Brentford manager Thomas Frank has addressed his pre-match claim that Leeds United fear his side, suggesting that he "doesn't do mind games" but that Marcelo Bielsa's men "definitely respected" his side.
Leeds were held 1-1 by the Bees at Griffin Park last night in an enthralling clash between two of the frontrunners for automatic promotion in the Championship.
Goalkeeping errors led to both goals in a game that the Whites dominated but were unable to create many clear cut chances in.
Ahead of the game, Frank made a bold claim that Leeds feared his side and the Brentford boss was asked about his comments in the press conference after the game.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said: "I don't do mind games. I think it was very well done by some of you journalists that took things out of context.
"I said that you know how much I admire Bielsa and I think Leeds are one of the best teams. But with all the history and their current form and what Bielsa said about us in the press, they think we're a very good team.
"Maybe they didn't fear us but I promise you they knew it would be a difficult task. They definitely respected us.
"Leeds we know are one of the teams that create the most chances and in two games against us they created very little. They dominate every single game in this division."
The result means Brentford climb to fourth in the table, ahead of more Championship games this evening, and Leeds remain two points ahead of them in second place.
Nottingham Forest's 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic means that a draw was not a bad result for either side, though a victory could've been a step forward toward a top-two finish.
Brentford now travel to Birmingham City on the weekend, while Leeds welcome Bristol City to Elland Road.
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The Verdict
Even if his words were taken a little out of context, Frank must've know what using such a phrase would create ahead of this highly-anticipated tie.
As it was, Leeds looked back to their best against the Bees and the attack-minded way they played the game did not suggest fear.
That being said, you completely understand where Frank is coming from.
The Whites have not won in London since December 2017, haven't beaten the Bees at Griffin Park since 1950 and have been in torrid form recently, so a midweek trip to face one of the top sides in the division is hardly the most appetising of games for the Whites.