Brentford hosts Chelsea in west London derby as unbeaten streak rolls on

Brentford welcome Chelsea to the Gtech Community Stadium on September 18 for a west London derby that carries genuine table implications. The Bees are unbeaten after six matches this season, and the winner could climb as high as third in the Premier League standings. Danny Welbeck, who swapped Brighton for Chelsea on August 1 for an undisclosed fee, starts up front. The veteran striker is chasing something unusual: a goal in four consecutive Premier League games against the same opponent, Brentford. The form guide tells two very different stories Brentford’s season so far reads like a chess player who keeps forcing stalemates. One win and three draws from their opening four league matches have them sitting seventh on six points. The standout result was a 3-0 demolition of Tottenham, but subsequent fixtures have seen the Bees settle into a pattern of stubborn, organized draws. Chelsea, by contrast, have been playing like someone left the scoring slider on maximum. Their first four league matches produced a league-high 19 goals. That’s nearly five goals per game involving Enzo Maresca’s side. Welbeck’s quiet renaissance at Stamford Bridge At 35, Danny Welbeck was supposed to be windi...