Pontus Jansson issues ominous Brentford message assessing battle with Leeds United and West Brom for automatic promotion place

Thomas Frank's side equalled United's season record of seven-straight wins with Saturday lunch-time's 3-1 victory at Derby County which again put the Bees just two points behind second-placed West Brom and three behind front-runners Leeds.

The Baggies now face a clash at Blackburn Rovers in a Saturday 3pm kick-off with Leeds away at Swansea City on Sunday lunch-time and Brentford will need one of the duo to slip up more than once in their last four games in order to snatch an automatic promotion place.

But after seeing a brace from Said Benrahma plus an Ollie Watkins strike sink Derby, Jansson said his side still have designs on finishing in the top two and fired an ominous warning about Brentford's form.

"I think that other fans of other teams think we are peaking too early but I don't think it's like that because I think we are getting better and better with every game that goes," said Jansson, speaking to Sky.

"So I am not scared that we are peaking too early.

"I think Said and Bryan (Mbeumo) only have more to come.

"At the back we defend well but now we have conceded two games in a row and which is not good enough but we feel strong, we feel good.

"There were some tired legs in the first half today but the early goal in the second half gave us energy and then a fantastic goal from Said."

Asked how convinced he was that Brentford were heading for the Premier League, Jansson said: "Of course I want to say that I am very convinced and as it looks now it is very positive of course.

"But we know the play-offs are tough, it is more or less a lottery.

"If we go into the play-offs we go in with high confidence and hopefully we can do something good but at the moment of course we are looking for automatic promotion and we would be stupid to don't do that.

"I saw Mitrovic yesterday saying that Fulham are looking at automatic promotion so I think we are doing the same."

Brentford's latest triumph featured a stunning third goal from Benrahma who cut inside and unleashed a 20-yard rocket into the top right corner to complete his brace.

Jansson said: "I think everyone in this league knows he is a fantastic player but in the last games since we have come back from the corona he has been unbelievable.

"He works so hard in both directions.

"There was a situation in the first half today when he was sprinting like 60m back and I have never seen that from him before so something happened to him during the corona break and we are all very happy to see that."