"This is not an easy one" - Chris Sutton makes interesting prediction for Brentford vs Chelsea
Football pundit Chris Sutton has predicted a draw between Brentford and Chelsea in their upcoming Premier League match on Saturday, March 2. He believes the Bees will make things hard for the Blues and has gone with a 1-1 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium.
In his weekly prediction column on BBC, Sutton was joined by Sam McTrusty and Ross McNae from the rock band Twin Atlantic. The pundit went with a draw, with Sam also picking a similar result, but Ross has backed Chelsea to come out victorious at Brentford.
Sutton wrote:
"This is not an easy one to start off with. After such a disappointing defeat in the Carabao Cup final last weekend, Chełsea made heavy weather of Championship side Leeds in the FA Cup on Wednesday. Brentford, meanwhile, have just not got going.
"They have lost five of their past six league games, but their poor run of results goes back a lot longer than that - and they have not been anywhere near as strong at home compared to previous seasons. So, what do I go with here?"
He added:
"Brentford require the points more urgently, because they are only a couple of places above the relegation zone and must be short of confidence, but Chełsea boss Mauricio Pochettino needs a strong end to the season to secure his future at the club.
"I don't think he would have been sacked if they had lost to Leeds, but it is important Chelsea have something to play for over the coming weeks even if the sustained improvement we've been waiting for from them all season does not arrive. Basically, I can't see past a draw, because I can't trust either team to play well enough to win."
All three have predicted that neither team will be able to keep a clean sheet in the match. They believe that both sides are not playing well and that could lead to goals.
Brentford take on Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday
Brentford managed a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this season and are looking to complete their second-ever league double over the Blues. The only season they managed a league double over Chelsea was back in the 1938/39 season.
Moreover, the Bees have managed to win three of their last five matches against the Blues and lost just once. They have also managed to keep a clean sheet against their London rivals in each of the last three meetings.
Chelsea have won four of their last London derbies and will be looking to keep the run going. They last won five in-a-row against their London rivals back in 2021.