Chelsea faces a tough test against a flexible Brentford side

If Chelsea fans learned anything from the Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri eras, it should be that the Premier League is incredibly quick to pick up on unique tactical styles. This is seen elsewhere most recently in Sheffield United’s quick fall from grace. The Blades’ unique playstyle under Chris Wilder saw them finish inside the top half of the table only to be bounced back down the following campaign. Thomas Tuchel has even tweaked his tactics a bit this year to avoid the predictable struggles that come with having one niche style.

It’s understandably easier for established sides to play this way, as well. Tottenham Hotspur has undergone multiple shifts in style over the last few years and as much fun as it is to joke about Spurs’ failures, their struggles are over-exaggerated a bit. Point being, the top flight was stunned with Leeds United’s immediate success as Marcelo Bielsa’s side took the game to the Premier League. Nevertheless, the Whites are struggling heavily this season due to the stubborn nature of their manager. Newly promoted sides often find a way to win and stick to that—after all, points are all that matter to them. However, this is not the case for Chelsea’s next opponent.

Brentford’s flexibility will give Chelsea a harder time than many fans expect

Brentford was promoted to the English top flight for the first time in over 70 years this season. The Bees have a storied—yet frustrating—history as a club and much of that includes a mixed bag against London rivals. The last time the Blues faced their newly promoted west London foes in league play was the same year Brentford was last in the first division, 1947. One needs to travel back even further to find the last time Chelsea was bested by its buzzing neighbors, which was 1939, before the war halted football. The Blues faced the Bees three times this millennium though, outscoring them eight to two on aggregate. The Brentford side hosting Tuchel’s men on Saturday is much different than even the Bees of 2017 though.

The mastermind behind Brentford’s recent success is Danish manager Thomas Frank. Frank replaced current Aston Villa manager Dean Smith on the touchline for the Bees and they hardly skipped a beat. Smith’s loss seemed devastating to Brentford at the time, little did the club know it’d found a diamond in the rough.

Frank is one of the many reasons that the Bees are enjoying success in the Premier League. He’s got his preferred style of football, but unlike the aforementioned Bielsa, Frank welcomes change with open arms. He’s lined his side up in both three and four at the back formations over the last few seasons—often putting an emphasis on possession-based football. Nevertheless, Brentford is perfectly comfortable sitting deep, as well. The Bees have played with a back three (or five when out of possession) ever since late last year when they made the promotion push. It’s worked wonders. To put it into terms Chelsea fans will relate to, Brentford can play like Conte’s back three as well as Tuchel’s. This is what makes it so dangerous, there is no one set way to defeat the Bees.

Tuchel is sure to either set-up in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 at the weekend, which could see Chelsea struggle. Often times the best formation to counter three at the back is, well, three at the back. Blues supporters have seen teams switch to the formation in a one-off game against them for years and it’s worked more often than not. Now factor in the fact that Brentford has perfected its craft in the system for years and it’ll be a difficult team to defeat, especially at home.

Furthermore, everybody now knows the name Ivan Toney. Toney took the Championship by storm last year and he’s gotten off to a fast start in the top flight, as well. He’s Brentford’s single most important player and it’s not particularly close. Nevertheless, one would hardly know this from watching the Bees play. Veterans like Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos offer the experience and link-up play needed for Brentford to score from all across the pitch. The Bees aren’t a one-man band like Norwich City, who relies on Teemu Pukki to score all of the side’s goals. Toney may be the talisman but he’s not the only threat on the pitch for Frank.

The tactical adaptability, formational adeptness and balanced teamsheet make Brentford one of the most dangerous newly promoted sides in recent memory. The Blues will need to be on their toes if they want to beat the well-drilled machine that is Frank’s Brentford on Saturday, as it’s no walk in the park as other first-year teams can often be.

What challenges do you see the Blues facing on Saturday at Brentford? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!