Derby Day Drama: Brentford vs Chelsea Preview | OneFootball

Chelsea’s Tough Test at Brentford: A London Derby with High Stakes

The Battle at Gtech Community Stadium: A Critical Derby

There is a London derby at the Gtech Community Stadium this weekend that has an impact on both ends of the table. Chelsea are desperate to inject life into their Premier League season, as they attempt to move up the league table. Meanwhile, Brentford will have to be looking over their shoulders, especially with a difficult fixture list ahead. This is a good chance for them to record a home win against an inconsistent Blues team.

Photo: IMAGO

Brentford’s Fight for Survival: The Ivan Toney Factor

The return of Ivan Toney has helped improve Brentford’s attacking performances, but they remain in a precarious league position. The Bees are five points clear of the bottom three and should have enough quality to steer clear of danger, but this is the most perilous position they have been in since promotion. With tough fixtures ahead, their position could get worse before it gets better. That said, they have a lot of quality and a defined style of play. If they are at their best, they can get something this weekend.

Chelsea’s Quest for Consistency Under Pochettino

Chelsea have had a disappointing week. They lost in the Carabao Cup final and received a lot of criticism, as they failed to capitalise on a promising situation. Although they went through in the FA Cup against Leeds United, they were far from fluent. On that evidence, they are still vulnerable and an away match against Brentford will be a tough test for them. Mauricio Pochettino needs a fluent performance to ease the doubts about his position.

Interesting stats

Since Brentford’s win in the earlier meeting, they have only kept one clean sheet in 18 matches across all competitions.

Only seven teams have scored more Premier League goals than Chelsea. The Blues have found the back of the net on 42 occasions.

Analyzing the Key Players: Toney and Palmer

Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney has managed to get back to good form immediately after his return from suspension. There was some concern about whether he would be able to hit the ground running, but he has managed to do just that and he is the key player for Brentford. Although there are doubts about his long-term future, he will want to end his time with the Bees well and ensure that they remain a Premier League club. Since his return to action, he has scored four goals in seven matches and he will be the player that Chelsea fear most. The visitors have had their striking issues this season and they could be one of the clubs in the running to sign Toney this summer. A good performance on Saturday will only increase that interest.

Cole Palmer

For every Chelsea game, the player that supporters are excited to see is Cole Palmer. It has been an exceptional signing and he is the one that the owners will want to build around. At this point in time, he will likely be part of England’s squad for the summer and he could have a big role to play in that tournament. Bukayo Saka will be ahead of him, but his versatility means he will get plenty of minutes. In the Premier League, he has contributed ten goals and six assists. It is a superb first full season at this level and some will be wondering why he was let go by Manchester City. If Chelsea are to have a strong finish to the season, the form of Palmer will be key.

Injury Updates and Predictions

Ben Mee could be back to start for the home side. Bryan Mbeumo and Ethan Pinnock will be missing until the end of March. Kevin Schade, Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry remain long-term absentees.

Marc Cucurella and Thiago Silva are both in contention to feature this weekend. Christopher Nkunku, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile and Carney Chukwuemeka are all out for the visitors.

A Derby Forecast: Goals and a Stalemate

This is going to be an interesting game. Neither side have looked very good defensively in their recent fixtures. Chelsea kept a clean sheet in normal time last weekend, but Liverpool had plenty of chances to score. There should be goals this weekend and Thomas Frank will be hoping that home advantage will help his team secure the points. A score draw could be a likely outcome.

Brentford 2-2 Chelsea