Thomas Frank has a very good record at Stamford Bridge (Image: Getty Images)
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has piled the pressure on Chelsea ahead of their Sunday clash, stating the Blues "need to beat" his team as they scramble for a Champions League spot. The Bees' boss highlighted Chelsea's urgency after Enzo Maresca's side edged past Tottenham 1-0, leapfrogging Newcastle and Manchester City in the top-four race. Despite Brentford's lack of home wins against their west London rivals in the Premier League, Frank reminded everyone of their formidable record at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have lost three out of the four encounters.
With only five wins from their last 14 matches since December 14, Chelsea are aware of the threat posed by Brentford, who haven't celebrated a home victory since triumphing over Newcastle. Frank acknowledged Chelsea's quality, noting their recovery from a mid-season dip and the return of key players, but didn't shy away from highlighting the immense pressure on them to secure a vital win for their European ambitions.
"We are facing a very strong Chelsea team that after a strong start to the season had a little bit of a dip for whatever reason, also had a few injuries," he said. "I watched them (against Tottenham), they looked strong, they looked good. All of their key players more or less are available so it's a fully-firing Chelsea team we are facing.
"They need the Champions League spot. I think it's fair to say that they are under pressure. I'm not trying to play any games here but they need the Champions League spot and they need to win against us."
Chelsea's recent form may have seen a slight downturn, but they've still managed to secure three wins in their last four league matches and five out of six across all competitions. This dip in performance has coincided with injuries to key players and facing teams that adopt a more defensive approach, aiming to stifle Maresca's squad.
In their latest triumph on Thursday, Chelsea welcomed back Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke, while Spurs' open style of play allowed Chelsea more room to express themselves, resulting in a far more fluid and free-flowing performance.
Brentford manager Frank now faces a strategic conundrum: should he encourage his team to play an attacking game against Chelsea to increase their impressive goal tally of 51, or should they focus on frustrating their opponents?
Enzo Maresca is under pressure to get Chelsea into the top four (Image: Getty Images)
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"We're playing at home, massive belief we can beat Chelsea, but they are favourites on Sunday," Frank acknowledged. He also revealed that they have pinpointed specific areas for potential goals, saying: "We highlight two or three areas where we think 'OK, this is where and how we can score'."
Frank also humorously mentioned a personal victory in the battle for control over the TV remote at home, which allowed him to get ahead with his match preparations. "You'll need to speak to my wife about what we are watching on the telly," he joked.
"That's a little bit of a challenge. I had a good argument this time (for watching Chelsea play Spurs) because we are facing Chelsea on Sunday. I won that argument."
