Chelsea will look to keep up their pursuit of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League as they face fellow west London club Brentford in a rare Sunday night Premier League fixture.
A strong start under Enzo Maresca has seen the hosts establish themselves as perhaps the top flight’s form side and the likeliest to test Arne Slot’s league leaders until the end of the season. With Cole Palmer in sensational form and a young squad gelling impressively, their Italian manager may bat away suggestions his team are in the title race but their candidacy as challengers is hard to refute.
There will be wariness, though, of the threat that Brentford pose. While their outstanding home form has rather been undermined by a woeful record on the road, a short trip to Stamford Bridge should provide fewer challengers and a chance to continue climbing the table in a condensed group of clubs in the top half.
Follow all of the latest from Stamford Bridge, plus updates from Southampton vs Tottenham, in our live blog below:
Chelsea vs Brentford live
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Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson
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Brentford XI: Flekken; Van Den Berg, Collins, Pinnock; Roerslev, Yarmolyuk, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Wissa, Mbeumo.
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42’ GOAL! Cucurella sprints into the box and heads home Madueke’s delightful cross [CHE 1-0 BRE]
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60’ What a miss! Jackson somehow misses from six yards with Flekken outside his front post [CHE 1-0 BRE]
Chelsea FC 1 – 0 Brentford FC
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:18 , Chris Wilson
60 mins
WHAT A MISS! How has this not gone in?
Palmer finds Sancho on the wing and the former United man beats the defender before cutting it back from the byline. It’s beaten Flekken and it comes to Jackson, who simply has to tap into an open net, but he fires it over the bar!
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:17 , Chris Wilson
59 mins
A decent chance for the hosts as Palmer’s clever lay-off comes to Fernandez, whose goal-bound shot is blocked before Jackson is flagged offside.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:16 , Chris Wilson
58 mins
A rare foray forward for the visitors, and they get the men up the pitch, but Wissa’s cross is straight to Sanchez. Moments later, Mbeumo does the exact same thing from a similar position.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:15 , Chris Wilson
57 mins
From the corner, Flekken just about clears the ball from his area, but Chelsea win it back immediately before Palmer is just unable to reach a ball into the box.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:13 , Chris Wilson
56 mins
Gusto’s ball to the back post is a good one, but Sancho can’t quite hook it back to a teammate. On the other wing, Madueke gets past Lewis-Potter but Pinnock does well to put it behind while avoiding putting it into his own net.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:11 , Chris Wilson
53 mins
Wissa wins a free-kick off Cucurella and this could be a chance for Brentford to deliver a cross into the box. Mbeumo clips it in, but Sanchez collects easily.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:09 , Chris Wilson
51 mins
A few cheap losses of possession for Brentford leaves Chelsea enjoying more possession. Palmer goes down on the edge of the area, but the challenge is waved away before Sanchez does well to come off his line and beat Mbeumo to the long ball forward.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:06 , Chris Wilson
48 mins
Great play from Sanchez to come out, collect the free-kick and start the counter, and Cucurella wins a corner. Chelsea work a couple of chances, with Madueke’s shot being blocked before he’s dispossessed by a great challenge from Collins.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:03 , Chris Wilson
46 mins
Chelsea start the second half quickly, but Gusto fires a cross straight out for a goal kick.
KICK-OFF! Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
20:02 , Chris Wilson
The home side get the second half underway at Stamford Bridge.
HALF-TIME! Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
19:57 , Chris Wilson
It’s been an interesting half in west London, with Chelsea dominant but Brentford showing flashes of their attacking ability despite not really coming close to scoring.
The hosts have a deserved lead, but they’ll be wary of the visitors’ threat, and will think they need a second to make this game safe. With the way the game is going though, you would bet on them getting it.
HALF-TIME! Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
19:52 , Chris Wilson
HALF-TIME! Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
19:47 , Chris Wilson
The referee brings the half to an end and the hosts have the lead after a pretty dominant performance so far.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
19:47 , Jack Rathborn at Stamford Bridge
Brentford were so drilled but a little drop in intensity and Chelsea pounced. Cucurella outstanding throughout this half and thriving in about three different positions. Under Maresca, this goal is made possible, the sprint into the box and the calm finish with the header. A crucial first goal in a gripping game like this, it sets up the second half beautifully with the Bees forced to commit more going forward.
Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
19:46 , Chris Wilson
45 mins
There’ll be just one minute of added time here. Palmer tries the effort from outside the box, before Jackson tries the wonder goal with an acrobatic effort from just outside the box.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
19:45 , Chris Wilson
43 mins
GOAL! The hosts are ahead!
Chelsea work a couple of attacks and the hosts work it wide to Madueke. He hangs in a lovely cross to the back post, and Marc Cucurella has made the run in between the defenders to glance it into the corner past Flekken.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:42 , Chris Wilson
41 mins
Chelsea win a cheap free-kick on the touchline but Palmer’s ball in can only find Tosin, who is offside.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:40 , Chris Wilson
39 mins
CLOSE! A poor pass from Flekken goes straight to Madueke. He surges towards goal and finds space for the shot, with a low effort forcing a good save from the ‘keeper.
From the corner, Fernandez finds Palmer in space, but the ‘keeper puts his corner behind.
19:38 , Chris Wilson
37 mins
Brentford have settled a little bit but they’re still struggling at times, especially in attack, and they just needed good work from Pinnock to prevent a dangerous cross. Once they do get forward, the flag goes up against Lewis-Potter. Cheap.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:36 , Chris Wilson
34 mins
Good work from Pinnock to dispossess Jackson, but the visitors lose it straight away before Fernandez comes close to finding Madueke in the box.
Wissa attempt to start the counter with a long ball forward, but Sanchez is off his line well to beat Mbeumo to it. The flag goes up anyway.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:33 , Chris Wilson
32 mins
Half a chance for the hosts as Tosin’s header loops over to Sancho, who fires a shot into the ground and into the side-netting.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:32 , Chris Wilson
31 mins
It’s Chelsea probing once again, with Madueke winning yet another corner after some good work to squeeze the cross in.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:31 , Chris Wilson
29 mins
Brilliant play from both sides as Yarmoluk works it to Mbeumo, who finds Roerslev on the overlap. His cutback is a good one, but Colwill slides in with a perfectly timed challenge to prevent the shot at goal. Nothing comes from the set-piece though.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:29 , Chris Wilson
28 mins
Brentford are really struggling to keep any meaningful possession here. Palmer finds space in a central area before shifting it to Jackson, and the striker wins a corner as he tries to squeeze a shot through the legs of Pinnock.
From the set-piece, Madueke nods wide.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:27 , Chris Wilson
26 mins
Mbeumo and Wissa are being tasked with plenty of pressing up high, and the former does well to win a throw off Tosin. Pinnock lines up the long throw, but Tosin heads away to start the counter. It’s led by Sancho, and Madueke brings the ball down but he can’t get a clean pass away.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:25 , Chris Wilson
24 mins
Wissa isn’t far from latching onto a through ball, but once again Brentford just haven’t clicked in attack.
At the other end, Sancho plays a reverse pass into the path of the overlapping Cucurella, but his cross is blocked. Chelsea have possession once more.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:22 , Chris Wilson
22 mins
Palmer delivers a good corner, but Flekken punches away. Chelsea cushion it back to Sanchez, but his ball forward is a little aimless.
In the evening’s other match, Spurs are 3-0 up away at Southampton.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:21 , Jack Rathborn at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea have started well with this fiery pace suiting them as they scurry back and regain possession whenever it breaks down. Marc Cucurella, especially, is enjoying his role further forward and combining neatly with Jadon Sancho, while also positioning himself alongside Nicolas Jackson.
Enzo Maresca is not happy with Cole Palmer’s position, demanding him to drop in a little deeper to influence the game with the Bees so deep.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:20 , Chris Wilson
20 mins
Brentford get forward after Fernandez loses the ball, and Wissa wins a corner off Tosin. The ball comes in to the front post, but Palmer clears before Sanchez collects Damsgaard’s follow-up cross.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:20 , Jack Rathborn
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:18 , Chris Wilson
18 mins
Groans around the Bridge as Sanchez is fairly close to letting a pass run past him. Brentford attack again but it’s good work from Jackson to win a goal kick off Pinnock.
It’s been a dominant start for the hosts – 78 per cent possession for Maresca’s side.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:16 , Chris Wilson
16 mins
Fernandez’s cross is straight into the side-netting, and the away side have a moment of relief.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:15 , Chris Wilson
15 mins
Plenty of pressure from Chelsea, and the visitors can’t get out of their half at the moment. Colwill plays a good diagonal ball to the back post, but Madueke can only direct a half-cross, half-shot back across the face of goal.
Moments later, van den Berg heads behind for a corner.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:14 , Chris Wilson
13 mins
Some respite for the visitors after Cucurella brings down Mbeumo, but Flekken’s ball forward is straight to Sanchez.
The hosts work the ball into Palmer in the box, but Roerslev does well to block the shot.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:12 , Chris Wilson
11 mins
CLOSE! Another chance for the hosts as Jackson latches onto the end of a great chipped ball from Caicedo. The angle is tight but striker brings it down before lashing in a half-volley that forces a good save from Flekken at the near post.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:10 , Chris Wilson
10 mins
Chelsea are beginning to dominate possession now, with Colwill’s cross narrowly missing Madueke at the far post in their latest attack.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:09 , Chris Wilson
8 mins
Damsgaard wins the ball back in his half and the Bees immediately look to get the ball forward to Mbuemo, but there’s too much on the ball this time.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:08 , Chris Wilson
7 mins
It’s a slightly different set-up from Chelsea, with Caicedo as the pivot midfielder and Cucurella getting into very advanced positions in midfield alongside Palmer and Fernandez. He’s even ahead of Sancho, tucked in to make a trio in front of the Brentford box.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:06 , Chris Wilson
5 mins
Both sides are enjoying small spells of possession, though it’s the home side who are looking more comfortable in the opening stages.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:03 , Chris Wilson
3 mins
CLOSE! An early chance for the hosts as Gusto delivers a great cross and Jackson, who’d got in-between the two centre-backs, glances a header narrowly wide.
Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:02 , Chris Wilson
1 min
Lewis-Potter is the first to try and clip a ball into the box, but Sanchez collects easily.
KICK-OFF! Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
19:00 , Chris Wilson
The away side get us underway in this west London derby.
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