Enzo Maresca has called on Chelsea to accommodate the momentum that was built by Thursday's victory over Tottenham when they are confronted opposite Brentford on Sunday in another London Derby.
A second half header from Enzo Fernandez led Chelsea to a 1-0 win over Spurs Previous Time-Out, in a game that they dominated for a long time.
The victory raised Chelsea back in the top four of the Premier League table after four of their rivals for Champions League qualification -Nottingham Forest, Manchester City,
Newcastle United and Aston Villa – have taken victories earlier in the week.
“Every time you win, the preparation for the next game is better,” Maresca said at Friday's press conference, looking from Chelsea to the Gtech Community Stadium.
“Hopefully we can build up from the Tottenham playum, knowing that every game will be difficult to the end.”
Maresca has the strict turn between the two Chelsea games this week a challenge and says: “We have to restore energy and go again. For Sunday it will be about how we manage fatigue. Brentford will certainly be a very difficult game.
“You saw on Wednesday evening that they lost away in Newcastle, but it was a tough game. From now on every game will be difficult.
“The goal is to try to end where we have been the entire season. In the first five or six months, because we were second, the expectations changed a bit. But the entire season we are in the top four or five, and we will do our best to end there.”
Brentford lost the last time-out with 2-1 in Newcastle, with the spectacular goal of Sandro Tonali about the victory of the Magpies after Bryan Mbeumo had canceled the opener of Alexander Isak.
But the bees remain firmly contrary to a top half finish, with possibly an external shot in Europe. They are 11th with 41 points, three drift from Bournemouth in the 10th.
Forward Kevin Damage said: “We all enjoy it. It has been a very good season for each of us. We are fighting for each other and the goals come naturally.
“I am fast and the Brentford system is to play quickly at the top, with deep runners and crosses from outside. That is my game, the style fits my game.”
Players to watch
Brentford – Yoane Wissa
Wissa had a hand in 13 goals in his last 14 home Premier League performances (11 goals, two assists), and the Brentford attacker scored the second goal of the bees in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea last season.
Chelsea – Cole Palmer
On Thursday, Palmer helped Fernandez's winner against Spurs and ended a waiting time of 15 games for an assist at Premier League promotion.
It was also the first target involvement of the English International in the competition since scoring in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in mid-January, and he will now be determined to kick.
Match forecast – Chelsea Win
Chelsea won the inverted fixture in December and wants to complete their first competition-dubbele about Brentford since the 1946-47 campaign.
The blues enter these as favorites, with Brentford struggling at home lately.
Brentford has gone seven Premier League matches without a victory in the Gtech Community Stadium (two draw, five defeats), their worst run in the competition since a nine-game streak between September and December 2006-she ended that season at the bottom of the competition one.
Frank's men are also the only side without a home Premier League Clean Sheet this season and 16 home competitions went without a shutout from the last campaign.
However, Chelsea will have to overcome their own travel sickness. In all competitions they have won two of their last 10 out matches (two draw, six losses) and those victories took place in Kazakhstan (3-1 versus Astana) and Denmark (2-1 against Copenhagen).
The men of Maresca have won any of their last eight in England (two draws, six defeats), but they will support themselves to end that run here.
Opta wins probability
Brentford – 31.3%
Chelsea – 43.8%
Drawing – 24.9%
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