Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Chelsea may be brushing past all before them in the Premier League but this Afternoon the focus shifts to domestic cup competitions and a local derby of sorts as Brentford make the relatively short journey across West London to Stamford Bridge.
Last Sunday saw Chelsea edge past struggling side Hull to reassert their dominance at the top of the table. In a game that saw Diego Costa recalled to the line up after the row the week before, then who else was on hand to open the scoring and put Chelsea on the way to the victory.
Antonio Conte’s men go into this game with an 8 point gap over the nearest rivals Arsenal but league points count for nothing later Today as Dean Smith’s Brentford will be hoping to claim a Premier League scalp and advance to the 5th Round Draw on Monday.
Brentford’s star striker Scott Hogan is already in the shop window after being reportedly tracked by the likes of West Ham and Watford but a goal or two today could increase his value which is already believed to be in the region of £15m.
To Chelsea £15m is just a drop in the ocean but they can ill afford to take Brentford too lightly. Like most Premier League outfits there is the balancing act as to how many changes are made in this competition and Antonio Conte will be no different to the managerial rivals that are trying to close the gap at the top.
So expect a similar lineup to the one that was put out against Peterborough in the 3rd Round, ultimately that means that with the F.A. Cup being the sole preserve for Michy Batshuayi this season then Belgian will be trusted with leading the line this Afternoon.
Expect Brentford to pose more of a test than what Peterborough did in Round 3 but ultimately I think the outcome will be the same and that is another win for Chelsea. I think both teams will score but it will be the league leaders in the hat for Monday’s draw. A home win for me.
