The Premier League returns from its first international break of the season this weekend, with Brentford hosting local rivals Chelsea under the lights at the Gtech Community Stadium (8pm BST). The Blues are yet to leave the capital in their early-season fixtures, having hosted Crystal Palace and Fulham and making the short trip across the capital to face West Ham at the London Stadium. 

Enzo Maresca’s men arrive full of confidence, with an unbeaten record in their first three games and back-to-back wins against the Hammers and Fulham, so they will be hoping to pick up where they left off before the international break. 

It hasn’t been as straightforward for Brentford, who are still finding their feet in the early stages after a difficult summer that saw them lose Thomas Frank and several key players. New head coach Keith Andrews has had a mixed start in the dugout, with one win and two defeats, and this will be the toughest test yet for the former set-piece coach. 

Team form

The Bees opened their campaign in disappointing fashion, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Brentford bounced back with a positive home performance against Aston Villa, where Dango Outtara’s 12^th-minute strike proved enough to secure a narrow 1-0 win in Andrews’ first home game, but suffered another loss when making the lengthy trip to the Stadium of Light, going down 2-1 to the newly promoted Sunderland.  

Chelsea had high hopes going into the season after winning the Club World Cup, and while the campaign began with a frustrating 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, the Blues have kicked into gear, thrashing West Ham 5-1 away before overcoming Fulham back on home soil. 

The 2-0 victory over the Cottagers wasn’t without drama, though. Josh King thought he had given Marco Silva’s side the lead, only for his strike to be controversially ruled out by VAR for a foul on Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up. PGMOL later admitted the call was incorrect, but Chelsea now sit second in the table and look like early title challengers for Liverpool’s crown. 

Head-to-head

The Gtech Community Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea in recent seasons. The Blues have failed to win on any of their last three league visits, with last year’s encounter and the 2022/23 meeting both ending in goalless stalemates. 

In 2023/24, Axel Disasi rescued a late point in a 2-2 thriller, but overall, the Bees have proved resilient at home against Chelsea. The Blues’ last win away at Brentford came in the 2021/22 season, when Ben Chilwell’s goal sealed a 1-0 victory. 

The visitors shouldn’t underestimate Andrews’ men, even if current form points heavily in Chelsea’s favour going into the tie. 

Team news

The headline team news for Chelsea is the continued absence of Cole Palmer. Maresca’s star player aggravated a pre-existing groin issue in the warm-up before the West Ham match and subsequently missed the Fulham clash. He won’t be available for selection on Saturday either, though the good news for the Blues is that they look far less dependent on him than last season. 

There could be a debut for Alejandro Garnacho, who joined from Manchester United late in the transfer window, and Chelsea fans will be excited to see what he has to offer. 

For the hosts, Vitaly Janelt has returned to training after undergoing heel surgery in April, but this game likely comes too soon for the midfielder. Brazilian youngster Gustavo Nunes also remains sidelined following an injury picked up in pre-season. 

Key stats

• Joao Pedro has carried on his fantastic form since joining Chelsea from Brighton, with two goals and two assists from his first three Premier League appearances. 

• Enzo Fernandez has been instrumental to the Blues from midfield, scoring twice and assisting once in his last two outings. 

• Igor Thiago poses the main attacking threat for Brentford, having netted in the defeats against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland. 

Prediction

Brentford’s home record against Chelsea gives them hope, but Andrews’ side have lacked fluency so far, while Maresca’s Blues appear to be the threat everyone thought they would be going into the season. Thiago has shown he can trouble defences and could exploit Chelsea’s occasional defensive lapses, but with Pedro’s form in front of goal and Fernandez’s influence in midfield, the visitors should have too much quality overall. 

Predicted result: Brentford 1-3 Chelsea