Brentford, a persistent obstacle for Chelsea, visits Stamford Bridge with renewed form and a leading striker.
Although new manager Liam Rosenior has already taken charge of two Chelsea games, he has yet to oversee a Premier League game, such is the intensity of the current schedule.
This weekend, he will make his managerial debut in England's top flight when The Blues lock horns with fellow West London side Brentford at Stamford Bridge for a 15:00 GMT kick-off.
It's safe to say Brentford have been a bogey team since their promotion. In nine top-flight meetings between the two sides since 2021, Chelsea have won only twice, and once in the last eight attempts.
In this season's reverse fixture, back in mid-September, The Bees scored a 93rd-minute equaliser to make the game 2-2. Since then, they have improved a lot, too. So, what can we expect from our visitors this weekend?
Having lost manager Thomas Frank in the summer, as well as captain Christian Norgaard and forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa - who scored a combined 39 Premier League goals last season - many expected the worst for Brentford, with many tipping them for relegation.
Instead of making an external appointment, they decided to appoint their set-piece coach, Keith Andrews. This was met with lots of shock, with many making up their minds about Andrews before he had even taken charge of a game.
When Brentford lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest on the opening day, many saw it as a sign of things to come. Yet, fast forward to mid-January, and they find themselves in fifth place in the league, two points ahead of Chelsea coming into the game.
One of the biggest breakout seasons in the entire Premier League has been that of striker Igor Thiago. The Brazilian had signed in the summer of 2024, but spent nearly the entirety of his maiden season out injured, managing just 174 minutes in the league all season - not even two full games' worth of minutes.
This season, however, has been much different. The 24-year-old has put his injury issues behind him and has stepped up massively to replace the departing players. In 21 league appearances, Thiago has scored 16 goals, with just Erling Haaland having scored more goals this season.
In fact, he has scored six more goals than anyone not named Haaland, showing just how impressive his season has been. In the Bees' 3-0 win over Sunderland last time out in the league, his second goal of the game meant he now has the record for most goals in a Premier League season by a Brazilian player.
Nevertheless, he is not the only threat to Andrews' side. On the left wing, Kevin Schade's electric pace often proves a serious threat. The German international has scored six goals and provided three assists in the league this season.
At the other end of the pitch, right-back Michael Kayode has garnered a reputation for his giant throws this season, as well as being a threat in general play. He is averaging a chance created every game this season, which can only be bettered by one right-back in the Premier League this season.
Meanwhile, Caoimhin Kelleher has proved to be a shrewd signing in goal, having joined from Liverpool in the summer, in search of regular game time. He has saved three of the five penalties he has faced in the league so far this season.
In the middle of the park, many people raised eyebrows at the signing of Jordan Henderson last summer, with many suggesting he was finished at the top level. However, in a good way, he has epitomised Brentford as a whole this season, proving many people wrong with his assured performances in the middle. He assisted one of their goals against Chelsea back in September.
So, no doubt about it, this will be a tough game. Particularly as Chelsea have played twice since Brentford last did. The Bees also rested several players in their FA Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday, including Thiago, so there are a few reasons why the visitors could have the physical advantage in this one
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