Shrewsbury Town will welcome Barnet FC to The Croud Meadow for their first competitive home fixture of the season. The Bees have started the campaign strongly, including a 5-1 victory over Arsenal U21s in the EFL Trophy.
In their most recent meetings, Shrewsbury claimed a 3-1 win at North West London, with goals from Bradley Ihionvien and Sam Clucas, plus a Danny Collinge own goal. The return leg ended in a 0-0 draw at The Croud Meadow, and Salop will be targeting a second successive season unbeaten against the visitors.
Barnet's Season So Far
Barnet began their campaign with a 2-1 loss away at Cambridge in the Carabao Cup first round, before bouncing back with a 2-0 victory over Salford City on opening day. Their impressive EFL Trophy demolition of Arsenal U21s followed, suggesting Dean Brennan's side have momentum heading into this fixture.
Dean Brennan's Approach
Irish head coach Brennan joined Barnet in 2021 as head of football alongside then-manager Harry Kewell. After Kewell's departure, Brennan took the caretaker role before being appointed permanently. His Barnet team won the league in 2025, following two seasons in the play-offs.
Brennan's sides traditionally use a back three with high-pressing wing-backs and a possession-based game played out from the back. This season, however, he has switched to a 4-3-3 formation with a back four, marking a tactical shift from his usual setup.
Players to Watch
Centre-back Zac Williams is a former Crewe Alexandra academy prospect who spent 16 years at The Alex, making 124 appearances for the Cheshire side. The Rhyl-born defender broke into Crewe's first team aged 17 and represented various Welsh youth national teams before joining Barnet.
Left winger Idris Kanu has been a consistent performer for Brennan since joining in September 2022. The former Aldershot and Peterborough player can also play as a wing-back and has recorded 34 goal involvements across 166 games for the club.