Remarkably, Brentford are unbeaten in five meetings with their significantly more illustrious neighbours Chelsea, meaning the Bees are actually targeting a fourth successive victory at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea vs Brentford Preview
Will Chelsea's winning streak in the Premier League continue? Last Sunday, the Blues fought back from 2-0 down to defeat fierce rivals Tottenham 4-3 away from home, with both Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernández striking from outside the area, while Cole Palmer converted a pair of second half penalties, the second of which was an impudent, outrageous Panenka.
Enzo Maresca's side have therefore now won four successive Premier League games, unbeaten in seven overall, with Chelsea moving clear in second, a mere four points adrift leaders Liverpool, albeit having played a game more. Thus, despite Maresca's insistence that his team are not in the title race, they indisputably are for the time being.
On Thursday, Maresca and a youthful squad traveled over 3,500 miles for a Conference League tie against Astana, cruising to a 3-1 victory in Almaty, with Marc Guiu bagging an early, quick-fire brace, before Renato Veiga headed home a clincher soon after. This made it five wins out of five in the league phase, with the Blues therefore booking their place in the last 16. As attention turns back to domestic matters, will Chelsea keep pace with the league-leaders by claiming yet another victory here?
Brentford meantime will make the short 4.9 mile journey east hopeful of springing a surprise, even if they continue to be one of the more puzzling teams in the division. Last weekend, the Bees beat Newcastle 4-2 at home, with both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa on target during an end-to-end first half, before goals from Nathan Collins and then Kevin Schade later on secured the victory.
This means, remarkably, Thomas Frank's team have collected 22 points out of a possible 24 at home this season, with the the Gtech Community Stadium witnessing more goals than any other Premier League stadium this season, 40 to be exact, an average of five per game. In stark contrast, away from home, Brentford have yielded just a solitary point from seven matches, battling to a goalless draw at Everton last month, despite seeing Christian Nørgaard sent off before half time.
That aside, the Bees have been beaten at Liverpool, Man City, Spurs, Man United, Fulham and Villa, so these certainly have not been easy fixtures, but it won't get much more straight-forward here either. As alluded to earlier, Brentford have remarkably won each of their last three visits to Stamford Bridge, despite only winning one of seven outings there, dating back to 1935, beforehand, but this is a substantially stronger Chelsea outfit, so the Bees will have to really upset the odds to keep this unlikely streak going.
Chelsea vs Brentford Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 21.
- Chelsea Wins: 10. Draws: 4. Brentford Wins: 7.
Chelsea Team News
Of Chelsea's 20-man traveling squad to Kazakhstan this week, none are likely to be involved here, let alone starting, with youngsters Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George amongst those handed a rare opportunity. Pedro Neto was the most high-profile player involved in Almaty, but that's because he is suspended for this one, having collected his fifth caution of the campaign last Sunday, with Noni Madueke therefore set to return on the right-wing. Elsewhere, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana and Malo Gusto are all sidelined, meaning Moisés Caicedo could continue at right-back, with Roméo Lavia partnering in-form Enzo Fernández at the base of midfield. Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and Nicolas Jackson would miss next Sunday's trip to Goodison is cautioned.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Brentford: (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Caicedo, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernández, Lavia, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Chelsea Players to Watch vs Brentford
Cole Palmer's double against Spurs took his tally to 11 for the season already, although he's never scored in three previous career appearances against Brentford, yet to beat the Bees either; will either, or both, of these facts change on Sunday night?
Brentford Team News
Brentford meantime are without Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey, Mathias Jensen, Josh Dasvila, Vitaly Janelt and Gustavo Nunes leaving them short of both defensive and midfield options. Although, in better news, Kristoffer Ajer was back on the bench against Newcastle, most-recently featuring on 19 October due to a broken foot. Meanwhile, following a trio of cameos off the bench, club-record signing Igor Thiago made his full-Premier League debut last weekend, set to keep his place in attack, despite Kevin Schade's recent scoring spree. Due to a lack of alternatives, Keane Lewis-Potter will continue fill-in at left-back, while Mikkel Damsgaard is likely to return to midfield, after Yegor Yarmolyuk was given a surprise start a week ago.
Brentford predicted lineup vs Chelsea: (4-3-3): Flekken; van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard, Yarmolyuk, Damsgaard; Mbuemo, Wissa, Thiago.
Brentford Player to Watch vs Chelsea
Yoane Wissa has previously scored twice against Chelsea, while his partner in crime Bryan Mbeumo has netted during both of his last two outings at Stamford Bridge, so can this in-form duo cause the Blues some problems?
Chelsea vs Brentford Prediction
We're forecasting an emphatic Chelsea victory on Sunday night. Brentford are yet to win away this season, a fact that'll surely remain true after this West London derby, with the Bees looking unlikely to end Chelsea's excellent form: Chelsea 3-0 Brentford.
Chelsea vs Brentford FAQs - Premier League
How to watch Chelsea vs Brentford Premier League game on TV channel?
Chelsea vs Brentford Premier League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: This match is not being broadcast live in the UK.
- USA: Peacock
- Canada: Fubo Sports Network Canada
How to watch Chelsea vs Brentford Premier League game on live streaming?
Chelsea vs Brentford Premier League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: This match is not being broadcast live in the UK.
- USA: Peacock
- Canada: fuboTV Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Chelsea vs Brentford in the Premier League?
Chelsea vs Brentford takes place on Sunday 15 December 2024, with kick off at 19:00 (GMT), 14:00 (EDT) & 11:00 (PST).