Three Chelsea players who could make a difference in their clash with Brentford

Chelsea discovered some crucial form prior to the recent international break. The Blues put a run of three games without a win behind them, with a 1-0 victory over Brighton in the EFL Cup and back-to-back Premier League successes against Fulham (2-0) and Burnley (4-1), respectively.

However, the stoppage of domestic football arguably came at the wrong time for Mauricio Pochettino. The momentum Chelsea gained from those three wins looked to be still intact from the fortnight break, as the Blues raced into a 2-0 lead over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

But an error from Robert Sanchez allowed Declan Rice to score and Leandro Trossard bagged a late equaliser to secure an important point for the Gunners.

The next challenge for Pochettino’s side is West London rivals Brentford at home on Saturday afternoon. The Bees have won on their last two trips to the Bridge, winning 2-0 when they last came here in April and 4-1 the season before, but the Blues are the heavy favourites to win this tie if you’re looking for Chelsea v Brentford bet.

That said, let’s take a look at three players who could be pivotal in the Blues picking up an important three points against the Bees.

Mykhailo Mudryk

Mykhailo Mudryk scored his first competitive goal in a blue jersey when he opened the scoring against Fulham at the beginning of the month. This broke his lengthy duck and produced Chelsea’s first Premier League goal in over 270 minutes of action

He only made a brief cameo in the following game against Burnley, coming off the bench for just eight minutes. However, he got plenty of minutes on international duty with Ukraine and scored a fantastic goal in their 3-1 win over Malta.

He looks to be growing in confidence with every passing game, and his lucky goal against Arsenal will have Chelsea fans excited about the 22-year-old.

Cole Palmer

When Cole Palmer arrived late in the summer transfer window, Pochettino revealed that signing the Manchester City youth product was not his idea.

That raised eyebrows somewhat, and the 21-year-old took a bit of time to worm his way into the Argentine’s starting XI. However, he was a crucial cog in the Blues’ winning run prior to the international break.

Palmer provided the assist for Nicolas Jackson’s goal against Brighton in the League Cup, and he got a goal and an assist against Burnley.

His time away with the England U-21s was marred by a leg injury, but he’s back to full fitness and put in another good performance against Arsenal. He could prove a sting in the tail of the Bees.

Raheem Sterling

Despite a poor showing last season, and the consensus being that he was going to leave in the summer, most good things attacking-wise have come through Raheem Sterling this season.

The 28-year-old is Chelsea’s leading scorer in the Premier League, albeit with three goals. However, when he turns it on, he has been incredibly hard for opposition defences to contain.

If all three of these players start for the Blues and are up for the task, then Chelsea should be able to get the job done against Brentford.

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