Chelsea vs Brentford

Thomas Tuchel's side host the Bees at Stamford Bridge in the first game back from the international break. Chelsea will fancy their chances against Thomas ...

as it happened: live blog, updates, highlights, lineups, comments, etc.

Chelsea can keep up the pressure on their top-four rivals when they get their Premier League campaign back under way against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on ...

The Denmark superstar enjoyed a richly emotional March international break too, and if he can bring that form back to the Bees, they'll prove a tough nut to crack over the final few weeks. But with several of them having enjoyed the workout of a fruitful spell away with their respective nations, he'll hope they can continue to show impressive squad harmony amid all the turmoil. The Blues will be keen to refocus matters away from their off-field turmoil and back onto the pitch, particularly with three trophies all still up for grabs across the final few weeks of the season.

Welcome to football.london's live coverage of Chelsea vs Brentford at Stamford Bridge. The international break is finally over and Premier League football ...

Chelsea will be hoping to earn their third win of the season over Thomas Frank's side and second following an international break after Ben Chilwell's strike separated the sides on October. The Blues could only muster five shots on target that afternoon as Brentford bombarded their goal however, and the Bees will hope to capitalise more efficiently with their efforts this afternoon. Welcome to football.london's live coverage of Chelsea vs Brentford at Stamford Bridge. The international break is finally over and Premier League football returns with the Blues looking to continue their winning stretch.

Chelsea hosts Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, here is how The Pride of London team sees the contest playing out.

I hate to go with the standard 2-0 scoreline, but I have to trust my gut in this one. Chelsea will have too much for Brentford with a goal in each half, further cementing a top-four finish in the Premier League. This fixture has often been an exhausting thorn in the side and this game will be no different. Chelsea has the upper hand in personnel and manager, this shouldn’t be difficult, unless the Blues make it so. After a nine-match winless streak in all competitions, Brentford has won two out of its last three in the Premier League. Chelsea has a massive match in the Champions League midweek, so Tuchel could try a different line-up in order to rest his first team. Despite all of this, we’re more interested in what Thomas Tuchel’s men have to say on the pitch.

Chelsea capitulated at home to Brentford as goals from Janelt, Eriksen and Wissa saw the Bees thrash the European champions.

Moments later, he found himself through on goal and while his first touch got past Raya, it ended on the wrong side of the post. Hakim Ziyech had come closest, forcing David Raya into a fingertip save and at the other end, Ivan Toney heading over after winning an aerial battle with Rudiger. Brentford netted four times in a remarkable second half after falling behind to a 35-yard strike from Antonio Rudiger, whose speculative efforts have become a running joke among Chelsea fans.

Christian Eriksen scored his first goal for Brentford as his side claimed a memorable 4-1 away win against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday. Defender Antonio Rudiger put Chelsea ahead just minutes into the second half with a superb strike from ...

Follow live coverage as Chelsea face Brentford in the Premier League today. Manchester City are reigning champions after a dominant 2020/21 season and Pep ...

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has reflected on his side's 4-1 defeat against west London rivals Brentford on Saturday afternoon, which he labelled ...

"We finished the first half better, we were looking in control but not dangerous enough to cause them problems. "We escaped without conceding goals, but we were not sharp enough, we didn’t have the energy that we usually have. "We were maybe not moving the ball sharply enough.

Chelsea can keep up the pressure on their top-four rivals when they get their Premier League campaign back under way against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on ...

The Denmark superstar enjoyed a richly emotional March international break too, and if he can bring that form back to the Bees, they'll prove a tough nut to crack over the final few weeks. But with several of them having enjoyed the workout of a fruitful spell away with their respective nations, he'll hope they can continue to show impressive squad harmony amid all the turmoil. The Blues will be keen to refocus matters away from their off-field turmoil and back onto the pitch, particularly with three trophies all still up for grabs across the final few weeks of the season.

Chelsea suffered a first home league defeat since September as an eventful second half at Stamford Bridge saw visitors Brentford score four times to secure ...

However, this one was special, a sweet shot that whistled through the air and left Raya grasping in vain as it flew past him and into the back of the net via the inside of the post.Rudiger’s celebrations reflected the sense of surprise in the stadium as he sprinted to the touchline and embraced Tuchel, though our joy proved shortlived as the Bees hit back with a double sting of their own.Bryan Mbeumo almost levelled instantly but could only scuff a shot into the ground and then the grateful gloves of Mendy. However, that went down as an unheeded warning and Mendy was soon beaten by Janelt, who finished a slick move with a tidy left-footed finish rifled into the top corner.All of a sudden, the game was wide open and Havertz soon teed up a chance for Werner, whose low drive was blocked well by Kristoffer Ajer. Down the other end went Brentford and continued the mad resumption by making it 2-1 as Eriksen fired high into the roof of the net from close range, with Mbeumo once again acting as provider.It was the first time we had conceded two in the league since Liverpool’s draw at the Bridge in early January but Thomas Frank’s plucky visitors somehow found a way to extend their lead seven minutes later. He then almost punished a slow clearance from Raya with some quick closing down, the ball rebounding dangerously but dropping just wide.Perhaps his best opportunity came soon after from a chance fashioned by Loftus-Cheek and Kovacic, the latter sliding a neat pass into the German’s path, though a flicked finish trickled agonisingly wide of the far post and with that seemingly went Chelsea’s chances of instigating an unlikely comeback.Brentford added a gloss to the scoreline to secure their biggest-ever win against the Blues when substitute Wissa netted just two minutes after coming on, capitalising on a moment of confusion as both Thiago Silva and Rudiger attempted to clear the same ball. Kante soon provided some invention and incision, clipping a neat pass forward to find Mount’s run, though the dropping ball made it a difficult chance for our number 19 and his volley was comfortable for Raya to claim.At least the man between the posts for Brentford was being put to sterner work as the half progressed, a week on from making his debut for the Spanish national team, although a customary strike from distance by Rudiger provided little concern before his best save of the half came to thwart Ziyech.Mount was pestering and plotting again, foiled in trying to find Werner but more successful in teeing up the Moroccan on his potent left foot. Vitaly Janelt got two of those either side of Christian Eriksen’s smart close-range finish and the damage was compounded moments before the end when substitute Yoan Wissa made it 4-1 by capitalising on mistakes in the Blues box.The result leaves Thomas Tuchel’s side eight points clear of fifth place in the Premier League but brings our 17-game unbeaten home run to a crushing end.Tuchel made four changes from our previous outing prior to the international break, a 2-0 FA Cup win at Middlesbrough. Marcos Alonso, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and N’Golo Kante were the returning quartet, with the latter making his 250th appearance for the Blues.The German duo were joined in attack by Ziyech, while Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek continued in midfield alongside Kante. Meanwhile, Alonso replaced Malang Sarr in an otherwise unchanged defence.For Brentford, there were two changes as Eriksen and Mads Roerslev came in, while top scorer Toney continued up top following seven goals in his past six Premier League matches.This was a first Stamford Bridge league meeting between the two west London sides in 75 years and the Bees started like a team desperate to make up for lost time in the capital sunshine.Eriksen had a sighter within the opening moments of kick-off from a free-kick but couldn’t get the ball to dip quickly enough, though it was a sign of the visitors beginning on the front foot.Striker Toney has been prolific in recent weeks since his return from injury and the man currently seventh in the league’s scoring charts had three decent opportunities in the first 10 minutes.The first of those was gifted following a misplaced Edouard Mendy pass out from the back, the forward attempting to chip our African champion but not quite mastering the execution. Mount proved to be the chief protagonist, collecting a pass from just outside the box but curling an attempt high and wide.Nevertheless, it was a moment that proved a spark for the hosts and Loftus-Cheek was next to have a try after half an hour, driving forward in his typical fashion from halfway into the Brentford half. Chelsea suffered a first home league defeat since September as an eventful second half at Stamford Bridge saw visitors Brentford score four times to secure a long-awaited win in SW6. The Bees’ last victory at the Bridge came six months before the start of the Second World War and so this provided a significant shot in the arm for their hopes of retaining Premier League status, while for the Blues it proved our heaviest loss since a 5-2 home reverse to West Brom almost a year ago to the day.The first period was tentative and quiet, even if Brentford did have the best of the play and threatened occasionally through Ivan Toney. Edouard Mendy pulled off one impressive save down low to his right, while David Raya in the opposite goal had to be similarly alert when pushing over a Hakim Ziyech effort late in the half.Yet it was after the break that this game burst into life, initiated by the most unlikeliest of long-range goals scored by Antonio Rudiger, the German’s strike whistling past Raya and in off the post.That was followed by a similarly incomprehensible turnaround as Brentford scored three in the next 13 minutes.