When the Blues beat the Bees 2-0 at Griffin Park on15 March 1947, courtesy of goals by Alex Machin and Johnny Paton, it would have been hard to imagine it would be nearly three-quarters of a century before we next played against our west London neighbours in a league match

Brentford were an emerging force in the First Division in the late 1930s, finishing in the top-six for three years in a row. However, they struggled when football resumed after the Second World War and were relegated in 1946/47.

It was the start of a lengthy decline for the Bees who had slipped down to the Fourth Division when we next suffered relegation in 1962. They spent all but one season from 1954 to 2014 in the league’s lowest two tiers, missing out on possible derbies against the Blues when we played in the second tier in the 1970 and 1980s.

However, they finally returned to the top flight after winning the Championship play-off final last season and will now take on Chelsea in a league match after a gap of 74 years, seven months and one day.

Mind the gap

Although the 27,244-day gap between league derbies against Brentford is lengthy, it falls just short of our longest stretch between league matches against another team.

The current record belongs to Reading, who didn’t meet the Blues for a period of 76 years, seven months and 13 days (or 27,986 days) after our 3-1 loss at Elm Park on 1 March 1930.

We were promoted from Division Two that season but the Royals didn’t join us in the top flight until October 2006 when we met in feisty and eventful match at the Madejski Stadium in which two of our goalkeepers taken to hospital and a player from each team was sent off as we won 1-0.

The third-longest stretch between league matches for the Blues is the 58 years, seven months and 14 days which separated our 3-2 victory over Bradford City at Stamford Bridge in April 1930 and the 2-2 draw at Valley Parade in November 1988.

Top-flight clashes

Both of those games against Bradford were in Division Two but the Bantams top another list for Chelsea’s longest gap between top-flight matches against other teams.

Just over 78 years or 28,491 days passed between our 1-0 win over Bradford at Valley Parade in Division One in November 1921 and our Premier League victory by the same score at Stamford Bridge in November 1999.

Third on the list is Oldham Athletic who went over 69 years between top-flight matches against Chelsea from 1922 to 1991.

Future record gaps?

Of the teams currently playing in the EFL, only two have not played against Chelsea for a period longer than the 76 years which separated our league matches against Reading.

League One side Lincoln City haven’t met us for 110 years since we drew 0-0 at Sincil Bank in 1911 while we last played against League Two outfit Port Vale 92 years ago in April 1929.

Delving slightly deeper into the National League, Chesterfield last faced the Blues 114 years ago in April 1907 while Stockport County, the first team we ever faced in a league game in 1905, have not faced us for 95 years since March 1926.