Chelsea will make a short journey on Sunday as they visit Brentford in the Premier League. After an impressive win over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, Enzo Maresca's side will be keen to get another double over a London rival. In the reverse fixture, Chelsea had won 2-1 at home.
Here are four things to look out for from the match.
1. Concerning Away Form
The Blues have not won a Premier League game away from home since early December when they got the better of Tottenham Hotspur. If they are to finish inside a Champions League position, their away form must improve massively. Since their last win over Brentford, Enzo Maresca's side has only won against bottom-six sides in the league, all at home, as mentioned. Despite getting beaten at Stamford Bridge a couple of times, the Blues have not lost to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Bees might have slowed down in recent months, but they are still a formidable opponent who always rises against the Blues.
Enzo Maresca called it the best atmosphere he’s yet heard at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea beat Spurs on Thursday night to keep pace in the increasingly escalating top-four/five race. Not coincidentally, it was perhaps the best we’ve played in about four months, since early December when we were in the midst of an eight-match winning run (and some rather unwarranted title-race narratives). That run included a 2-1 win over Brentford, which remains perhaps our best performance of the season: it is the highest rated game of the season in the WAGNH Player Ratings, for example.
As in Thursday’s win, we showed the right amount of control and pragmatism and outside of a few shaky minutes at the end (thanks largely to the narrow one-goal advantage), the result never really looked in doubt. Moisés Caicedo was our Man of the Match on both occasions, appropriately enough. Can we (and he) repeat that on Sunday, away from the Bridge, where we’ve been rather atrocious of late? We have just two points from our last seven on our travels, including four straight defeats. If we are to stay in the hunt for the Champions League spots, we need to improve that, and soon.
The match is scheduled for Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 14:00 BST at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. The referee for the match will be Michael Oliver, with Stuart Attwell serving as VAR.
2. Brentford's Recent Struggles
Brentford currently sits comfortably in mid-table, boasting a mixed return of 12 wins, five draws, and 13 losses. They head into the weekend smarting from a narrow 2-1 loss at St. James' Park to Newcastle United. Alexander Isak broke the deadlock before Bryan Mbeumo leveled from the spot, only for a Sandro Tonali delivery to ultimately seal the win for the Magpies late on.
Despite their mid-table status, Brentford still harbors slim hopes of earning European football this season, with Europa League and Conference League qualification just within view. However, the Bees will have to be more or less perfect between now and the campaign's conclusion and hope their competitors slip up elsewhere. Beating Chelsea would certainly raise morale.
Brentford has not won at home since beating Newcastle, 4-2 in early December. They have averaged 3.5 goals in their preceding six home games but have scored a grand total of just four in this eight-match run. Still, Brian Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa remain a most dangerous duo, with 30 goals combined in the league (16 and 14 respectively): the most balanced striker partnership in the Premier League.
3. Injury Updates
On the injury front, Brentford could be boosted by the return of Rico Henry, with Frank saying there's a "good chance" the left-back will be involved. However, Aaron Hickey and Gustavo Nunes remain sidelined. Mathias Jensen has resumed training and might also feature. The Bees' strike duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will be eager to exploit a Chelsea backline that still shows signs of vulnerability.
For Chelsea, the injury situation was almost as good as Brentford’s for a hot minute, but then Roméo Lavia and Wesley Fofana both went down with muscle problems in training, so they won’t be taking part for a few weeks at least. Thankfully, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke are both back after their multi-month absences, and Cole Palmer looks a bit more rejuvenated after getting some rest over the international break.
Enzo Maresca lauded his team for being able to close out Thursday’s win by playing “in a dirty way”—not dirty in the sense of cheating or shin-kicking, but rather in the sense of just being pragmatic, playing deep, sitting back, and letting the other team have all the possession. It’s not the coach’s preferred way of playing, not by a long shot, but he did admit that it’s good for the team to have multiple ways of playing. It rarely matters how you win, as long as you win.
4. Head-to-Head and Predictions
Brentford and Chelsea have faced each other five times in their last encounters, with Brentford winning two, Chelsea winning one, and two matches ending in draws. Chelsea's last victory away from home in the Premier League was at Tottenham in December, while their 2-1 win over Brentford earlier this season broke a five-match winless streak against the buzzing Bees.
Predictions for this match have varied, but many analysts agree that Brentford's current form at home has fallen significantly. Chelsea, on the other hand, has been boosted by the return of key players and will hope to capitalize on Brentford’s struggles. A close contest is expected, with some predicting a tight scoreline favoring Chelsea.
Overall, the atmosphere is expected to be electric as both teams vie for important points in their respective campaigns. Chelsea aims to solidify their position in the top four, while Brentford seeks to regain their home advantage and keep their European hopes alive.
