Chelsea vs Brentford Predictions

• Both teams have scored in eight consecutive Chelsea games.
• Brentford score on average 1.7 goals per-game in the Premier League.
• Three of the last four meetings have finished level.

Rosenior makes Premier League bow

After a pair of cup games, new Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior takes charge of his first Premier League fixture with a tough clash against in-form Brentford at Stamford Bridge.

The Bees have put together a six-game unbeaten run across all competitions, winning five of those fixtures, and they sit fifth in the standings – two points above Chelsea.

The Blues crushed Charlton 5-1 in the FA Cup in Rosenior’s first game in charge but went down 3-2 at home to Arsenal in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final in midweek, meaning they face a quick turnaround for Saturday’s fixture.

Both teams to score a clear starting point

Brentford have won their last three away games but one of those was a cup clash with Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday and their road form in the league has been generally poor. The Bees have three wins on their travels and seven defeats and two of those victories have come against teams in the drop zone, with the other against an Everton side who are in the bottom half.

Chelsea are winless in five in the league but three of those games have finished level. The Blues are the favourites to win but their recent form makes their short pricer unappealing, so the best angle looks to be backing goals at both ends.

Chelsea have seen both teams score in each of their last eight games across all competitions and they haven’t drawn a blank at home since their first outing of the campaign at Stamford Bridge, a run stretching 13 games.

Brentford are in good scoring form as they have hit 15 goals across their last six games, so both of these sides look capable of getting on the scoresheet.

Spoils could be shared in West London

The fact Chelsea had a midweek game and Brentford’s form suggests the visitors can get a positive result on Saturday but they may have to settle for a point rather than all three.

The Bees have been far better at home than they have on their travels and despite their struggles Chelsea have only lost four times at Stamford Bridge this season across all competitions.

Three of the last four meetings between these local rivals have finished level and another stalemate could be on the cards here. A 1-1 draw is the pick as Chelsea concede on average just over one goal per-game at home in the league and Brentford score just over a goal per-game on their travels.

Visiting forward Igor Thiago is in red-hot form for Brentford with five goals across his last two league appearances. The Brazilian wasn’t involved in the FA Cup win last time out so he should come into this game fresh and he can continue his scoring streak with an anytime effort at Chelsea.