Chelsea make the short trip across West London this weekend as they take on Brentford in what will already be their fourth London derby of the new Premier League season. Enzo Maresca’s side have yet to leave the capital in 2025, but that hasn’t been a problem so far—the Blues begin the weekend sitting in second place.
This run of derby fixtures is unusual, with Chelsea meeting four London rivals in their opening four games. Their most recent outing, a 2-0 win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge, came with plenty of controversy. Fulham saw an opener ruled out, while Chelsea were awarded a debatable second-half penalty. Regardless of the debate, three points went on the board, extending Chelsea’s unbeaten home run in the league this calendar year.
Maresca will be especially pleased with the defensive solidity shown in recent weeks. Chelsea’s shutout against Fulham was their ninth clean sheet in 15 league games, a welcome boost for a team that has often looked vulnerable at the back. This strong foundation will be crucial as the Blues now embark on a hectic spell, with away trips to Bayern Munich and Manchester United coming up within the next eight days.
History also leans in Chelsea’s favour here. The home side has only won once in eight Premier League meetings between these two clubs. While Brentford have earned all three of their wins in this fixture away from home, they have managed to hold their ground at the Gtech in recent encounters, avoiding defeat in three of the four games on their own turf.
For Brentford, the start of the season has been far from smooth. New boss Keith Andrews is still finding his feet after a turbulent summer in which the club lost manager Thomas Frank, their captain, first-choice goalkeeper, and two top scorers. Yoane Wissa’s deadline-day move to Newcastle was another blow, leaving the Bees with plenty of rebuilding to do.
Their last game summed up the current frustrations. Brentford were on course for victory away at Sunderland before conceding a heartbreaking 96th-minute winner, leaving them with two defeats from their opening three matches. The international break denied them a quick chance to respond, meaning Andrews has had to stew over that loss for two weeks.
Even so, Brentford’s home record offers some hope. A win against Aston Villa on matchday two means they’ve now claimed victory in three of their last four outings at the Gtech. But the challenge ahead is daunting as the Bees are set to face Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Newcastle in their next five home fixtures. Survival in this stretch could shape their entire season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Brentford may have lost Yoane Wissa late in the window, but they moved quickly to bring in Reiss Nelson on deadline day. The home fans will be eager to see him up to speed soon, although the winger has yet to play a competitive minute this season after being sidelined at Arsenal in August.
Up front, Igor Thiago has stepped up impressively. After an injury-hit campaign last year in which he struggled to find the net, he already has three goals to his name this season and looks like the key man in attack for the Bees.
There are also some positive updates on the injury front. Vitaly Janelt, who missed international duty with Bosnia due to a foot problem, is back in training and appears closer to a return than teammates Gustavo Nunes and Yunus Konak, who remain out.
For Chelsea, there are still question marks over several key players. Cole Palmer has been back in training after missing the last two league matches and England’s international fixtures, but he remains a doubt for the short trip across West London. Romeo Lavia and Benoît Badiashile are also edging towards a comeback, with Enzo Maresca recently hinting they could rejoin the squad soon after the international break.
One definite absentee is Liam Delap, who is facing a spell on the sidelines after picking up a serious hamstring injury against Fulham. On the brighter side, fans could get their first glimpse of Alejandro Garnacho in a Chelsea shirt, with the summer signing from Manchester United pushing for a debut.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Yarmolyuk, Henderson, Damsgaard; Outtara, Igor Thiago, Schade
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Estevao, Pedro Neto, Garnacho; Joao Pedro
EXPERT PREDICTION
Brentford 1-2 Chelsea
