4 hours ago
8
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
A message from Jeff:
“Surely it’s not just me who thinks that “Jamie Gittens” sounds more like an earnest medium-pace trundler who ended up with a few England caps, than an intermittently dangerous Chelsea winger ... who ended up with a few England caps!”
I haven’t seen much from Gittens as yet. A former “intermittently dangerous Chelsea winger” has been playing well for Arsenal and England recently.
19 min: Moises Caicedo has been excellent as usual. He makes another challenge in the middle of the park.
18 min: Out of nothing, Chelsea have a chance. Trevor Chalobah plays a delicious ball over the top into the path of Pedro Neto. It drops kindly for the winger but he can’t quite get the ball under control and the chance is wasted.
15 min: Chelsea are playing some intricate stuff on the right hand side. They’ve struggled to create any clear-cut chances though.
11 min: The referee grants Chelsea an undeserved free kick after Jamie Gittens went down. Enzo Fernández swings a free kick onto the head of the Tosin Adarabioyo. His header is well saved by Caoimhín Kelleher but the offside flag was up anyway.
7 min: Brentford have made their game plan clear. Anticipating Chelsea will have the lion share of possession, Keith Andrew’s side seem set on clipping balls over the top on the counter attack. It’s causing Chelsea problems so far.
5 min: Brentford have the first real chance of the game. It’s route one stuff: a long ball over the top finds Kevin Schade who take the ball down before cutting in and letting fly. The shot takes a deflection and is out for a corner.
2 min: Chelsea are setting the tempo early in this game. It’s good to see Wesley Fofana back after a series of injuries. It’s strange to see him at right back though, especially with Reece James and Malo Gusto on the bench.
Kick off
And we’re off! Brentford are kicking from left to right.
A message from Alex:
“Has there ever been a team with so many players ending in -o? Chelsea could almost get a whole XI of them.”
And that’s without Estêvão.
A message from Brendan Large:
“Does knowing Ranieri was the Tinkerman make me old? Argh...I know I am, of course, but that seems like a reference all Premier League fans should recognise, surely?”
I’m a bit younger than John Brewin but I know that Claudio Ranieri was the Tinkerman. Perhaps that’s because I follow Chelsea.
The big team news for Brentford is the return of Vitaly Janelt to the squad. He’s available for the first time since April after undergoing surgery on his heel. He’s joined by new signing Reiss Nelson on the bench. According to Keith Andrews, the Arsenal loanee has “slotted seamlessly into the group.”
For Chelsea, Cole Palmer returns to the squad after recovering from his groin injury. Palmer is on the bench with Chelsea’s new signing Facundo Buonanotte starting in his place. Interestingly, there's no sign of Estêvão Willian.
John Brewin
The Prodigy are pumping at the GTech for this rather unsociable 8pm kick-off. They’ve just declared last orders will be at 10.30pm. So then, the football. That looks an odd Chelsea team with Wesley Fofana right-back. Is Enzo Maresca the new Tinkerman, for older fans - it’s a long time since Claudio Ranieri? Brentford was a difficult place to go to under Thomas Frank and Keith Andrews has to do the same. It’s a familiar lineup for his team, with Liverpool graduates in Caoimhim Kelleher and Jordan Henderson key men in the new Brentford.
The teams
Brentford: Kelleher, Kayode, Van Den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter, Henderson, Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Schade, Thiago
Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henry, Nelson, Carvalho, Onyeka, Ouatarra, Ajer, Janelt
Chelsea: Sanchez, Fofana, Chalobah, Tosin, Hato, Caicedo, Enzo, Neto, Buonanotte, Gittens, Joao Pedro
Subs: Jorgenson, Acheampong, James, Gusto, Cucurella, Andrey Santos, Palmer, Garnacho, George
Preamble
Hello and welcome to minute-by-minute coverage of Brentford v Chelsea in the Premier League.
A new manager, a transfer saga and a difficult start to the season. There’s been drama in west London, and that’s just at Brentford. The former set piece coach turned head coach Keith Andrews will be keen to kick-start his side’s season after an opening day loss against Nottingham Forest and last gasp defeat versus Sunderland. Brentford are slowly adapting to life without Christian Nørgaard, Brian Mbuemo and Youanne Wissa, by way of a protracted transfer saga.
For once, Chelsea look like the more stable side. 74 FA charges and Nicolas Jackson situation aside, Enzo Maresca’s side have started the season well, remaining unbeaten and conceding only one goal in the process. Tonight’s game is Chelsea’s fourth straight London derby this season. A win at the Gtech would see them climb to the top of the table.
Feel free to share your thoughts with me via email. Kick off is 8pm.
