon Anthony, Jannik Schuster, Mamadou Sangaré and El Hadji Malick Diouf were also added during a window designed to strengthen the squad while maintaining continuity following the considerable changes Brentford experienced a year earlier.
Anthony has already featured prominently and started Saturday’s draw against his former club Bournemouth. Schuster also made his first Premier League start in that game, while the depth provided by the summer arrivals gives Andrews numerous options if he decides to rotate his side for the cup.
Players including Dango Ouattara, Fábio Carvalho, Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey and Wilson could all come into consideration depending on how extensively the Brentford head coach chooses to alter the team that started at Bournemouth.
One enforced absence has already been confirmed. Highly rated teenage striker Kaye Furo will not be involved after suffering an injury in training in the build-up to the match. The 19-year-old underwent an operation on Monday morning and the timing is particularly unfortunate because Andrews had intended to start him against Reading.
Furo had impressed sufficiently with Brentford B to earn the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award and Tuesday evening appeared set to provide him with an opportunity to demonstrate his ability on the senior stage. Instead, his focus will now turn towards rehabilitation.
There is better news concerning Benjamin Fredrick. The Nigerian centre-back is expected to be involved after returning to the first-team picture over recent weeks. Brentford deliberately kept him out of Sunday’s B-team fixture to maximise his chances of being available for the trip to Reading.
His potential inclusion illustrates why Carabao Cup fixtures can be particularly valuable for Premier League clubs. Andrews can provide competitive minutes to players requiring them while simultaneously assessing members of his wider squad, but the challenge is making enough changes without disrupting the rhythm that has helped Brentford remain unbeaten.
That balance could become one of the defining features of the match.
Reading are unlikely to be intimidated by the Premier League status of their opponents. Richardson has extensive League One experience, most notably guiding Wigan Athletic to the divisional title in 2021/22, and has been attempting to build a squad capable of competing towards the upper end of the third tier.
His preferred 4-2-3-1 structure can also become more fluid when Reading have possession, with the full-backs encouraged to advance and the shape capable of resembling a three-man defensive base as players move forward. Against Brentford, however, the balance between ambition and defensive discipline will be crucial.
The Royals cannot afford to leave excessive space for Brentford to exploit. Premier League attackers are capable of punishing mistakes that may occasionally go unpunished at League One level, and Saturday’s defeat at Cambridge contained reminders of how costly avoidable defensive errors can become.
Reading’s best opportunity may therefore come from remaining compact without becoming passive. They have been one of League One’s better sides at limiting opposition shooting opportunities during the early weeks of the season, and that organisation will be tested more severely on Tuesday.
Starting strongly could also be important. Reading have developed a habit of producing some of their best football before half-time and have scored eight first-half league goals this season, with six arriving during the final 15 minutes before the interval.
An early goal would transform the atmosphere inside the Select Car Leasing Stadium and force Brentford to chase the game. Equally, conceding early could allow the Premier League side to control proceedings and use their superior depth to manage the contest.
For Brentford, the challenge is to avoid approaching the fixture as though progression is inevitable. Their 6-1 victory at Birmingham demonstrated what can happen when Andrews’ players attack a cup game with intensity, but Reading possess enough pace, creativity and goalscoring ability to punish any complacency.
Schade’s weekend double has strengthened his case for further involvement, although Andrews must decide how many regular Premier League starters require a rest. With Wilson, Carvalho, Ouattara and several younger players pushing for minutes, there is sufficient competition to produce a strong starting XI regardless of the number of alterations.
The sides have not met competitively since February 2021, when both were competing in the Championship. Reading took the lead on that occasion through a Lucas João penalty before Brentford responded to win 3-1. Josh Dasilva scored twice and Ivan Toney added the third as the Bees continued a campaign that ultimately ended with promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.
Much has changed since then.
Brentford have established themselves as a Premier League club, while Reading have endured a difficult period that eventually resulted in relegation to League One. Tuesday’s meeting therefore provides an interesting snapshot of two clubs whose paths have diverged dramatically since their last encounter.
Yet knockout football has a habit of reducing the importance of league positions. Reading need only be better than Brentford for one evening, and Richardson has attacking players capable of creating the moments required to make the contest uncomfortable for their visitors.
For Andrews, progression would maintain an excellent start to his second season in charge and offer Brentford another opportunity to pursue a competition in which Premier League clubs can quickly find themselves within touching distance of the latter stages.
The visitors possess the stronger squad and arrive unbeaten, but Reading’s recent home scoring record, Marriott’s form and the pace available around him should ensure the Premier League side cannot take anything for granted.
After the disappointment at Cambridge, there could hardly be a more attractive fixture for the Royals in which to respond. A packed home crowd, a place in the fourth round at stake and Premier League opponents arriving in Berkshire provide all the ingredients for a classic cup evening.
Brentford will expect to progress. Reading will believe they can prevent them.
That contrast should make Tuesday night at the Select Car Leasing Stadium one of the more intriguing ties of the Carabao Cup third round.
