Chelsea slump to fifth consecutive defeat with home loss to Brentford
2 min read
The Bees ran out resounding 4-1 winners on their last trip to Stamford Bridge and managed to snap a run of five games without a victory with another gutsy performance.
Frank Lampard’s side remain in 11th place and are six points off the top half, while Brentford are now the top club in west London after moving above Fulham into ninth.
After an extremely tepid opening 23 minutes, Chelsea managed to carve out a half-chance. A cross from N’Golo Kante was headed downwards by Thiago Silva, but it was comfortable for David Raya.
Brentford had a similar opportunity at the other end soon after when Mathias Jensen found the leaping Ben Mee, but the former Burnley man couldn’t keep his balance when heading the ball and the hosts got away with some sloppy marking.
Chelsea then managed to work an opening down the right through Wesley Fofana and Kante, with the latter pulling the ball back for Enzo Fernandez to strike down the throat of Raya.
The Bees were restricting their hosts mainly to long shots and speculative efforts as Kante and Raheem Sterling both fired high and wide out of frustrating after the half-hour mark.
Shortly before the break, Brentford found themselves ahead. Mathias Jensen’s corner was flicked on by Zanka and deflected off the arm of Cesar Azpilicueta, with the ball bouncing between Kepa Arrizabalaga and Fofana at the far post.
Lampard responded at half-time by throwing Mykhailo Mudryk and forgotten man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on, promptly ending his weird experiment with Conor Gallagher up front.
Kante flashed a shot just wide of Raya’s goal just after the break to finally get the Stamford Bridge crowd on their feet.
Mateo Kovacic’s switch of play was headed on by Sterling and into the path of Aubameyang, who rose above Raya but couldn’t keep his header down.
Brentford were really under the cosh and were thankful that a header from Silva bounced mercifully wide after a wicked free-kick delivery from Mudryk.
Another Chelsea chance came and went when Kovacic slipped through Aubameyang, but his shot was blocked by Ethan Pinnock and Raya was able to keep it out.
With the game entering the final 15 minutes though, Brentford hit Chelsea on the break and added a second. Shandon Baptiste’s long ball forward found Bryan Mbeumo, who dribbled his way into the box and lashed a shot past Kepa courtesy of a deflection off Silva.
The visitors went close to adding a third late on when a long throw fell to Pinnock, but his half-volley sailed narrowly over.
Stamford Bridge quickly began to empty as the travelling fans danced on the steep concourses of a once formidable stadium.
