Sunderland face Brentford in the Premier League on Wednesday night

Brentford boss Keith Andrews has lavished praise on Sunderland ahead of the two sides meeting in the Premier League on Wednesday evening, but has warned that his team have improved “hugely” since their defeat to the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light earlier this season.

An Enzo Le Fée penalty and a stoppage time winner from Wilson Isidor proved enough for Regis Le Bris’ men to overturn a one-goal deficit and snatch all three points when the Bees travelled to Wearside in late August, but since then, both clubs have been on admirable runs, and currently sit seventh and eight in the table, with Andrews’ side edging out their midweek opponents on goal difference alone at the time of writing.

And speaking in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday morning, the Irishman was quick to hail Sunderland for their progress of late, but was eager to emphasise that his team have also come on leaps and bounds since the beginning of the campaign.

What has Brentford boss Keith Andrews said about Sunderland?

Reflecting on Sunderland eye-catching form since their promotion at the end of last season, Andrews said: “I've been impressed with the journey they've been on to get into the league, what they've done since with recruitment, how they've evolved their game, the way they play. Very different, really, to what I've seen of them last season in the Championship.

“A lot of that, I think, comes down to the individuals that they've brought in. They're very fluid and flexible in how they can play the game. They're on a really good journey. They're a well-coached team - a lot of respect for Regis, the way he sets it up and the problems that he can cause you. They deserve to be really where they are because they've been very good this season.”

Asked how much his side had improved since their last meeting with Sunderland, he added: “I would say hugely from that game and from those early few games. I think the team has taken big steps forward over the last few months. The understanding, the connected nature in which we play the game now, with and without the ball. I think we're a far better team than we were then, for sure.

“They [Sunderland] have also had a lot of time together to build those relationships. They've played in different ways over the last few months to find themselves in a really good, healthy position in the league, obviously. I think we're in a better position than we were then, for sure.”

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Andrews continued: “Everybody were talking about us in the summer with a little bit of scepticism, maybe, understandably. We just got on with our business. I think we've taken the main strides in the right direction, steps in the right direction in the main. You've got to take hits along the way. That's just the nature of the league. It's so demanding, the levels are so high and the margins are so fine. You have to accept that at times it's not always going to be the way you want it to be. To be sat here in seventh in the league, with a condensed league around us, we're not taking that for granted, for sure. We're pretty content with where we are.”

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