Saturday is a proper derby day for west London as Chelsea entertain Brentford and Fulham travel to QPR in the Championship. The Bees’ visit is the first of 10 remaining Premier League fixtures for the European and world champions, six of them at Stamford Bridge, where Thomas Tuchel’s side have found the net in all but one match.

To the immense credit of players and coaching staff, uncertainty surrounding the club’s ownership has contrasted with the authority shown on the pitch, and the Blues have won five league games on the spin (six across all competitions).

Excluding a penalty shoot-out, our last loss came more than two months ago, but the next 15 days will confirm whether a season of fulfilment and potential can become a true standout in the record books.

An improvement of nine points year-on-year (and 14 more than the same stage in 2019/20) has Thomas Tuchel’s side standing third in the table. The gold-badged Blues also have a game in hand on leaders Manchester City and second-placed Liverpool, whose paths cross at the Etihad next weekend.

In contrast, Thomas Frank’s Brentford team arrive on a run of five defeats in eight. They are steadier performers on home soil, earning 57 per cent of their points there, while scoring marginally more goals on the road. They have come out second best in seven of their nine encounters with teams in the current top six, losing all four on rival grounds.

Chelsea team news

The Blues have won all four league games up to now against clubs promoted last summer, with an aggregate of 13 goals to two. The last time we won five of the six such matches (drawing the other) was the title-winning 2016/17 campaign.

A goal from Ben Chilwell, currently unavailable, made the difference when the two sides met in the reverse fixture back in October. The expected goals against figure for that game (1.6) was the fourth highest against Chelsea behind the defeats by Man City (1.7) and West Ham (1.8) and the 10-man draw at Anfield (2.6).

The Blues were in good shape before the last international break of the season which has just finished: undefeated in the past 10 home games, the third-most potent in front of goal with the best strike-rate in the division (57 goals from 397 attempts, or 14.4 per cent), and the second-tightest defence.

Thomas Tuchel’s team have trailed in Premier League home games for less time than any rival. We have been behind for just 4.8 per cent of match durations at the Bridge, compared to Liverpool’s 5.9 per cent at Anfield and Man City, perhaps surprisingly, on 9.6 per cent at the Etihad.

Thankfully, Chelsea’s casualty ward is also emptying with Reece James, Andreas Christensen and Callum Hudson-Odoi back in training. Among the jet set returning from internationals, though, are Thiago Silva and Christian Pulisic, involved in midweek games the other side of the planet and therefore unlikely to start on Saturday.

The Brazil centre-back missed the reverse fixture against Brentford for the same reason, along with injured Toni Rudiger, so Malang Sarr was handed his first top-flight start.

Even though Real Madrid lie in wait in a few days’ time, the coaching staff may feel the need to field an experienced backline this time.

Tuchel was concerned by a somewhat panicky last 20 minutes that allowed Brentford to pile on the pressure in the away game, though he hailed the way Trevoh Chalobah dealt with danger-man Ivan Toney. He may choose to match Brentford’s three-man central midfield on Saturday, with the option also of changing to 4-3-3 now that James is fit again.

Frank assessment

After sticking with a back three through thick and thin, Brentford head coach Thomas Frank switched to a 4-5-1 system in February, moving wing-back Rico Henry to left-back and shifting Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa wider, leaving Ivan Toney largely as a lone striker.

A third of the Bees’ league goals have come in the last quarter-hour of matches, and they laid siege to the Blues over the last 20 minutes at the Brentford Community Stadium. They managed five shots on target (in only five games in all competitions have they recorded more – all six). Yet thanks to the goal frame (twice) and the brilliance of Edou Mendy the Blues secured the 1-0 victory.

The Bees were buzzing back then, but have slipped down to 15th and have conceded one or more goals on each of their past dozen away-days in the top flight, the worst current run in the top flight.

Chelsea could do worse than fire in a few pot-shots on Saturday. Brentford have conceded more league goals from outside the box (10) than any rival, while no team has netted more from that range than Chelsea with eight.

The visitors welcome Josh Dasilva back after suspension and Christian Eriksen should continue his remarkable return from cardiac arrest, but Saman Ghoddos recently tested positive for Covid-19 and Julian Jeanvier is edging back to fitness.

The race for Champions League places

Chelsea’s remaining Premier League opponents have averaged 1.33 points per game, just ahead of Man City’s (1.31) and those of Tottenham (1.23). By the same metric Man United, Arsenal (both 1.42) and Liverpool (1.43) face the most testing run-in.

With finishing fourth earning direct qualification for the group stage, the Blues technically need 20 points from the last 30 available to stay clear of current fifth and sixth teams Tottenham and Man United, though both have a vastly inferior goal difference.

Way out west

This is the first of Chelsea’s three remaining all-London affairs this season and so far the Blues are a long way in front of our neighbours, averaging 2.67 points per game. Thiago Silva is our top scorer in cross-capital league clashes with three.

Thomas Tuchel will be hoping for no accidents in this occidental derby: the Blues’ last defeat to one of our west London neighbours came at home to QPR in January 2013.

We have history

Chelsea are unbeaten against Brentford in the past eight clashes across all competitions since February 1939 (seven wins, one draw). Willie Birrell was the Pensioners’ boss for the Bees’ last league visit almost 76 years ago in November 1946.

Our neighbours had no answer to the twin Tommy terror of Lawton and Walker, but hit back twice through Dai Hopkins. Lawton opened the scoring and superbly set up winger Jimmy Bain for the third either side of Walker’s brilliant defence-splitting solo effort. The 3-2 victory left Chelsea in mid-table.

This is the third meeting between the two clubs this season, the Blues having won twice away: 1-0 in the Premier League (our seventh win in eight at a new stadium, courtesy Ben Chilwell) and 2-0 on the way to the Carabao Cup final, featuring an own goal by Pontus Jansson and penalty from Jorginho.

Premier League fixtures

SaturdayLiverpool v Watford 12.30pm (BT Sport)Brighton v Norwich 3pmBurnley v Man City 3pmChelsea v Brentford 3pmLeeds v Southampton 3pmWolves v Aston Villa 3pmMan Utd v Leicester 5.30pm (Sky Sports)

SundayWest Ham v Everton 2pm (Sky Sports)Tottenham v Newcastle 4.30pm (Sky Sports)

MondayCrystal Palace v Arsenal 8pm (Sky Sports)