Chelsea make the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium on Friday evening with the Blues finding it notoriously difficult to get a result there in recent seasons
Enzo Maresca
Former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca(Image: Diogo Cardoso - UEFA)
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Brentford have become a bit of a bogey team for Chelsea in recent seasons, especially away from home.
The Blues have not beaten the Bees at the Gtech Community Stadium in almost five years. Ben Chilwell's goal was enough for Chelsea the last time they beat Brentford away from home on October 16, 2021, when Thomas Tuchel's side recorded all three points against their west London rivals.
It is worth noting: Brentford have also not beaten Chelsea on home soil in that time. In fact, the Bees have not been victorious over the Blues in a home league match since 1938. Either way, Brentford have proved to be tricky customers for Chelsea in recent times.
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Chelsea have been forced to settle for a point in each of their last four trips to the Gtech. Including last season where Enzo Maresca's side thought they had won it through Moises Caicedo's 85th-minute strike, only for Fabio Carvalho to level proceedings deep into stoppage time.
That goal came from a long throw-in from Kevin Schade on the left-hand side. The arrow into the box caused Chelsea all sorts of problems and it ended up falling nicely to Carvalho at the far post for a late, late tap-in.
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Fabio Carvalho of Brentford scores a goal to make the score 2-2 during the Premier League match between Brentford and Chelsea at Gtech Community Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)
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Brentford, managed by their former set-piece coach Keith Andrews, are a very physical and direct side who love to flood the box with their players, while also having a few technicians in attack. Their long throws in particular are a concern for opposition defences, with the likes of Schade, Mathias Jensen and Michael Kayode, who are all capable of launching balls into the box.
Maresca was on the receiving end of one of Brentford's most dangerous weapons last season and he has already sent a warning to new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso this time around.
Speaking in the aftermath of last season's 2-2 draw, Maresca said: "The problem is that they have Kayode, they have Jensen, they have [Ethan] Pinnock, and then Schade at the end. These three players, they were already out. The only one on the pitch was Schade.
"And unfortunately, we just conceded in the last two minutes. But during the game, I think we tried to deal with that, knowing that they are so dangerous, because they can arrive in the six-yard box very easily."
Chelsea paid an undisclosed fee in the summer to bring Aston Villa's set-piece coach Austin MacPhee to Stamford Bridge. The Scottish coach will be a highly influential figure on the training ground this week, more than most, as the Blues prepare for the Bees' long throws.
Austin MacPhee
Chelsea set-piece coach Austin MacPhee(Image: Marc Atkins)
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Equally, though, Brentford will have to try and find a way to stop Chelsea's feared front three. No club in the Premier League, so far this season, has been able to keep out the attacking trio of Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro - at least one of the three has scored in every top-flight fixture thus far this term.