Chelsea overcome battling Brentord to cut the gap at the top to two points
TOP IN SIGHT: Chelsea's Marc Cucurella celebrates after scoring the opening goal.
It’s not always the games against the big boys when a team proves it is a title contender; so have Chelsea done so by beating bogey team Brentford in a match where grit, belief and persistence were as important as quality as they moved to within two points of leaders Liverpool?
Goals from Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson not only showed Chelsea could win a match in which star man Cole Palmer was kept quiet, but also that they had the concentration and strategy to beat a side that has caused them consistent problems in the past.
They even managed to – just about – hold on in a frantic finale when Bryan Mbeumo finally found a way through the Chelsea defence with a calm finish in the 90th minute after the Bees pounced on defensive errors.
From that moment on it was nervy; but Chelsea showed they could deal with it – and that matters in a title race.
In fact, if they can win at Everton next Sunday they will go top of the table ahead of Liverpool's trip to Tottenham the same day.
The only frustration was seeing defender Cucurella sent off for a second yellow card in a fracas after the final whistle. But winning was all that really mattered this time.
Ok, Cheslea v Brentford is not a derby that jumps to mind when you think of London football, but there was a lot on it - and it wasn’t easy.
It was one of those games when Chelsea knew they were being judged - and on the result not the performance.
Having seen Manchester City turned over by United at the Etihad, plummeting the champions even further out of the title race, 24 hours after both Liverpool and Arsenal dropped points, this was the biggest test yet of a suggestion that Chelsea – despite the protestations of their manager – are serious title contenders.
Maresca has suggested it is far too early in his team’s development to put that kind of label – or that kind of pressure – on a young side that only last year was regarded by some pundits as a laughing stock.
Those with a different opinion say any club that spends well over one billion Euro on players should be a contender, whilst others point to a flurry of outstanding performances this season, led by the imperious Palmer and the effervescent Nonny Madueke.
The Blues went into the match on the back of six straight wins, and only one Premier League defeat since August.
Maresca knew, however, that home to Brentford on a Sunday night wasn’t the kind of gimme that Chelsea should expect against a west London neighbour not even regarded as a rival until the Bees were promoted to the Premier League.
Brentford may have a miniscule budget in comparison to the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge but they have won on this turf in every one of their first three seasons in this league, becoming a bogey team in the process – and perhaps a symbol of how far Cheslea had fallen.
In fact, Maresca was at pains to tell home fans just how good Brentford have become, insisting Chelsea would need the help of the Matthew Harding Stand to get past them.
For much of the first half the match followed the pattern of the previous three meetings. Chelsea creating, but not converting, chances and Brentford pressing and defending like demons and always in the game.
Mark Flekken was equal to three of Chelsea’s biggest opportunities, fashioned for Madueke, Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandes, whilst the Bees were dangerous on the break.
But the big breakthrough came when Madueke produced an excellent cross from the left after 43 minutes, and full-back Cucurella got his head on it to convert, leaving former Liverpool defender Sepp Van Den Berg in his wake.
It was his first goal since scoring against Manchester United in 2022, and Maresca’s celebrations hinted at the importance of it.
It wasn’t, however, game over.
Brentford continued to frustrate, and occasionally to panic, Chelsea in the second half, putting together fluid moves but also giving the ball away often enough to give their opponents encouragement at the time.
Jackson missed an absolute sitter on the hour mark, blazing over from less than six metres out, but with Moises Caicedo outstanding in midfield, it felt like they had got their tactics right.
The only problem was the Bees wouldn’t go away. Christian Norgaard should have scored when found alone in the box, but Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez somehow denied him, before the visitors made three attacking substitutes by bringing on Fabio Carvalho, Krstoffer Ajer and Kevin Schade.
The tactic worked straight away, with Carvalho’s effort coming back off the woodwork from a low Ajer cross.
Suddenly, the Bees were buzzing. But Chelsea held firm, Caicedo won tackles and, on the break, Jackson finished them off with an outstanding finish having out-paced Ethan Pinnock.
Even Mbeumo’s late goal, frustrating as it was, couldn’t dampen the celebrations.
Sanchez 6; Gusto 6, Tosin 6, Colwill 7, Cucurella 7, Caicedo 9, Fernandez 7, Madueke 8, Palmer 6, Sancho 6, Jackson 8 (Nkunku 83; 6).
Flekken 8; Van den Berg 6, Collins 7, Pinnock 6; Roerslev 6 (Ajer 76; 6), Norgaard 8, Yarmolyuk 6 (Carvalho 76; 7), Damsgaard 7 (Janelt 63; 6), Lewis-Potter 6 (Meghoma 86; 6), Mbeumo 8, Wissa 7 (Schade 76; 7).
Peter Bankes.
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