![Prost International [PINT]](https://prostinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PINTtFontLogoRoboto1536x78.jpg)
League leaders Chelsea will aim to solidify their position at the top of the table as the Blues make the short trip across West London to face the high-flying Bees at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Prior to the international break, Thomas Tuchel’s side appeared to have hit a patch of bad form after two consecutive defeats. However, they got themselves back on track with a 3-1 victory over Southampton which propelled them to the top of the league.
Meanwhile, the Premier League debutants Brentford continue to exceed all expectations and sit in seventh position, above the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Leicester City, having lost just once in their opening seven fixtures.
The clash between the two West London clubs will be the first in the Premier League and both sides go into the match looking to make history.
The Bees became the first club in Premier League history to avoid defeat in their opening three London derbies and will be looking to extend that record to four matches by adding the Blues to their casualty list which already consists of Arsenal, West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, the visitors go in chase of their own record as they could become the first club in English football history to win seven consecutive London derbies away from home.
Battle of the Second Strikers: Bryan Mbeumo vs Timo Werner
The matchup between the West London clubs provides an intriguing plot as the in-form players for each team have acquired the sidekick role behind their club’s main striker.
Bryan Mbeumo’s contribution to the Bees sometimes goes unnoticed as the Frenchman plays alongside Brentford’s talisman Ivan Toney upfront.
However, Mbeumo found the back of the net to help the Bees overcome West Ham before the international break. The Brentford attacker has been instrumental to their continued success this season and he’s scored twice in his last three matches in the Premier League.
Against the Blues, the Frenchman comes up against the league’s best defence but Mbeumo typifies the Bees’ fearless approach to the league so far and will be confident that he can cause the likes of Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta several problems.
Meanwhile, for the Blues, Timo Werner seems to be forcing his way out of the shadow of Chelsea’s main man Romelu Lukaku, having found the back of the net in their victory over Southampton.
The German attacker, who suffered a torrid time last season, has found goals slightly easier to come by this campaign and took his recent form into the international break where he netted twice to help Germany secure World Cup qualification.
The 25-year-old has already scored seven goals for club and country this season as well as providing two assists in the process.
Having been ushered to the bench when Lukaku arrived at the club, it seems as though Werner has worked his way back into the starting 11 and has started the previous three domestic matches alongside the Belgian striker.
The pace of the German could be the crucial factor as Chelsea will look to exploit the space left in behind by the Bees’ attacking wing-backs.
Team News
Brentford will be without Shandon Baptiste who dislocated his shoulder in the Bees’ 2-1 victory over West Ham. Kristoffer Ajer and Vitaly Janelt are also unlikely to feature as they continue their recovery from thigh injuries.
The Blues have been boosted by the return of N’Golo Kante and Reece James to full training this week and both could feature. However, Lukaku is an injury doubt having withdrawn from the Belgium national squad due to muscular overload.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
EPL
News
