Chelsea will welcome fellow West London rivals Brentford for an exciting Premier League clash on Saturday.
The Blues are gradually picking up form under Mauricio Pochettino, having collected two wins and a draw in their last three games, which included an impressive 2-2 draw against London rivals Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Brentford has endured a tough start to the season, though their confidence will be high following a thumping victory over Burnley last week.
Chelsea vs Brentford Match Preview
It looked all downhill for the Blues after they registered only one win in their first six games in the Premier League.
However, their fortunes began to change after an impressive victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in the EFL Cup, followed by back-to-back victories over Fulham and Brentford in the Premier League before the draw against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
It would have been three out of three if the Blues hadn’t squandered their 2-0 lead against the Gunners, who mounted a late comeback to get away with a point.
Nevertheless, the confidence in the squad appears to be higher than ever, and Pochettino can now begin his quest to move further up in the table.
Mykhaylo Mudryk has finally found his feet at the Stamford Bridge, scoring two goals in the last three games.
The Ukrainian talent had been under intense scrutiny for his struggles to adapt to the Premier League since his big-money move from Shakhtar Donetsk, however, he is starting to repay Chelsea’s faith.
The 22-year-old will look to capitalise on his impressive run of form and make an impact against Brentford.
Another player who has been influential in the Blues’ resurgence is Cole Palmer, who has netted two goals and assists apiece in the last four games.
The former Manchester City star looks to be a great piece of business done by the Blues in the summer, as he can be pivotal to the club’s success in future, as he has shown in recent weeks.
On the other hand, Thomas Frank’s side have declined massively this season, sitting 14th in the table with 10 points, four spots behind Chelsea.
Pressure continues to mount on the Danish manager to turn things around, and he will be looking to build on the emphatic 3-0 victory against Burnley.
However, the Bees are aware that a different challenge awaits them at Stamford Bridge, and it will not be plain sailing against the Blues.
Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who share eight goals between them – were on target against the Clarets, and the attacking duo will look to replicate a similar sort of impact this Saturday.
Another Ukrainian prospect could take centre stage besides Mudryk, as Yegor Yarmolyuk made his Premier League debut for the Bees last week.
Chelsea vs Brentford Team News
Chelsea have a long list of absentees, though they have no fresh injury concerns to worry about.
Reece James returned to action from injury after coming off the bench against the Clarets, and now he is set to compete with Malo Gusto for a place in the starting eleven.
Meanwhile, The Bees will have Aaron Hickey back after the Scottish full-back served a one-match suspension.
Chelsea vs Brentford possible lineups
Chelsea potential starting XI
Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Connor Gallagher; Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling, Mykhaylo Mudryk
Brentford potential starting XI
Mark Flekken; Nathan Collins, Ben Mee, Ethan Pinnock; Mads Roerslev, Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard,Vitaly Janelt, Aaron Hickey; Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa
We say: Chelsea 2-0 Brentford
Chelsea are expected to continue their dominance against Brentford. With their attackers in impressive form, the Bees could find it hard to stop the hosts.
