Due to the fact they’re used to duking it out at the top of the Premier League table, Chelsea are ascribed many derbies. Their games with Arsenal are always trumpeted as London derbies due to a shared city. The same is true of Tottenham Hotspur. But this weekend Mauricio Pochettino’s side face one of their more traditional derby opponents. What’s more, their all-west London clash with Brentford has taken on the look of a must-win clash for both teams. While local bragging rights are on the line, the events of the season so far have given this one an even deeper significance.
Brentford hadn’t won a game at home all season until last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Burnley. To make matters worse, they’ve only won one away from home too. Shorn of goalscoring talisman Ivan Toney due to a ban over gambling infringements, Thomas Frank’s team are looking toothless these days.
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There have been tough ties with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal to contend with. But the fact they emerged from games against Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Everton with just two points is a worry. At their best, Brentford have consistently been one of the best teams outside the European places. But this term they find themselves 14th after nine games and struggling to recapture the magic.
Chelsea have their own muddled method for recapturing magic. New owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have followed in Roman Abramovich’s footsteps when it comes to replacing managers. If you include interim and caretaker appointments, Pochettino is the fifth man to lead Chelsea out under their ownership.
But where Boehly and friends deviate from Abramovich is in the sheer volume of transfers they make. The Russian oligarch loved a spending spree, but even he never bought almost an entire new squad one year then replaced it entirely the next. Chelsea have made 30 signings under their current ownership, which has lasted just two years so far. They have spent over £1 billion in transfer fees. Their largesse netted them a 12th-placed finish last term and this summer saw many of the initial Clearlake buys depart, with many of them moving to Saudi Arabia.
The upheaval is best demonstrated when you look at the April 2022 game between these sides. Brentford’s 4-1 win at Stamford Bridge came against a side featuring just two players who remain in the Chelsea squad today. An extraordinary amount of change in a short space of time.
The new batch aren’t faring much better, with the Blues sitting in 10th place in the table. Pochettino had been expected to turn the ship around, given how brilliant his work was at Spurs. But so far the Argentine has struggled to pin down his best team. An understandable issue considering the amount of flux in personnel.
After a wretched start, it does finally look like some cohesion is taking hold at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are unbeaten in four games. They have beaten Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and Burnley during that time. You could argue that is doing the bare minimum in the case of the latter two sides, but it is encouraging when for too long they have struggled to do even that. A 2-2 draw with title-chasing Arsenal is also a solid result at this point in their journey.
A loss to west London rivals Brentford could derail Chelsea’s momentum. Pochettino and his band of merry signings finally appear to be putting it all together. They would perhaps have preferred to play Brentford before they beat Burnley 3-0 last weekend. There is also the element of the wounded animal about Brentford. The Bees know they have to start performing soon lest they be pulled into the relegation maelstrom they usually ably avoid.
Chelsea will have bigger games this season. Given the early stage we’re at in the season, Brentford will too. But this west London derby has a little more sauce on it than we’re used to. It’s rare to find a must-win game this early in the campaign. With the local rivalry attached too, this one could be special.
