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Chelsea at Brentford: Three things to look for in Blues’ return

By Akshat Mehrish

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 02: Timo Werner of Chelsea FC celebrates scoring a goal which is later disallowed by VAR during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 02, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 02: Timo Werner of Chelsea FC celebrates scoring a goal which is later disallowed by VAR during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 02, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images) /
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TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 29: Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea gives his players instructions during the UEFA Champions League group H match between Juventus and Chelsea FC at the Juventus Stadium on September 29, 2021 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 29: Thomas Tuchel, Manager of Chelsea gives his players instructions during the UEFA Champions League group H match between Juventus and Chelsea FC at the Juventus Stadium on September 29, 2021 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) /

3. Sting in the tail?

Football’s evolving landscape has produced many unique sides in recent years, some of which have come from the lower divisions to stun those previously above them. Wolverhampton Wanderers stormed to consecutive European finishes upon their return to the Premier League, Sheffield United shook the top with their unique system during the 2019/20 season and Leeds United provided fans with a bang for their buck throughout the previous campaign. Brentford has carried that torch this year with some exceptional early season performances.

Brentford threatened to break the Championship ceiling each year since Frank’s takeover as manager. However, some narrow misses and last-minute heartbreaks kept the Bees out of the Premier League, much to the chagrin of football fans. Last season, they finally secured their promotion to England’s top division, adding unique tactical identity to an already diverse league.

Mixing with the elite can be a daunting task for some, but in the three months since its promotion, Brentford has looked a part of that same elite. Frank’s team sits seventh in the Premier League with seven games played. The Bees have won three of their games so far, drawn three and lost one while conceding just six goals. Remarkably, the Bees have already beaten Arsenal and drawn against Liverpool—two of the traditional big six sides. Meanwhile, they defeated David Moyes’ West Ham United, who qualified for the Europa League in the previous season, in their last league outing.

Brentford’s underlying numbers show that their league position is no fluke. It currently has the fourth-best expected goals against (xGA) numbers in the league and is the sixth-best defense. In Frank, the Bees have one of the most exciting young coaches, while key players such as Ivan Toney and David Raya are in great form. Though Chelsea betters its opponents in terms of goals conceded—while also having some of the best attacking numbers in the division—a victory against its London rival will not be a walk in the park. Tuchel’s men will have to be wary of the threat the Bees possess, or else they risk getting stung.

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What are some of the things you’ll be looking for in the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

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