Brentford's numbers last season

[Getty Images] After losing their manager, captain and top two scorers last summer, many tipped Brentford to be in a relegation battle last season. But, Keith Andrews' men proved them all wrong by comfortably finishing in the top half - and deservedly so given their underlying numbers. While only four sides took fewer shots than the Bees, they more than made up for this by creating the best chances on average in the league, leaving them an impressive seventh for expected goals. In fact, incredibly, only German champions Bayern Munich created better chances on average in Europe's top five leagues. That's true even if you exclude the league-high 10 penalties that the Bees were awarded. As a result, despite having the best shot conversion rate in the league, Brentford bizarrely should've been even more clinical given the fantastic chances they had, with only five teams underperforming their xG by more than the Bees' five. [BBC]