Ben Fisher was at Stamford Bridge. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Mauricio Pochettino’s turn. “It is difficult to accept the defeat because in the first half we dominated, played really well and created chances … Brentford didn’t do what they planned, we were so, so good … but of course you need to score and be clinical … when that didn’t happen you need some luck … we conceded the first chance and then it was difficult to break down the block … it’s about confidence, better decisions … too many things, too many factors … we have suffered this since the beginning of the season, the team play well and create chances … we were the better side but in the end we conceded two goals … really, really, really disappointed … I am not happy, the players and the club is not happy about the run [at Stamford Bridge, now one win in 13] … we need to change that dynamic.”
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Thomas Frank speaks to TNT. “There is no doubt Chelsea were better than us in the first half … I was also disappointed with our performance … it was an average performance at best … but in the second half we really upped the level in the way we defended … more coolness, more quality on the ball … we started to create chances … I was very pleased with that … we kept Chelsea quiet which is quite impressive with the offensive power they have.”
Eleventh-placed Chelsea’s next six Premier League fixtures, presented without comment. Tottenham (a), Manchester City (h), Newcastle (a), Brighton (h), Manchester United (a), Everton (a).
Man-of-the-match Ethan Pinnock talks to TNT. “First half we struggled to get out … we knew we would be under the cosh for long periods so we worked on it all week and the boys stuck to their task … we thought we could get at them at set pieces and on the counter, and that’s the way it worked … there was a big defensive focus, to try to stifle them … we knew the longer the game went on, we could grow into it … we try to look forward and not back.”
Hats off to Neal Maupay, incidentally. He’s gone 32 games without a goal, so to unselfishly tee up his pal Mbeumo on the counter, right at the death, shows remarkable restraint and commitment to team spirit. “Chelsea could have bought Scott McTominay for around £40 million in the summer,” adds Rick Harris. “Just saying.”
Bryan Mbeumo, with a goal and an assist to his name today, speaks to TNT. “Before the game we wanted to come and win … I don’t think many teams beat them here three times in a row … we are very happy … [the supporters] love us, we love them, and we’re very happy to give them the joy … we have so much quality and we will try to win many games again … we want to aim as big as we can.”
Mauricio Pochettino’s face is a grim picture. Hands still in pockets, but this time he’s not exuding any super-cool; he’s deep in thought and not a happy man at all. Neither are the Chelsea supporters, who are leaving, to borrow a phrase from Flann O’Brien, in that lofty vehicle, high dudgeon. Their team is a mess. Chelsea were out-fought and out-thought by Brentford today, who go above them in the Premier League table. News of Brentford’s demise – and more to the point, Chelsea’s revival – appears to have been greatly exaggerated.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | West Ham | 9 | 0 | 14 |
| 10 | Brentford | 10 | 4 | 13 |
| 11 | Chelsea | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 10 | -5 | 12 |
FULL TIME: Chelsea 0-2 Brentford
Brentford do a number on Chelsea at the Bridge again! Chelsea are booed off.
90 min +7: Norgaard is booked during the celebratory melee, like he cares.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-2 Brentford (Mbeumo 90 +6)
Ajer heads the corner clear. Mbeumo wins a challenge with Maatsen, and suddenly Maupay and Mbuemo are tearing clear on the unguarded goal! Maupay reaches the edge of the box, and when he feels the desperately recovering Sanchez on his shoulder, rolls across for Mbuemo who taps into an empty net!
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90 min +5: A cross loops into the Brentford box from the left. It drops to James on the right. His drive is blocked by Ghoddos. Corner, for which Sanchez comes up. And from that …
90 min +4: Brentford continue to hold their shape. Chelsea and their fans so frustrated.
90 min +3: Quite a few Chelsea fans leaving early. Brentford so close to their third win at Stamford Bridge in a row! “Looks like the wheels have come off the bus for Chelsea and their next three PL games look eminently lose-able,” writes Rick Harris. “A relegation battle?”
90 min +2: Corner for Chelsea down the left. Pulled back for Maatsen, whose attempted shot is blocked.
90 min +1: There will be six minutes of Scott McTominay Time.
90 min: … Yarmolyuk is sent clear! He smashes his shot straight at Sanchez, who nevertheless saves brilliantly. The ball’s recycled down the right and crossed low. Mbeumo fizzes a low drive millimetres wide of the right-hand post. Brentford so close to securing the three points!
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89 min: Before the corner can be taken, Chelsea coach Jesus Perez is red-carded for something said to the fourth official. Then Brentford counter, and …
88 min: Silva rolls a clever pass down the right for James, who crosses low. The ball rolls slowly through the six-yard box. Neither Palmer nor Washington can connect for what surely would have been an equaliser. Collins taps out for a corner.
87 min: Chelsea aren’t exactly stress-testing Brentford right now. Thing is, Brentford must surely have some collective scar tissue from the late smash-and-grab by Manchester United at Old Trafford. Can the hosts play on Brentford nerves?
86 min: Corner for Chelsea down the right. Gallagher sends it in. Silva flashes a header wide left. Had somebody in blue taken a gamble and made a run, they could have trundled that in at the far stick. Silva suggests as much to his team-mates as Brentford prepare to take their goal kick.
85 min: Onyeka takes a yellow for the team, cynically hanging out a leg to stop an in-flight Jackson.
84 min: Hickey is replaced by Ghoddos.
83 min: Sterling crosses from the left but Gallagher can’t get near it at the far post. Goal kick.
81 min: Cucurella and Caicedo make way for the teenage duo of Washington and Ugochukwu.
80 min: Roerslev takes his sweet time over a throw deep in Chelsea territory down the right. His antics annoy everyone connected with Chelsea, both on the pitch and in the stands. Brentford pushing all of Chelsea’s buttons. At least the long throw comes to nought.
78 min: Norgaard is clattered late by Caicedo. Proper studs on shin there. You’ve seen reds given for less, but it’s just a yellow. To repeat: nobody knows anything any more.
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76 min: Brentford make a double change. Maupay and the Ukrainian teenager Yarmolyuk come on for Wissa and Janelt. Maupay already on a booking, of course.
74 min: James chips a pass down the inside-right channel. Did the ball clank off Hickey’s arm? Nope. Chest. The Chelsea appeals betray their frustration.
73 min: James fizzes in a cross from the right. Jackson can’t control and Brentford clear. “Ethan Pinnock’s career is remarkable,” writes Kári Tulinius. “He was still playing for Dulwich Hamlet at age 23, and now at 30 he’s one of the most dependable centre-backs in the Premier League. There can’t be many like him, but perhaps there would be if more got a chance.”
72 min: Chelsea probe but in a very sterile style. There’s no way through Brentford right now.
70 min: Mbeumo crosses low from the left for Onyeka, who would have a shot at goal from 12 yards but for Colwill’s anticipation and big toe. Chelsea counter through Maatsen down the right. His cross is easily snaffled by Flekken.
69 min: Chelsea pin Brentford back, but Maatsen impatiently lunges into Norgaard and the free kick releases the pressure on the visitors.
68 min: Flekken’s poor goal kick is nearly returned with interest by Palmer, but Norgaard toes the ball away from the Chelsea man on the edge of the D, just as he’s about to shoot.
67 min: A double change for Chelsea. James and Maatsen come on for Disasi and Madueke.
66 min: Onyeka’s first act is to barge Sterling over on the left flank. A free kick, but Palmer’s delivery isn’t all that. Brentford clear their lines again, and their fans give it plenty. The rest of the stadium has fallen pretty quiet since the goal.
65 min: … the ball ends up back at the feet of Sanchez.
64 min: Brentford replace Jensen with Onyeka. After the restart, Palmer robs Pinnock in the Bees’ area, but can’t get a shot away because Pinnock battles back to poke out for a corner. From which …
62 min: Janelt makes his way up the left wing with purpose. He very nearly releases Wissa ahead of him but the Brentford striker runs out of pitch.
60 min: There was no stopping that header, though Silva, Disasi and Madueke were all near Pinnock and strangely lax. In the dugout, Mauricio Pochettinho crosses his arms in a huff. He’s got the face on.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Brentford (Pinnock 58)
Brentford have been much more proactive since the break, and now they get their reward! A throw on the right. Mbeumo is found down the flank. He reaches the byline and loops towards the back stick. Pinnock rises highest and plants a downward header past Sanchez!
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57 min: The free kick’s no good. Then Caicedo has a dig that earns him a chant questioning his transfer fee.
56 min: Mbeumo stands on Cucurella’s heel out on the left touchline, and is lucky not to go into the book at the very least. Just a free kick, but before Palmer can take it, the substitute Maupay, warming up, cheekily steps onto the pitch and nudges the ball. Palmer doesn’t see the funny side and Maupay picks up a yellow card.
55 min: Sterling crosses from the left. The ball hits a Brentford hand but the referee’s not interested and neither is VAR.
54 min: Sterling shoots from the edge of the box. Pinnock sticks out a leg to block, then heads his own deflection away from the path of Sterling, who was looking to take a second swipe at goal. Pinnock clears calmly. Brentford look a bit more energised in this second half.
52 min: Madueke earns a corner down the Chelsea right. Silva rises but heads down into a thicket of players. Brentford clear.
50 min: Brentford play out from the back. Flekken starts a passing move that takes them all the way up the pitch. Ajer cuts back from the byline on the right for Janelt, in space on the penalty spot. Janelt creams a shot goalwards, but straight at the keeper, who parries. To be fair to Sanchez, he still had to stick out his left arm to stop the goal. A fine reaction save, but what a patient team move by the visitors!
48 min: Palmer dinks a diagonal pass towards Cucurella on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Cucurella crosses low and Collins does very well not to walk the ball into his own net. Adroitly bundled out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
47 min: A slow start to the second half, like the one before it.
Chelsea get the second half underway. No changes.
Half-time entertainment. Big game coming up later this afternoon!
HALF TIME: Chelsea 0-0 Brentford
Chelsea go off ranting, Madueke claiming he was about to scamper free when the half-time whistle blew. Mauricio Pochettino has a moan as well. The hosts have been the better side; Brentford are unquestionably the happier.
45 min +2: Gallagher plays a simple pass straight out of play. One last opportunity for the Stamford Bridge faithful to have a good old first-half groan.
45 min +1: The first of two added minutes. Caicedo scrapes down the back of Jensen’s leg and is lucky to escape censure.
45 min: Some fine Brentford pressing forces Palmer all the way back from the halfway line to his own six-yard box! In the background, you can hear Thomas Frank screaming his appreciation.
44 min: Palmer curls towards the top-right corner. He gets the up, but doesn’t get the down. Harmlessly over the bar. Goal kick.
43 min: … so having said that, Chelsea counter and Wissa drags down Caicedo 25 yards from the Brentford goal. Palmer fancies this one, just to the right of the D.
42 min: More good work from Mbeumo down the right to win a Brentford corner. The set piece is a waste of everyone’s time, but the visitors have finally turned up as an attacking force.
40 min: A rare Brentford attack sees Mbeumo dummy to release Jensen down the right. Jensen crosses long for Hickey, who is clear 12 yards out, but has to stretch to meet the ball and, in two minds, ends up chesting down and running it out of play for a goal kick.
39 min: Another Brentford free kick on the halfway line; another long punt into the box by Flekken. Sanchez comes to the edge of his box to claim, keeper to keeper. Chelsea counter, and Madueke’s cutback from the right is met by Cucurella, who fails to showcase a striker’s touch from the penalty spot. The ball balloons into the possession of Flekken.
38 min: Cucurella crosses from the left. The ball drops to Madueke on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. He shoots. Deflection. Corner. And it’s all for nowt. Brentford clear.
37 min: On the touchline, Mauricio Pochettino looks fairly relaxed. Hands in pockets, kidding on he doesn’t care. Transmitting not a jot of anxiety to his team.
35 min: Disasi very nearly finds Jackson with a slide-rule pass down the inside-right channel. One drop of juice less, and he’d have teed up his man. As it is, the ball rolls through to Flekken.
34 min: Sterling looks dangerous every time he starts running with the ball. He tears off down the left at speed, but his attempt to find Jackson with a cutback is easily intercepted and cleared.
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32 min: Corner for Chelsea down the right. Gallagher taps it short to Palmer, who goes nowhere. Chelsea have played well, but they’ve not broken through, and their fans are beginning to groan at each misplaced pass, albeit lightly right now. Still, that’s what a run of one win in 12 home league games will lead to.
31 min: Disasi slips Gallagher into the box down the right. Gallagher can’t handle the slightest of touches from Collins, who gently ushers him out of play for a goal kick.
30 min: … nothing much occurs.
29 min: Chelsea ping it around. Brentford hold their shape. Suddenly Sterling steps on the gas down the left and wins a corner. From which …
27 min: The free kick comes to nought, and Brentford quietly fume.
26 min: A free kick for Brentford on the halfway line. They’d have rather played on, because Collins was about to tear off into space down the left. Instead, Flekken will pump it into the Chelsea box from distance.
24 min: Palmer is everywhere. He curls in from the right. Sterling tries to meet the ball in the middle, ten yards out. Roerslev shoves him in the back, but neither referee nor VAR shows any interest in giving a penalty kick. You’ve certainly seen those given. Then again, nobody knows anything any more.
22 min: Chelsea continue to probe and press. Brentford are struggling to get out of their final third.
20 min: Now Palmer plays a cute first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Sterling, who leans back and blazes over. It feels like a Chelsea goal is in the post.
19 min: From the inside-right position, Palmer wedges a delicious diagonal pass into the box for Cucurella, who meets the dropping ball and sidefoots it straight at Flekken. A yard either side and it was the opening goal. What a fine ball by Palmer, who has begun his Chelsea career confidently.
18 min: Palmer and Gallagher nearly one-two their way into the Brentford box down the middle, but there are simply too many players to get past.
17 min: On the touchline, Thomas Frank issues some tactical advice to his players in the firm style. He’s clearly not happy with the way this is going.
15 min: Madueke chases after a long ball down the right and very nearly gets past Hickey. Had he managed to do so, he’d have been clear on goal. Hickey did extremely well to stick to his man and force a goal kick. Flekken then takes his sweet time over the restart, to the annoyance of the home faithful.
13 min: Chelsea continue to press Brentford back. The pressure is released when Caicedo needlessly clatters into Janelt. They’ll be happy with their lively start, though.
12 min: Chelsea are looking bright in attack. Gallagher combines with Caicedo down the middle and shoots from distance. His effort towards the bottom left forces Flekken to extend at length and parry clear.
11 min: Pinnock slips Mbeumo into space down the right. He twists and turns and tries to shock Sanchez at his near post. Sanchez handles brilliantly, making sure the ball doesn’t go out of play for a throw before setting Chelsea away on the counter. Madueke makes off down the right, enters the box, and aims a curler towards the top left. His effort caroms off the underside of the bar and away. What a goal that would have been!
9 min: Sanchez kicks again. The Brentford fans ooh and aah sarcastically. He’s not going to be allowed to forget the mistake that led to Declan Rice’s goal last week, is he.
7 min: Cucurella sends Jackson into space down the left. Jackson makes it to the edge of the area, where he tries to shape a shot into the bottom right. It’s always heading wide of the target, and Flekken had it covered anyway.
6 min: Some pantomime cooing when Sanchez has the ball at his feet. The Brentford fans referencing last week’s Arsenal game no doubt.
4 min: Flekken hits a free kick long. Wissa wins a throw out on the right. Jensen flings it long. Brentford win another throw. Jensen flings this one long, too. It drops to Mbeumo, who scuffs his shot. Chelsea counter swiftly through Sterling, who rampages down the left before finding Palmer down the inside-right channel. Palmer tries to return it to Sterling, but his team-mate can’t control. Goal kick. Had Sterling stunned the pass, he’d have been one on one with Flekken, ten yards out.
2 min: A fairly scrappy start, all told.
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Brentford kick off. They’re kicking towards the Shed End in this first half.
Before kick-off, a moment of applause in appreciation for the life and work of Sir Bobby Charlton. Sir Bobby played his 751st and last match for Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in April 1973. Before the game Chelsea presented him with an inscribed silver cigarette case and formed a guard of honour; after the hosts won by a single Peter Osgood goal, the 35-year-old Charlton rode off into the sunset (via Preston, where he’d spend a couple of seasons as player-coach). Charlton’s innate modesty and sense of honour led to him apologising for what he considered a below-par personal display … like anyone would ever have loved or respected him any less.
The teams are out! Chelsea wear their royal blue, while Brentford will buzz around in red and white stripes. We’ll be off once the Liquidator has been and gone.
Mauricio Pochettino talks to TNT regarding the absence of Fernandes and Mudryk. “Yesterday both feel small muscle injury … hopefully for the next game they can be available … it’s not a big issue, hopefully it can be fixed in the next few days … yes Enzo had a baby, maybe that’s the reason he could not train and felt uncomfortable … now he’s going to rest and recover … we are going to miss both but we have a big squad to find a solution.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank speaks to TNT Sports. “We have been so good in this formation against the bigger teams … we know we are difficult to play against as a defensive side … touch wood that is still the case today … we know we are good and have a chance today, but we also know we can lose today to an unbelievably good side.”
Chelsea make three changes to their starting XI after the 2-2 draw with Arsenal last Saturday. Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi and Noni Madueke are in; Malo Gusto drops to the bench, while Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandes miss out altogether, the latter looking after a brand new baby.
Brentford make two changes after the 3-0 rout of Burnley. Aaron Hickey and Mads Roerslev are in; Neal Maupay and Frank Onyeka drop to the bench.
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The teams
Chelsea: Sanchez, Cucurella, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill, Gallagher, Caicedo, Sterling, Palmer, Jackson, Madueke.
Subs: Badiashile, Ugochukwu, James, Gusto, Petrovic, Maatsen, Deivid Washington, Beach, Matos.
Brentford: Flekken, Ajer, Pinnock, Collins, Roerslev, Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt, Hickey, Mbeumo, Wissa.
Subs: Maupay, Jorgensen, Ghoddos, Onyeka, Mee, Strakosha, Yarmolyuk, Olakigbe, Brierley.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
Preamble
Chelsea are back, baby! Well, sort of. Mauricio Pochettino’s box-fresh side are slowly beginning to find their groove, and were 13 minutes away from a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions until a late implosion against Arsenal. They finished that match smarting, having played excellently for the most part against bitter rivals only to somehow magic three points into one, but nevertheless the mood music at Stamford Bridge is, for the first time in a while, upbeat.
Well, sort of. There are two fairly big caveats to that analysis: Chelsea have only won one of their last 12 Premier League matches at home, and that against a callow Luton side; and they’ve won just two of their last 12 Premier League matches against fellow Londoners, a run that includes two successive defeats to Brentford at home. Can Brentford make it three out of three at the Bridge since their promotion? We’ll find out soon enough. Kick-off is at 12.30pm BST. It’s on!
