Chelsea aim to cement their position at the top of the Premier League on Saturday, but a fired-up Brentford are in their way.
Chelsea travel to Brentford on Saturday with the Bees seeking to establish themselves as Premier League mainstays during the first few weeks of the season. Following Brentford’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool and a 2-1 win at West Ham earlier this month, they are looking to maintain their form in taking down Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.
Thomas Frank’s side have risen to seventh in the table, and having taken seven points from their last three games, they are now above the likes of Leicester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea, after back-to-back 0-1 defeats to Manchester City and Juventus, have switched on to see off Southampton and head into the international break with some momentum.
Trevoh Chalobah justified his place in the starting lineup with the opening goal in the ninth minute. James Ward-Prowse’s penalty made things interesting, but Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell netted two late goals to beat the Saints.
With draws elsewhere, Chelsea’s comfortable win over Southampton means they are now the top of the Premier League with 16 points taken from a possible 21 so far this season.
Seeking to add a Premier League title to his European crown at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel’s renowned strong defence has conceded a joint-low three league goals this season – level with champions Manchester City.
In terms of injuries, Chelsea veteran Thiago Silva is doubtful given his late return from international duty, however, Reece James and N’Golo Kante are back in full fitness after recovering from an ankle injury and coronavirus respectively.
Yet it’s not all rosy news for the Blues – Tuchel has been handed an injury scare with Romelu Lukaku withdrawing from international duty due to ‘muscular overload’, while Antonio Rudiger may also miss out if he does not recover from back trouble in time.
Prediction
Brentford 1 – 3 Chelsea
Brentford’s top form may break through Chelsea’s mighty defence, but they will likely have few chances, and combined with Chelsea’s star power – look for the Blues to win comfortably.
