Brentford v Chelsea Team News: Romelu Lukaku Fit With Doubts Over N’Golo Kante

Thomas Tuchel’s side go into this weekend’s games top of the table but the Bees are unbeaten in their last three top-flight matches, winning two of them.

Chelsea have met Brentford twice in recent years and convincingly won both fixtures 4-0 with each game coming in the FA Cup in 2013 and 2017.

However, the two sides haven’t met in the league since a 2-0 win for the Blues all the way back in March 1947.

The west London derby has plenty of storylines surrounding it and should make for an intriguing match.

Brentford v Chelsea: Team news

The hosts have no new issues to contend with Yoane Wissa hoping for his first league start after grabbing a late winner against West Ham.

Meanwhile, Josh Dasilva and Mads Bech Sorensen remain two long-term absentees for Thomas Frank’s side.

Chelsea entered the October break with a 3-1 win over Southampton with Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic all missing.

And the Blues were also sweating on the fitness of Romelu Lukaku after he was withdrawn from the Belgium squad following an injury.

The former Inter Milan striker was forced to sit out the Nations League third and fourth play-off against Italy on Sunday.

But he handed Tuchel a huge boost with the head coach confirming that he’s fit to feature.

Antonio Rudiger remains a doubt after he was absent for that session and he missed Germany’s clash against North Macedonia with back problems.

However, there is more positive news on both Kante and James after the pair returned to training at the Blues’ Cobham base this week.

However with no update from Tuchel it seems unlikely that they’ll be part of the squad.

There are also doubts over Hakim Ziyech who could miss out.

Brentford v Chelsea: Match facts

• Brentford are winless in their last six meetings with Chelsea in all competitions (D1 L5) since a 3-1 away win in February 1939. This is the first league meeting between the sides since a 2-0 win for the Blues in March 1947.

• Chelsea have won their last two meetings with Brentford by a 4-0 scoreline, with both of these fixtures coming in the FA Cup (February 2013 and January 2017).

• Brentford have already drawn with Crystal Palace, and beaten both Arsenal and West Ham this season. They’re the first team in Premier League history to remain unbeaten in each of their first three London derby matches in the competition.

• Chelsea have won each of their last six away London derbies in the Premier League, and could become the first team in English Football League history (top four tiers) to win seven such games in a row.

• Brentford have won seven of their nine top-flight matches against sides starting the day top of the table (L2), with this their first such match since January 1947 (4-1 vs Wolves). The Bees’ win rate of 78% against league leaders is the best of any club in English top-flight history.

• Chelsea have lost just one of their 12 Premier League away games under Thomas Tuchel (W8 D3), having lost four of their last five on the road under Frank Lampard. The Blues have kept six clean sheets in this run, shipping seven goals in total.

• Chelsea have the best shot conversion rate in the Premier League this season (15.3%), as well as the best difference between goals scored (15), and expected goals (11.8 – +3.2). At the other end meanwhile, Chelsea have the best difference between goals conceded (3) and expected goals against (8.6) in the Premier League this term (5.6).

• Chelsea have had more different goalscorers than any other Premier League side so far this season (12, excl. own goals). Only Arsenal in 2009-10 have had more different goalscorers in their first seven games of a Premier League campaign (13).

• Yoane Wissa has scored five goals in his last five appearances in all competitions for Brentford, averaging a goal every 47 minutes for the Bees this season. Of all Premier League players in all competitions this season, only Marcus Forss (37) and Cameron Archer (46) have a better minutes-per-goal rate than the Congolese forward, though neither of those players have scored in the Premier League so far.

• Chelsea’s Timo Werner scored his first goal in 10 Premier League games against Southampton last time out. The German has only scored in consecutive league appearances once for the Blues, doing so in November 2020.