MY ACCOUNT
West London rivals Brentford and Chelsea both go into this clash on the back of 2-0 victories that see them moving towards their respective goals.
Chelsea supporters never go into the season expecting anything less than a title challenge, but after a difficult start to 2022-23 they will be focused on a top-four finish and a strong push for silverware in the cup competitions.
The Blues are on track on both fronts and they remain unbeaten since Graham Potter arrived as manager, winning five of six matches to move into the top four while also rising from the bottom of Champions League Group E to lead the section.
Five miles west of Stamford Bridge, a club of Brentford’s size and spending power will consider survival as their prime objective — but Bees fans will be dreaming of a top-half finish to build on last season’s impressive 13th place.
That looked to be back on the agenda after Friday’s victory over Brighton ended a run of disappointing performances that brought only a single point from three games against Arsenal, Bournemouth and Newcastle.
Brentford vs Chelsea (Wednesday, 7.30pm)
Team news
Brentford manager Thomas Frank looks set to be without three of his first-choice defensive players, with right-back Aaron Hickey joining defensive midfielder Christian Norgaard on the sidelines and centre-back Pontus Jansson again likely to miss out.
Reserve goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha is also unavailable due to a hamstring strain.
Frank’s opposite number has even more defensive concerns to contend with, as in-form right-back Reece James is now a major doubt for the World Cup after suffering a serious knee injury, while centre-back Wesley Fofana has also been ruled out until after the tournament in Qatar.
Defensive midfielder N’Golo Kante again misses out after a setback on his return and he could be joined on the sidelines by centre-back Thiago Silva, who reported tightness in his hamstring after Sunday’s victory over Aston Villa.
However, attacker Hakim Ziyech is expected to recover from the illness that kept him out of the matchday squad at Villa Park.
The stats
Brentford gave Chelsea a serious examination at the Gtech Community Stadium last season, twice hitting the post, seeing a shot cleared off the line and racking up an impressive 1.6 expected goals to Chelsea’s 0.3 — but the Blues clung on for a fortunate 1-0 win.
The Bees got their revenge in the return trip, however, again outclassing the Blues on xG ratings but this time taking their chances to win 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in April.
While Chelsea have won six and lost just two of nine league matches this season, they have played only one game against an opponent currently in the top half of the Premier League — a 2-2 home draw against Tottenham.
The Blues’ five away games have all come at opponents in the bottom eight and they have lost two of those, slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Southampton and suffering a 3-0 pummelling at Leeds.
Brentford have yet to win away this season, drawing three and losing two of five road trips, but they have lost to only Arsenal in five home games, beating Manchester United 4-0, Brighton 2-0 and Leeds 5-2.
Prediction
Brentford proved a tricky opponent for Chelsea last season and the Bees’ strong home form this term – their disappointing performance against Arsenal aside — suggests they could again trouble the Blues.
The Blues are improving since Potter took charge but the record of five wins and a draw under the former Brighton manager covers a few cracks.
The five-time Premier League winners were impressive in both Champions League ties against AC Milan but were very fortunate against Crystal Palace — they should have been down to 10 men when losing 1-0.
Last weekend goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had to be at his very best to repel a previously struggling Aston Villa attack, who also struck the post twice and outperformed Chelsea in expected goals.
Both teams have defensive frailties but Brentford duo Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo are in the sort of form that suggests they can capitalise on any Chelsea errors and help earn the Bees a result against their illustrious local rivals.
Backing the home win or the draw in the double chance market at 23/20 looks a solid shout.
