"Eriksen puts the ball where the player wants it" - Mark Lawrenson predicts result of Chelsea vs Brentford Premier League clash
BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson has given his predictions for Chelsea's Premier League encounter with Brentford on Saturday.
The Blues will return to action at Stamford Bridge after the international break and will be looking to continue their six-game winning run in all competitions.
Following a dip in form at the turn of the year, Thomas Tuchel's side seem to have hit the throttle once again, boosting their top-four hopes.
The Premier League title, however, seems out of reach now as Manchester City are 11 points clear of them, with just nine more fixtures remaining in the campaign. The west London side are currently placed third in the league table with 59 points.
Chris Kavanagh will referee Chelsea vs Brentford with the VAR being David Coote. #cfc
Chelsea are touted to continue their prolific run against the Bees, who are stuck in the lower reaches of the league.
Thomas Frank's side started their debut Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Arsenal but have struggled to capitalize on the momentum.
Speaking of the league debutants, Lawrenson wrote:
"Brentford lost at Leicester before the international break but the two wins they got before that mean they have some breathing space above the bottom three."
With Ivan Toney in good form, Brentford sought to bolster their squad even further with the signing of Christian Eriksen in January. However, the Danish midfielder has only made three league appearances for the club this season, assisting once.
Lawrenson added:
"I'm not surprised Ivan Toney has started scoring again now Christian Eriksen is in the Bees team, because he must be a joy for any striker to play with. It sounds simple but Eriksen puts the ball where the player wants it and the chances he creates means they will win plenty more games too.
"Not this one, though. Chelsea have hit a decent bit of form despite everything that is happening at the club off the field and their forwards have started scoring again too."
Lawrenson then went on to predict a 2-0 victory for Chelsea, who've already beaten Brentford twice this season.
The Blues won 1-0 away from home in the reverse league fixture last October before securing a 2-0 victory in the Carabao Cup in December.
Chelsea have tough fixtures in April
Due to their defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, Chelsea are now forced to look elsewhere for silverware. Now that the league is also seemingly beyond their reach, the FA Cup is their only realistic route to a trophy this season.
The Blues will face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals of the competition on April 17.
Chelsea's fixtures for April ⚽️💙 https://t.co/uZ6piUTPt9
Before that game, Thomas Tuchel's men are scheduled to play Brentford and Southampton away from home in the league.
They also have a crucial two-legged UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid. The first leg of the fixture will be played on April 6, while the second leg will take place on April 12.