Brentford will host Chelsea at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday, with both West London clubs aiming for a win.
Three games in, Brentford fans are still not sure whether to fully back their new manager, Keith Andrews, and the task does not get any easier against Chelsea. The summer appointment to replace long-time boss Thomas Frank has not gone to plan so far, although the results so far have been a mixed bag.
After suffering an opening day defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest, Brentford did bounce back with a narrow win over Aston Villa at home. They also proceeded into the third round of the EFL Cup courtesy of a win over Bournemouth, but in Gameweek 3, they were outdone late by newcomers Sunderland.
A late winner at the Stadium of Light proved disappointing, given Andrews’s men were primed to take a point from the game at the very least. Now, Brentford have a big test of character on home soil, as Brentford welcomes London rivals Chelsea.
Chelsea were the biggest headline makers in the past few days after the FA charged them with 74 counts. The charges are based on some of the dealings in player transfers such as Willian, Samuel Eto’o, and Eden Hazard, although the new ownership had proactively reported those discrepancies earlier to the Premier League and FA.
It remains to be seen whether those charges come to affect the performances on the pitch, something Enzo Maresca will certainly not want. Chelsea have had a stellar start to the season despite some stumbles along the way, as they currently sit second with seven points from three games, and are one of the two teams yet to be beaten.
Last time out, they were involved in a controversial win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge owing to some VAR decisions. However, that win took them into second, and Maresca will aim to stay there at the very least, as a win will be imperative to build confidence ahead of a crucial Champions League clash in midweek away to Bayern Munich and then facing Manchester United in the Premier League next weekend.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Keith Andrews does not have many fitness-related concerns in his squad, as Vitaly Janelt and Paris Maghoma are the only players coming in with doubts about their participation. There is also some hope that new arrival Reiss Nelson can feature, given he barely played any minutes for Arsenal in August.
Yoane Wissa left the club on deadline day, although he was not in contention for the three games thus far this season. Igor Thiago will lead the line for Brentford against Chelsea, with Kevin Schade and Dango Ouattara on the wings, and Mikkel Damsgaard will provide the ammunition from behind.
Jordan Henderson and Yehor Yarmolyuk will feature in central midfield. Andrews will probably have his best available defensive setup to select with Sepp van den Berg and Nathan Collins set to feature centrally.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Berg, Lwis-Potter; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Outtara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago
Chelsea
Enzo Maresca will have a few selection headaches ahead of this short trip to Brentford, with some injury concerns to contend with. Chief among those is the news on Liam Delap, who is set to miss more than 10 weeks of action following a serious hamstring injury.
Benot Badiashile and Romeo Lavia are still out of contention, while Levi Colwill will likely miss the entire season with an ACL rupture. On the positive side, Cole Palmer has been training following a problem that saw him miss, although Marescas is unlikely to risk his star man, especially with the games that are ahead.
Meanwhile, Maresca can have Alejandro Garnacho to select from a variety of attackers, with the former Manchester United man likely to slot in on the left-hand side of the front line. Estevao Willian will feature on the right, with Pedro Neto occupying a central role, while Joao Pedro will lead the line for Chelsea against Brentford.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Neto, Garnacho; Pedro
Key Stats
Brentford have drawn their last three home matches against Chelsea in all competitions.
Chelsea have only one win in their last seven meetings against Brentford.
Chelsea are undefeated in 11 of their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
Brentford have lost three of their last five Premier League matches (W1 D1), as many as they’d lost in their previous 14 combined (W8 D3 L3).
Igor Thiago has applied 132 high intensity pressures in the opposition half this season so far, 27 more than any other player, and he also leads the way high intensity pressures in the final third of the pitch (88).
Player to Watch
Joao Pedro
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With this game being played after the deadline day, there is always the proximity to focus on new arrivals, and Chelsea does have Alejandro Garnacho in that regard. However, the injury to Liam Delap puts the spotlight on Pedro to perform and not only in this game but in many more crucial fixtures ahead.
With the Brazilian attacker widely considered the only big striker in the team despite having some others in the background, there will be pressure on the summer arrival to perform in a big way. The games against Brentford will be a test without a doubt, but the main aim is to gain confidence ahead of the clashes against Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
Prediction
Brentford 1-3 Chelsea
Brentford have not shown many positive signs so far, which gives an idea that they could be settled under the new boss, Keith Andrews. However, there have been some good displays despite losing some key players in the summer, but against Chelsea, it will be a test of character.
Chelsea have a formidable squad, and a few new attacking talents, in addition to Cole Palmer probably stand a chance to feature, the Brentford defence will come under tremendous pressure. It is a game the Blues are expected to win comfortably. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 victory for Enzo Maresca and his charges.