Chelsea come off second best to impressive Brentford at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea fell to a third home defeat of the season as Brentford maintained their 100% winning record at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League with a deserved 2-0 victory.
Having moved to the Brentford Community Stadium, a new era is underway, and so it is worth looking back at the history of the club nicknamed "The Bees".
In 2013, Brentford partnered with Icelandic 1. deild karla club UMF Selfoss, which enabled the London club to send their youth players to Iceland to gain experience. Brentford also utilise Selfoss' scouting network.
Brentford finished the 2016/17 season in 10th place, then ninth in the following campaign. It was at this point that Neal Maupay began to establish himself as a lethal goalscorer for the Bees.
In the 2018/19 campaign, Brentford finished 11th in the Championship, but Maupay shone with 25 goals. By this time, Thomas Frank had taken over as the manager of the first team, having been promoted following the departure of Dean Smith.
The 2019/20 season saw Brentford reap the rewards of their new youth system with Ollie Watkins scoring 25 goals for the Bees as they once again made the play-offs. However, they lost to West London rivals Fulham in the play-off final.
Tipped to return to the Championship straight away, Brentford surprised many by finishing in 13th place with 46 points, winning 13 matches and drawing seven in the 2021/22 season.
The Bees avoided being drawn into a relegation scrap and even reached as high as seventh in early October after a 2-1 away win over Champions League chasing West Ham.
An opening day win over Arsenal and 4-1 away thumping of Chelsea in April the match highlights of the campaign. Brentford striker Ivan Toney ended the season with 12 Premier League goals.
Brentford moved into a new stadium as their long-term home, Griffin Park, gave way to the Brentford Community Stadium in 2020. The stadium is also home to rugby union side London Irish.
Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, Brentford's fellow West London clubs, are widely regarded as the Bees' main rivals. Chelsea are also in close proximity to the Bees and they have met in the FA Cup in recent years.
Brentford's owner is childhood fan Matthew Benham, a sports gambler who has earned respect for his thrifty management of the club. He also introduced the 'Moneyball' method of management, which sees statistical analysis and recruitment based on factors including expected goals.
Chelsea fell to a third home defeat of the season as Brentford maintained their 100% winning record at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League with a deserved 2-0 victory.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank believes Chelsea will be competing against the best teams in the Premier League within two years under Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea appear to rediscovered some form as they head into the weekend with a four-match unbeaten run. Planet Sport Bet ambassador Robbie Savage excepts their solid form to continue against Brentford.
Planet Sport Bet ambassador Robbie Savage returns to give his tips and opinions ahead of a big weekend in the Premier League.
Planet Sport Bet ambassador Robbie Savage is backing Brentford to shake off their stuttering start to the campaign as Burnley make the trip to the capital.
The international break is finally over! To celebrate, Planet Sport Bet ambassador Robbie Savage looks ahead to the return of the Premier League, picking a tip for all 10 matches.
Manchester United pulled off a sensational last-minute comeback thanks to substitute Scott McTominay's two goals in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory over Brentford.