Brentford has beaten Chelsea in their last three fixtures, can they make it four from four? (Photo credit: 90Mins)

 

Brentford vs. Chelsea

G-Tech Community Stadium

4:00pm

Brentford has a five-point cushion over the relegation zone, but Everton’s partial success on their appeal against a ten-point deduction means the Bees are now below Sean Dyche’s side on the log.

Brentford has lost ten games in twelve; that’s relegation form, but manager Thomas Frank believes the team won’t only escape relegation; they will also push for a top-ten push. If that happens, it must start with this fixture.

Chelsea lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool last weekend, and that must feel like a kick in the teeth. The Kops had several first-team players out and still managed to get past the Blues in the second half of extra time.

Chelsea has a game in hand in the league following last weekend’s Wembley engagement, but they have been pushed back into the bottom half of the table, and only a win over Brentford away from home can restore them to the top half.

Brentford has beaten Chelsea three times on the bounce; the reverse fixture mirrored the last two, a 2-0 win, and Thomas Frank will demand the same energy from his boys. He doesn’t have Bryan Mbeumo this time, but he does have his talismanic striker, Ivan Toney, to call on.

Chelsea knows it’s becoming hectic against the Bees; they must stem the tide now before it becomes a mental block. The Blues will welcome Marc Cucurella back into the fold alongside Thiago Silva, but Reece James has been joined by Thomas Nkunku on the sidelines.

How will they line up? The midfield battle will be key as always; the expensively assembled Chelsea midfield has failed to shine consistently. Watch them struggle against a low-budget Bees midfield of Christian Noorgard, Mattias Jensen, and Frank Onyeka.

Nicolas Jackson was on target in midweek as Chelsea rallied to beat Leeds United on their way to the last eight of the FA Cup. The 3-2 win wasn’t pretty as they had to leave it late, but it was enough. David Sanchez is back, but Petrovic should continue in goal.

The back four of the Blues will have it all to do against Ivan Toney and Neal Maupay. The duo have formed a great partnership of late, and as the Bees aim to steer clear of the drop zone, Chelsea’s scalp could just be the latest they’ll gun for.

Verdict: Both teams scored.