Chelsea vs Brentford on matchday 10 of the 2023/24 Premier League season is a highly anticipated game for football fans in London.
London will be excited because of the turn of events in the past few game weeks. Both hosts Chelsea and Brentford look to be finding their feet in the league.
Chelsea has had the trickier fixtures in the first nine weeks of the season, but now, the adaptation period has concluded. Manager Mauricio Pochettino can now boast of a fighting squad despite the injuries that he has had to deal with since assuming the role.
On the other hand, Thomas Frank is counting down the days until Ivan Toney returns to the football pitch for Brentford, but his striker’s performances in training and training matches will give him hope.
This meeting on matchday 10 is the 20th meeting between both teams in history. The tie is only their fifth in the Premier League. While Chelsea has a historical lead over their London neighbors (10W, 3D, 6L), the Premier League is a different ball game for both sides.
The Bees only returned to the English top flight in the 2021/22 season after more than five decades away. This means they had missed two decades of the Premier League era, which Chelsea dominated alongside Manchester United and Manchester City.
However, since their debut in the Premier League, Chelsea have only won once in four meetings. The Bees have taken two wins and have drawn once with the Stamford Bridge outfit. Brentford has a much better pedigree in league games than Chelsea from this short period they have shared.
Chelsea vs. Brentford on matchday 10 in the 2023/24 Premier League season is an opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino to not only prove doubters wrong but help Chelsea save face in this new London rivalry brewing between both clubs.
Read on for more match information, ticket information, team news, and predictions.
Match Tickets
Chelsea vs Brentford tickets for the Saturday, 28 October tie between both teams will go on sale soon. Match-going fans can visit either club’s website for information on when and how the tickets will be released. Several injured Chelsea players are expected to be fit enough for the game. Said players are crowd pullers, which means that fans interested in tickets will have to be proactive. Tickets can also be bought on ticket reselling platforms like Seatsnet.com. Fans at home can catch the game on streaming via TNT Sports, among others. Download the apps that host these channels, pay the required subscription fee, and enjoy the game. It goes live at 12:30 PM at Stamford Bridge.
Team news
The injury list at Chelsea is the longest in the top five leagues in Europe. Important players like Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, and Carney Chukwuemeka are sidelined with injuries that have varying recovery dates. The loss of Chilwell especially puts Pochettino in a dilemma, as there is no natural cover for the left-back role despite the club’s myriad signings. But Pochettino can still count on the squad available to him, as stated earlier. He has the option of Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja to help him in attack alongside Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk. The Ukrainian, however, has been showing signs of muscle fatigue in recent games, so Pochettino may consider resting him against Brentford.
Brentford’s most significant loss this season is Rico Henry, whose injury has practically ruled him out. The Bees do not have adequate cover for the fullback, which means that Thomas Frank will have to keep finding a workaround every matchday until January, at least when they can sign new players. Kevin Schade, their summer signing who was beginning to show promise, is also out of the squad with a hip injury. The recovery period from the resulting surgery is seven weeks, which places his return in late November.
Lineups
The lineups for Chelsea vs Brentford will be creative, Chelsea’s lineup especially. Broja and Jackson present a headache in the selection for Pochettino, but it is one that any coach would like to have. However, the Senegal international is more likely to start against Brentford, which means the Albanian striker will be coming in as a substitute. The absences of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia create a dilemma for the Argentine tactician in the middle of the park. This could see Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher hold down the more profound roles while Cole Palmer takes point behind the striker. Marc Cucurella should cover the left-back role with Chilwell out.
Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, T. Silva, Cucurella; E. Fernandez, Gallagher; Mudryk, Palmer, Sterling; Jackson.
Aaron Hickey is still not as convincing as when he was in Italy with Bologna. Still, as the only left-back with big-game experience, he will keep starting in place of Rico Henry until Frank decides otherwise. Brentford will also not change much regarding their lineup because of their injury list.
Brentford: Flekken; Hickey, Pinnock, Collins, Ajer; Janelt, Nørgaard, Jensen; Lewis-Potter, Wissa, Mbeumo.
Prediction
Chelsea vs Brentford in the 2022/23 season was a statement tie for the Bees, who almost snuck into European places. After holding Chelsea to a draw at the Brentford Community Stadium in their first clash, they went to Stamford Bridge and took all three points with a commanding performance. That win helped to demystify the hallowed grounds of the Blues. Mauricio Pochettino should expect a Brentford side that will come all out to attack and take all three points home. Thomas Frank will avoid a midfield battle as he would want to get the ball into attacking spaces quickly for Wissa and Mbeumo to capitalize upon. Chelsea, meanwhile, will attempt to control the game with possession-style tactics that will see them circulate the ball often in the middle of the park. Jackson’s hold-up play will be crucial in getting the team going in attack so that damage can be done. Both goalkeepers will also be kept busy. However, the Blues will take the win, but it will be a close battle.
Chelsea 1 – 0 Brentford.
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