Chelsea return to Premier League action at home to Brentford on Sunday evening (7pm).
Enzo Maresca's men are in fine form as they sit four points off league leaders Liverpool after 15 matches, albeit the Reds have a game hand. Chelsea will have to deal with yet another quick turnaround, though, after returning in the early hours of Friday morning from their long journey to Astana.
The trip was a successful one with Chelsea's 3-1 win in Kazakhstan routinely securing their progress into the UEFA Conference League's last-16 stage. With that being said, football.london have taken a look at the latest news and headlines surrounding Chelsea below;
Frank praise
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has heaped praise on Chelsea - suggesting they could be the "best team in the Premier League right now".
"They are maybe even more in-form than Liverpool, even though they are top of the league," Frank said in his pre-match press conference. "They are playing incredible football, and they are well-coached. Maresca has done a top job so far with his coaching staff and they look extremely dangerous.
"They have so many threats going forward and have top-quality players all over the pitch. I expect an unbelievably difficult game. They are massive favourites but, of course, we believe that we can compete against anyone and we believe we can win."
football.london's Isaac Seelochan says: "Frank's comments may raise a few eyebrows because Liverpool top the table but, in terms of performance levels, he may be right. Chelsea's free-flowing attacking football under Maresca has been impressive and it would be no surprise to see them challenge for the title all the way until May."
Petrovic hint
Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has hinted at a potential summer exit following a fine start to the 2024/25 campaign on-loan at RC Strasbourg.
"I'm very happy here in Strasbourg," he said in a pre-match press conference. "It's true that I wanted to stay in the Premier League. But when I started working with the staff and the players, it went very well straightaway, and it's not a mistake along the way. I'm happy because I give everything for the team. I'm here to make saves."
football.london's Isaac Seelochan says: "Petrovic clearly does not fit into Maresca's plans with the Serbian not good enough at playing out from the back. It feels inevitable that he will be sold in the summer."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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