Chelsea travel to Brentford on Friday night looking to protect one of the most remarkable away records in English football.
The Blues have not lost a competitive match away to Brentford since October 1938, meaning Xabi Alonso’s side will put an 88-year unbeaten run on the line at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Chelsea’s official pre-match statistics show that the club have recorded four wins and four draws in their visits to Brentford since that last defeat.
Friday therefore offers Chelsea an opportunity to extend that extraordinary sequence once again.
When did Chelsea last lose away to Brentford?
Chelsea’s last defeat away against Brentford came in the old First Division in October 1938.
Brentford won that game 1-0.
Chelsea have not lost there since.
The Blues have returned to Brentford eight times across all competitions during the intervening years and avoided defeat on every occasion.
Chelsea’s official history of the fixture also highlights the strength of that away record, with four wins and four draws since the 1938 loss.
That does not mean recent trips have been straightforward.
Far from it.
Recent Brentford trips have frustrated Chelsea
Chelsea may possess the historic advantage, but Brentford have become particularly difficult to beat at home since returning to the Premier League.
The Blues have drawn their recent visits to the Gtech Community Stadium rather than translating the long unbeaten run into regular victories.
Chelsea’s most recent win at Brentford came in October 2021, when Ben Chilwell scored the only goal in a 1-0 Premier League victory.
Since then, Chelsea have repeatedly been forced to settle for a point.
The club’s own Brentford fixture analysis notes that Chelsea’s sequence at Brentford has increasingly become a story of draws as well as historic resilience.
That is an important distinction heading into Friday.
Chelsea have not been losing this fixture away from home.
They have not been winning it often enough either.
Chelsea denied by late Brentford goal last season
The previous Premier League meeting at the Gtech finished 2-2.
Brentford took the lead through Kevin Schade before Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo turned the match around for Chelsea after half-time.
Caicedo appeared to have secured all three points with an outstanding late strike.
However, Chelsea failed to protect the lead.
Fabio Carvalho scored deep into stoppage time to earn Brentford a point, as detailed in Chelsea’s official report from the 2-2 draw.
That result provides an obvious warning for Alonso.
Chelsea’s historical record at Brentford is excellent, but the Bees have repeatedly found ways to frustrate them.
Brentford vs Chelsea overall head-to-head
Chelsea also hold the advantage across the complete history of the fixture.
According to Chelsea’s latest official figures, the clubs have met 23 times across all competitions.
The record stands at:
Chelsea wins: 11
Draws: 5
Brentford wins: 7
Chelsea’s biggest victories over Brentford have both been 4-0 FA Cup wins, while Friday’s game adds another chapter to a west London rivalry first played in the top flight during the 1930s.
Recent form between the teams has also moved back in Chelsea’s direction, with current head-to-head data showing the Blues unbeaten across the latest five meetings.
Why Chelsea’s 88-year record matters on Friday
Historical records do not decide modern Premier League matches.
But Chelsea’s extraordinary unbeaten run at Brentford demonstrates just how unusual a defeat there would be.
Alonso will be more concerned with the modern trend.
Chelsea need to turn draws into wins.
The Blues have enough attacking quality through Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro to trouble a Brentford defence already preparing to face Friday without captain Nathan Collins.
ReadChelsea has also covered the latest Brentford injury news ahead of Chelsea, with Collins ruled out and Mathias Jensen facing a fitness battle.
Chelsea have fitness questions of their own, with Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra among the players hoping to return.
Friday therefore presents two challenges.
Protect an away record stretching back to 1938.
And finally convert Chelsea’s recent resilience at Brentford into another victory.
The west London derby kicks off at 8pm BST on Friday 18 September.
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