There is pressure on Chelsea to pick up exactly where they left off against Tottenham as they prepare for the short trip across West London to take on Brentford.
The Blues brought the feel-good factor back to Stamford Bridge with Enzo Fernandez’s goal on Thursday that saw them return to the top four in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 30 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 70 | 27 | 43 | 73 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 31 | 17 | 11 | 3 | 56 | 26 | 30 | 62 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 31 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 51 | 37 | 14 | 57 |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 54 | 37 | 17 | 52 |
| 5 |  Man CityManchester City | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 57 | 40 | 17 | 51 |
| 6 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 31 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 51 |
| 7 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 29 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 49 | 39 | 10 | 50 |
After Nottingham Forest were defeated by Aston Villa, Chelsea have third in their sights, however face a number of tough tests before they can announce that they have returned to compete amongst Europe’s elite again.
The Blues have been handed a number of fitness woes to deal with after being able to welcome the likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson back to their side for the Spurs win.
Wesley Fofana has suffered a setback, while Enzo Maresca has already confirmed that Romeo Lavia will not be fit to feature against Brentford.
Chelsea can break 78-year drought with win over Brentford
We are predicting that Reece James will return to the starting side, with Noni Madueke pushing for a start after making his comeback appearance off the bench against Spurs.
The manager would be delighted if Chelsea can replicate the result from when they took on the same opposition earlier this season, where they picked up a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Marc Cucurella and Jackson.
Winning both games against Brentford in a season is something the Blues haven’t done since the Bees made their return to the top flight.
In fact, according to BBC Sport, Chelsea haven’t won both games against them in a single season since 1946/47, 78 years ago.
Chelsea’s strong record against Brentford
Chelsea should feel confident in the fact that they have a very strong record against their close London rivals, particularly away from home.
The Blues are unbeaten on trips to Brentford since World War Two. Their last defeat away against them came in 1938.
A win is imperative for Maresca’s side in order to hold off the threat of the sides behind them, with Newcastle United still having the chance to go ahead of them should they win all of their games in hand.
Manchester City can also keep the pace with the Blues if they are victorious against local rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
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