Chelsea visits Brentord FC in a London derby featuring two desperate and disappointing teams. The Blues can’t afford to finish on the second page of the standings this season. As for the Bees, they are starting to hover dangerously close to the drop zone. While it is not likely Brentford ends up relegated, for them to even be in the conversation is a huge letdown.
Chelsea FC at Brentford FC FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Mar. 2, 3pm, GTech Community Stadium, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Full Fitness/Injury Report Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Position, Form: Chelsea 11th, 35 pts, DWLLW Brentford 16th, 25 pts, LLLWL
Result Probability: Chelsea 44% Draw 25% Brentford 31%
Of course, Chelsea have fallen well short of expectations this term too. Given all the injuries they’re still dealing with, it seems like the starting lineup kind of picks itself right now. This aspect of the job is easy for manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction at Brentford
Djorde Petrovic; Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling; Nicolas Jackson
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.