On January 17th, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. (UTC), the Premier League weekend will feature two exciting matches. Chelsea will be playing against Brentford at Stamford Bridge (London), while Liverpool will be taking on Burnley at Anfield (Liverpool).

Chelsea vs Brentford: A West London Derby with Premier

Historically speaking, West London derbies have always been difficult to predict. While Chelsea's reputation as the premier side in West London is well-earned, they currently sit in eighth place with 31 points, and Brentford is also in contention for a place in the top six of the Premier League with a point total of 33 (continent also upon winning this match). The implications of this derby are of more importance than just mere bragging rights. It is a critical match for both Chelsea and Brentford to build momentum as they continue to fight for spots in European competition.

Chelsea is holding a slight edge, but they face a resilient Brentford side. This match-up offers tactical battles, high midfield intensity, and individual brilliance that reflects the development of Brentford from a hard-working underdog to a fully-fledged Premier League challenger.

Chelsea: Searching for Stability

The season 2025/26 for Chelsea is a campaign of inconsistency, with their Blues garnering just two wins, five draws, and three losses from their last ten league games. Chelsea have averaged 1.3 goals a game (goals scored and goals conceded) throughout the league. Despite dominating possession (an average of 55.4% of the ball), the Blues have struggled to turn that possession into clinical finishes. Chelsea have consistently been guilty of defensive errors in the form of conceding goals in 8 successive matches across all competitions.

The above recent results show the above problems for Chelsea:

• Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal (EFL Cup)
• Fulham 2-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
• Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City (Premier League)

The attacking optimism generated from Alejandro Garnacho's comeback with a brace against Arsenal was bolstered further with the return of Cole Palmer from illness; both players are now adding to the creativity in the final third.

Life Under Liam Rosenior Is Indeed a New Beginning

Liam Rosenior has brought about a different tactical identity to Chelsea as manager. The introduction of an emphasis on below-structured build-up play, purposeful possession, and the importance of being accountable has helped change the team's culture.

Whether defensive transitions will prove a continued learning process for Chelsea and their new manager remains to be seen, but Liam will look toward building the players instead of panicking, as evidenced by his steady hand in high-pressure matches and his belief in the players' ability to develop, particularly in recent games against teams like Brentford.

Brentford Rising: A Journey from Underdog to Contender?

Chelsea may be in search of their rhythm, but Brentford is on a roll during this time. The Bees have won five out of their last six league matches and scored 15 goals while giving up just three. The equilibrium of their last game is quite clear; they can maintain the ball and create solid defenses simultaneously and at the same time keep themselves ready to take advantage of the opposing teams' mistakes.

Results include:

• Brentford defeated Sunderland 3-0 in the Premier League.
• Everton lost to Brentford 4-2 in the Premier League.
• Sheffield Wednesday lost to Brentford 2-0 in the FA Cup.

With an improved record and continued confidence gained from making two consecutive unbeaten trips, Brentford will travel to Stamford Bridge to test Chelsea's strength via a counter-attacking style of play and set-piece proficiency.

Tactical Clash: Control or Efficiency?

Chelsea Tactical Plan: Chelsea will most likely operate with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo will play a controlling role in midfield. The services of wide players such as Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho, along with Cole Palmer's creativity between the lines, are imperative for unlocking Brentford's compact defense. Chelsea's main focus on targeting & defense, however, may lead to failure on defensive transition.

Brentford Tactical Plan: Brentford are set up as 5-3-2 with the aim being to sit deep and create quick transitions. Forwards Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade lead the offensive charge as Brentford excels in creating opportunities through high defensive lines. Brentford's proficiency in set pieces provides another opportunity for success when games are so closely matched and won or lost by the finest margins.

Players to Look Out for Both Teams

1. Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea): His speed, dribbling, and directness could create problems for Brentford's defensive line.
2. Cole Palmer (Chelsea): He is instrumental to unlocking tight defensive units through vision and the ability to pass from deep into the attack.
3. Igor Thiago (Brentford): After scoring in eight of his last ten matches, Thiago has a keen ability to score during quick transitions and with plenty of space behind the defense.

Head-to-Head Meeting History

Even though Chelsea is a legendary club, their clashes have had more parity than anticipated:

• Of the last 10 meetings, there were 3 wins for Chelsea and 3 for Brentford, and 4 matches ended in draws.
• In the most recent meeting (last game played against each other), Brentford earned a point in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
• Chelsea remains unbeaten in its last 4 meetings against Brentford.

Interestingly, neither club has scored three or more goals in any of the last 10 games, so this rivalry is a reflection of how competitive and tactical they are.

Predicted Starting Elevens for Chelsea and Brentford

1. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, and Handsley. 
2. Brentford (5-3-2): Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, Collins, van den Berg, Henry, Janelt, Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Thiago, and Schade.

Prediction: Chelsea will win this contest 2-1. 

Chelsea should be able to use their home-field advantage along with individual brilliance at the right time to claim victory. Meanwhile, Burnley's best chance for success will come via counterattacking opportunities.

Liverpool vs Burnley: Upcoming Match at Anfield

Liverpool comes into this match riding high based on its excellent home record: six wins out of ten Premier League home matches. Burnley, on the other hand, have struggled on the road, losing 50% of their last six league games. A historical perspective is also in favor of Liverpool, with Liverpool having won all six previous matchups with Burnley while only allowing one goal during those contests.

The betting model suggests it will be a low-scoring affair, with under 2.5 total goals being the winning bet over the last six head-to-head matches.

Liverpool's Form Under New Coach Arne Slot

Liverpool has had steady results in the Premier League, although they haven't been very impressive as of late. Their match against Arsenal ended in a 0-0 tie, where Liverpool had good possession but was unable to convert that territory and ball control into scoring opportunities. However, they had a comfortable 4-1 victory over Barnsley in their FA Cup matchup that shows off both their strength in numbers offensively and their ability to score goals.

Some of the more relevant statistics from their last 10 league games are,

• 4 Wins, 5 Draws, 1 Loss
• 1.4 Goals per Game, 3.8 Shots on Target per Match
• 61.3% Possession, 579.1 Passes per Match, and 5.1 Corners per Match.

Hugo Ekitike (5 goals), Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak (2 goals each), Joseph Gomez (2 assists), and Alisson Becker (4 clean sheets) are among the top contributors.

In contrast, Slot’s 4-2-3-1 formation allows for both control of the ball and an organized press on the ball, which is most effective against teams such as Burnley that do not possess enough attacking prowess to take control of a game at Anfield.

Burnley Struggles with Sporadic Brilliance

Burnley’s inconsistent performance is characterized by moments of brilliance and moments of poor play. Their resilience when they drew against Manchester United (2-2) is a good example of this. Their FA Cup match against Millwall demonstrates their attacking potential with a score of 5-1.

Despite the above, Burnley’s recent form in the league has been poor:

• 5 losses, 3 draws over the last ten games
• 0.8 goals scored per game; 1.9 goals conceded
• 44.5% possession on average, 401.2 passes, 4.8 corners each game

Some key players for Burnley this season include Zian Flemming (2 goals), Jaidon Anthony, Armando Broja, and Marcus Edwards. The defensive side of the team is a major issue for Burnley, meaning they are likely to be considered underdogs when playing against Liverpool.

Analyze Liverpool’s Tactics vs Burnley’s Counterattack

Liverpool's approach to possession will focus on having Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister dominating play in midfield and allowing for plenty of creativity and width in the attack from Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Frimpong, and Gakpo. Liverpool's intention is to take control of the game while allowing Hugo Ekitike to exploit any space made available for him to run into.

Defensively, van Dijk leads a high defensive line designed to press opponents, as this will place a lot of pressure on Burnley's transition and limit their opportunities to counterattack.

Burnley tactics with the Scott Parker system use a 3-4-3 formation. The focus will be on defending with compactness, having a superior number of players in midfield to maintain possession, and using quick attacks using counterattack opportunities created by Edwards and Broja. Setting pieces will also provide a chance to score, but replicating their FA Cup victory against a very organized defensive line from Liverpool would be difficult.

Players to Keep an Eye On

1. Florian Wirtz (Liverpool): Important in setting up attacking plays and creating scoring opportunities. He is key to unlocking Burnley's deep defending.
2. Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool): Great at winning balls aerially and at positioning his body to be the focal point of Liverpool’s attack.
3. Armando Broja (Burnley): The most likely player to take advantage of defensive gaps created by stretching the back four of Liverpool.

Head-to-Head: The Dominance of the Reds

• Liverpool has won 6 straight matches against Burnley.
• Liverpool played 6 matches and kept 5 clean sheets.
• Liverpool: In head-to-head matches, they kept an average of 2.17 goals.

Based on past evidence and tactics, it is very likely Liverpool will win again mostly, especially in Anfield, where Burnley has struggled to compete in recent years.

Predicted Lineups

1. Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson Becker, Frimpong, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, and Gakpo; Ekitike.
2. Burnley (3-4-3): Dubravka, Laurent, Esteve, Humphreys, Walker, Ugochukwu, Florentino, Pires, Edwards, Broja, Anthony.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Burnley, expect Liverpool to be disciplined and to keep a clean sheet with less than 2.5 goals scored; this is consistent with the trend seen in prior meetings.

The Weekend Takeaways: As Told by the Fans

The Premier League weekend provided two distinctly different story lines.

1. Chelsea v Brentford: An evenly matched West London derby, where the outcome could be determined by small tactical advantages, individual brilliance, and chance. Chelsea is seen as slight favorites at Stamford Bridge; however, Brentford's ability to counterattack efficiently makes them potential threats. Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Brentford, goals at both ends expected.
2. Liverpool v Burnley: Historical precedence, the advantage of playing at home, and the Reds' tactical pressing patterns of play, and attacking depth will lead the way for Liverpool in this fixture against a Burnley side that will struggle to create quality scoring opportunities.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Burnley; under 2.5 goals; clean sheet

Both fixtures reinforce the rapid evolution of the tactics within the Premier League—how the concentration of possession, speed of transition, and psychological momentum combine to create winning outcomes.