Brentford Vs Chelsea

Chelsea head to the Gtech Community Stadium to take on Brentford, looking to avoid a fifth successive Premier League away loss for the first time since 2000.

Just one win from four matches (D1, L2) left Brentford in the bottom half of the Premier League table, making their hopes of securing a maiden European qualification unlikely. Eager to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United in midweek EPL action, Thomas Frank’s charges head into proceedings to rescue their lofty ambitions against formidable opposition. Indeed, the Bees last beat Chelsea on home soil in October 1938 (D3, L4), while they slumped to a 2-1 loss in December’s reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge. Avenging that result at the Gtech Community Stadium could be complicated, considering the hosts haven’t won any of their last seven home league outings (D2, L5), failing to get on the scoresheet in three of the most recent four.

On the other hand, Chelsea entered this round in fourth after beating fellow London rivals Tottenham 1-0 in midweek to stay narrowly ahead of Manchester City. A piece of history waits around the corner as the Blues bid to complete their first league double over Brentford since 1946/46 and bolster their quest to lock down a Champions League qualification spot. Finding the opening goal could determine the course of this fixture, not least because Chelsea’s last four Premier League matches have seen one side fail to score (W3, L1). However, Enzo Maresca’s men have stuttered on the road, winning just one of their previous nine away games across all competitions (D2, L6) – a run that includes four consecutive defeats in the Premier League.