Xabi Alonso makes five changes to his Chelsea starting XI, handing full Premier League debuts to four players in Friday's west London derby.
Xabi Alonso has reshuffled his Chelsea side for their Premier League trip to Brentford, making five changes to the starting lineup and handing full top-flight debuts to four players.chelseafc+1
Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck, Valentin Barco and Pep Chavarria all started against the club Henderson faced last season, while Maxence Lacroix also came into the defence as Chelsea looked to bounce back from last weekend's 2–2 draw with Hull City.chelseafc+1
Reece James and Joao Pedro were unavailable for selection, with Malo Gusto, Jorrel Hato and Romeo Lavia dropping to the bench. Teenager Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli was named among the substitutes for the first time in a competitive match.chelseafc
Emiliano Martinez started in goal behind a back line of Wesley Fofana, Lacroix and captain Levi Colwill, with Pedro Neto, Henderson, Barco and Chavarria in midfield. Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers supported lone striker Welbeck in attack.chelseafc+1
Brentford, managed by Thomas Frank, named Caoimhin Kelleher in goal with Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Ajer, Jannik Schuster and Keane Lewis-Potter in defence. Vitaly Janelt, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Mikkel Damsgaard formed the midfield trio, while Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade led the line.chelseafc+1
The match, officiated by Andrew Madley, took place at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium as part of Matchday 5 of the Premier League season.chelseafc+1
Before kick-off, Sky Sports pundit Lewis Jones highlighted Chelsea's vulnerability to set-pieces, noting they have conceded the second-most goals from such situations among ever-present Premier League teams since the start of last season. He pointed to Brentford's threat from corners and long throws, suggesting the hosts could exploit what he described as a "soft underbelly" in Alonso's side.skysports
Chelsea's recent record in west London derbies shows 34 wins, 19 draws and 10 losses in 63 Premier League meetings against Brentford, with a goal difference of +40. Brentford, meanwhile, have five wins, six draws and seven losses in 18 top-flight encounters against their neighbours.chelseafc
The result of this fixture will influence Chelsea's early-season momentum after their draw with Hull, while Brentford will be looking to build on their recent form at home.brentfordfc+1
KEY FACTS:
●Four Chelsea players—Henderson, Welbeck, Barco and Chavarria—made their full Premier League debuts for the club.
●Xabi Alonso made five changes to the side that drew 2–2 with Hull City last weekend.
●Brentford's predicted threat from set-pieces was highlighted by analysts ahead of kick-off, with Chelsea conceding 0.5 goals per game from such situations since last season.
SOURCES:
●Chelsea FC – Confirmed Chelsea line up vs Brentford: https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/confirmed-chelsea-line-up-vs-brentford-180926
●Sky Sports – Premier League predictions & Jones Knows' best bets: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/13588821/premier-league-predictions-and-jones-knows-best-bets-brentford-to-expose-soft-chelsea-underbelly
●Last Word on Sports – Chelsea vs Brentford Confirmed Lineups: https://lastwordonsports.com/football/2026/09/18/chelsea-vs-brentford-confirmed-lineups-sept/
●Chelsea FC – Brentford vs Chelsea: All you need to know: https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/brentford-vs-chelsea-all-you-need-to-know-26-27
0 Comments