Chelsea hasn’t clinched a win in this west London derby since Brentford first joined the Premier League, and honestly, what’s going on down there? It’s been a tough run, with their last victory being a 1-0 nail-biter back in October 2021 where Ben Chilwell snagged the only goal. Every single visit since then? Just a draw. Seriously. It feels like Brentford brings that rock-solid continuity every time, while Chelsea is stuck in a perpetual “latest reboot” cycle. This Friday, things are looking spicy, especially with Kevin Schade fresh off two killer goals against Bournemouth, and you know he’s eyeing a defense that isn’t exactly in sync with Xabi Alonso’s new setup.
Can Chelsea Finally Break the Derby Drought?
That 2016-17 Chelsea squad under Antonio Conte was the only team to ever win a Premier League title running a defensive trio, and now Alonso is trying to make something similar work, but their defense just isn’t there yet. His attack, however, has been far more successful, which puts a ton of pressure on young 20-year-old central defender Jannik Schuster. The kid replaced Nathan Collins and already got a brutal test from Bournemouth’s Evanilson in his first Premier League start. He emerged with credit, but now he’s got to face an attack like Alonso’s, and Schade’s got momentum. On the offensive side for Chelsea, João Pedro has put up three goals and three assists, which is solid production, but his fitness is a real question mark. If he can’t go, expect Danny Welbeck to step up for his first league start. This match on Friday at 8pm BST is going to be wild.
Desperation in the Air for Spurs and Villa
Meanwhile, the drama doesn’t stop. Tottenham and Aston Villa are locking horns on Saturday at 3pm BST in what’s being called a “desperation derby.” You know what that means: both teams are gonna leave it all on the pitch. And talk about tests: Andoni Iraola has a huge one waiting for him on his return to the south coast. The Premier League table is always shifting, and every point counts right now. This weekend is going to be absolutely massive across the board.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Guardian.
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