Keith Andrews credited the culture that has been built at Brentford over the years as their excellent season continued with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

The Premier League leaders took the lead at the Gtech Community Stadium through Nodi Madueke's header, but Keane Lewis-Potter dragged the Bees level.

Igor Thiago went close to winning it for Brentford, who are in seventh place, three points ahead of Everton in eighth and just two behind defending champions Liverpool, who occupy sixth.

After Thomas Frank's departure, plus the sales of key attackers Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford were tipped to struggle under Andrews, but the Bees now have a 63.9% chance of securing a top-seven finish, according to Opta's supercomputer.

Andrews told TNT Sports: "Didn't get the win, but I thought we were excellent. In most aspects for most of the game against a top, top team.

"I thought we were excellent for the last 30 minutes and looked the team most likely to win.

"The attitude, application, and the intent. I am big on that. The intent always has to be right, it always has to be positive.

"Ability is one thing that brings you to a point, but as a collective, you need good people.

"I do give licence to the players to express themselves and to react off each other's movement. I want us to be unpredictable for the opposition.

"There is a real unpredictability in the way we play.

"I look at other groups at time - I wouldn't want to manage other groups. What has been built here for years and years is the culture, togetherness. I am big on that."

Brentford have only lost two of their last 11 Premier League games (W6 D3), while across each side’s last 11 matches in the competition, only Arsenal (24) and Manchester City (22) have more points than the Bees’ 21.

"I watched a lot of Arsenal and am a big fan of the way they play the game," Andrews told BBC Sport.

"I don't see many teams give them a game like that. The lads are in a good place."