Liam Rosenior go take charge of him first Premier League match as Chelsea head coach when Blues host high-flying Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Reverse fixture for Gtech Community Stadium four months ago end 2-2 draw.
Match Preview
After 5-1 FA Cup win over Charlton Athletic last weekend, Rosenior taste defeat for Stamford Bridge as Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-2 for first leg of EFL Cup semi-final. Mixed results in four days don make Rosenior insist say team “have to learn quickly” to turn things around as fans dey chant against club hierarchy.
Chelsea get five Premier League games before second leg vs Arsenal, starting with Brentford, then Palace and West Ham. Blues dey 8th and dey chase top four. Chelsea don win only one of last nine PL matches (D5 L3), conceding first goal in last three, and since November 2023, dem never concede first in four successive games.
Rosenior no sure to win first PL game as Chelsea have won only one of last eight league clashes with Brentford (D4 L3), that 2-1 win na this same fixture last season.
Brentford dey fifth, two points behind Liverpool, 19 points clear of relegation. Only Arsenal get more points than Brentford in last six games (14). Bees score 13 goals in four wins vs Wolves, Bournemouth, Everton, Sunderland. FA Cup 2-0 win vs Sheffield Wednesday extend away winning run to three matches. Brentford never draw at Stamford Bridge before, with record of W4 L5. Last visit end 2-1 loss Dec 2024.
Team News
Chelsea: Levi Colwill (ACL), Romeo Lavia (thigh), Mykhailo Mudryk (doping suspension) dey out. Liam Delap & Jamie Gittens (illness) no dey squad. Cole Palmer (thigh), Reece James (hip) dey train and late call go decide availability. Malo Gusto (unspecified) dey doubtful. Robert Sanchez no perform vs Arsenal; Filip Jorgensen fit start. Moises Caicedo back from suspension, Alejandro Garnacho push for start after scoring brace vs Arsenal.
Brentford: Josh Dasilva, Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo dey long-term knee out. Jordan Henderson ankle check before kickoff. Frank Onyeka dey AFCON; Dango Ouattara back. Igor Thiago expected lead line, Kevin Schade support from left or second striker.
Possible Lineups
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
Brentford: Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Henry; Yarmolyuk, Janelt; Ouattara, Jensen, Schade; Thiago
Prediction
We say: Chelsea 2-2 Brentford
Both teams dey score in each of Chelsea’s last eight matches across all competitions. End-to-end contest likely as in-form Brentford fit make net ripple at Stamford Bridge. With Blues still adjusting under Rosenior and some absentees, visitors fit claim at least one point.
