Seven games into their Premier League debut and Brentford are living the dream - with just one defeat and a growing number of surprise scalps.
Chelsea make the short hop across west London today for a tantalising, and fairly rare, derby. With Liverpool playing earlier in the day, a win may be necessary to grab back first place.
Not since 1947 have these two teams met in a league fixture with the Bees’ latest win over the Blues coming even further back, some 82 years ago.
But the newly-promoted team’s strong start could give them the confidence to claim a famous win against Thomas Tuchel’s title challengers.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Brentford vs Chelsea is scheduled for an 5.30pm BST kick-off on Saturday, October 16, 2021.
Where to watch Brentford vs Chelsea
TV channel: Today’s match will be televised on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch the match online via the Sky Go app.
Brentford vs Chelsea team news
Toni Rudiger has been ruled out with a back injury, compounding Chelsea’s defensive concerns. Tuchel was already without Thiago Silva, who does not arrive back from international duty with Brazil in time for the game.
Better news for the European champions is Romelu Lukaku’s availability after being sent home early by Belgium with muscle fatigue.
But Chelsea’s attacking options have also been limited by the absence of Hakim Ziyech, who has not been able to take part in their last two training sessions due to a headache, and Christian Pulisic, who is still to recover from an ankle injury.
Reece James and N’Golo Kante are available to return.
For Brentford, Vitaly Janelt (thigh) and Kristoffer Ajer (hamstring) are doubts, with Mads Sorensen (knee) and Josh Dasilva (hip) missing. Shandon Baptiste (shoulder) is also likely to be unavailable.
Brentford vs Chelsea prediction
The Bees have been a great success story so far, with some huge points taken off Arsenal, West Ham and Liverpool. But Chelsea have been able to get the job done even when not at their best, and have more than enough talent to win this derby.
Chelsea to win 2-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Brentford wins: 4
Draws: 2
Chelsea wins: 8
