Brentford vs Chelsea: Can Chelsea Make It This Weekend?

This weekend, the Premier League is back with more matches. Brentford faces Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday in a crucial showdown.

Currently sitting in 16th place in the Premier League standings, Brentford hasn't performed at its peak this season. They suffered a tough 4-2 loss against West Ham United last week and will need to put in extra effort to recover in this upcoming match.

Meanwhile, Chelsea holds the 11th spot in the league table and has fallen short of expectations in recent times. They narrowly won 3-2 against Leeds United in the FA Cup in their last game and will aim for a similar outcome in the upcoming weekend fixture.

In their head-to-head encounters, Chelsea holds a favourable historical record against Brentford, winning 10 out of the 20 matches played. Brentford has secured seven victories in these meetings. Notably, Brentford clinched a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture last year, potentially completing a rare league double over Chelsea for the first time since the 1938-39 season.

However, Chelsea have won only one of their last five Premier League matches against Brentford and failed to score in their last three encounters. Despite this, Chelsea boasts a strong record in London derbies, having won their last four such matches in the Premier League.

After being criticized as "blue million-pound bottle jobs" by Gary Neville following their EFL Cup final loss to Liverpool, Chelsea sought a strong response against Leeds United in the FA Cup. Despite the desire for a convincing win, Mauricio Pochettino's side had to rely on a late winner from Conor Gallagher to secure a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge and advance to the quarter-finals.

In their previous Premier League match, Chelsea managed to frustrate Manchester City with a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium, with Rodri scoring late for the champions. This result followed a 3-1 win for Chelsea against Crystal Palace.

With Wolves and Newcastle United, the two teams directly above them in the league table, facing each other on Saturday, Chelsea has the opportunity to climb as high as ninth with a win. European qualification is reportedly crucial for Mauricio Pochettino's job security beyond this season. On the other hand, Brentford has won only one of their last six league matches and currently sits in 16th place after Everton's points reinstatement.

While Ivan Toney's return has bolstered their chances of avoiding relegation, Brentford's defense has struggled, conceding 48 goals in 26 Premier League games this season. Despite Toney's impressive goal-scoring form, Neal Maupay has emerged as Brentford's standout attacker with six league goals, trailing only Bryan Mbeumo.

Head-to-Head Statistics: Brentford vs Chelsea Teams

In their recent head-to-head encounters, Brentford has shown dominance against Chelsea, keeping a clean sheet in each of their last three Premier League games. Only against Manchester City and Manchester United have Chelsea failed to score in four consecutive meetings in the competition.

Despite Chelsea's overall strength, they have won just one of their five Premier League meetings with Brentford, with the Bees outscoring them 8-1 since their last defeat in October 2021. Brentford's 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture marked their quest to complete only their second league double over Chelsea, the first being achieved in 1938-39.

Chelsea's previous encounter with Brentford saw them manage 17 shots but only two on target, while Brentford had fewer attempts but more shots on target, highlighting their efficiency in front of goal.