Brentford boss says top priority is the league, not Arsenal cup clash

Dean Smith knows Brentford fans will be looking forward to facing Arsenal in the Carabao Cup – but he insists his focus is firmly on the  Championship.

Smith, who has built a reputation for attacking football at Griffin Park, saw his side lose 3-1 to Derby on Saturday to drop to seventh in the table after dropping five points in their last two games.

They have a glamorous trip to face the Gunners in the cup on Wednesday, but the Bees boss is refusing to get carried away with the prospect of an upset.

Smith joked: “I was hoping it was going to be Macclesfield at home but unfortunately we’ve got to travel to the Emirates, which I’m sure all our supporters will be looking forward to.”

Despite the daunting task of facing Unai Emery’s expensively-assembled team, Smith is trying to stay grounded and will not think about the occasion until he arrives in north London.

He added: “I will when we get there but at the moment it’s concentration fully on the league.”