Paul Merson reveals his Brentford v Chelsea FC prediction

Paul Merson is backing Chelsea FC to make it five wins in a row in the Premier League by beating Brentford 3-1 away from home on Wednesday night.

The Blues have been finding their feet well under new manager Graham Potter in recent games and their 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday kept them four points behind third-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.

With Spurs travelling to Manchester United in midweek, a win for Chelsea FC could help to close that gap down as they look to continue their impressive form under Potter.

Mason Mount was in excellent form for the Blues against Villa on Sunday, with the England international scoring both of the visitors’ goals against Steven Gerrard’s men. And at the other end of the pitch, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga produced a brilliant display to keep Villa at bay as he continues to impress in the place of the injured Edouard Mendy.

Former Arsenal star Merson feels that Chelsea FC were somewhat fortunate against Villa at the weekend – but the ex-midfielder is still expecting to see the Blues have too much for Brentford on Wednesday night.

“I think Chelsea were lucky [against Villa],” Merson told Sportskeeda. “Kepa had one of the best goalkeeping performances I’ve ever seen. I didn’t think he had it in him, to be honest. After the amount of stick he’s got, I’m really pleased for him.

“This is going to be a hard game for Chelsea. If they play like they did against Aston Villa, Brentford will punish them. They can’t keep conceding chances like that, especially against the better teams in the Premier League.

“Chelsea are on a bit of a roll at the moment and they’ve got to ride their luck. They can’t keep relying on Kepa to pull off performances like that. Mason Mount is scoring goals as well now, and that makes him a phenomenal player.

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Photo: YouTube)

“Both teams are finding their feet at the moment and have been a little weak at the back. I think Chelsea will make it to the top four this season and they should be able to win this game.”

Former Blues star Chris Sutton, however, does not agree with Merson’s prediction, and is expecting to see Brentford and Chelsea FC play out a 1-1 draw in west London.

“Chelsea got over the line against Aston Villa on Sunday but it felt like they had to grind that one out,” Sutton told BBC Sport. “I don’t really know what to expect from Brentford but they had some of their attacking bite back when they beat Brighton last time out.

“Another performance like that should get them something this time too, especially if Chelsea still aren’t at their fluent best.”

Meanwhile, Blues shot-stopper Kepa was widely lauded for his performance against Villa on Sunday, with the Spaniard having made a total of seven saves to keep the home side out.

The 28-year-old has notched up seven appearances for the south west London side so far this term and has kept a clean sheet in each of his last four outings.

Kepa was firmly behind Edouard Mendy in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge last season and was limited to just three appearances in the Premier League. But the goalkeeper says he has always kept believing in his ability and focused on working hard.

“I’m feeling very well, with confidence, with and without the ball,” Kepa told Chelsea FC’s website after Sunday’s win at Villa. “Self-confidence and belief in your work, in what you’re doing, and belief in the process is very important.

“Of course I had really tough moments. I had really good moments, but in the end it’s like life. You have ups and downs and you have to be strong mentally, sticking with your ideas and keeping working. Now I am enjoying all the work.”