Chelsea vs Brentford. Premier League.
Stamford BridgeAttendance39,575.
Report as Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeumo earn Brentford a 2-0 win at Chelsea; Blues dominated possession but could not break down west London rivals; Bees become only side to win first three Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge and move above Chelsea in the table
Sunday 29 October 2023 07:58, UK
Brentford became the first side in the Premier League era to win their first three matches at Stamford Bridge as Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeumo earned them a 2-0 victory over Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino looked to be turning the Blues' form around after three wins and a draw in their past four matches but he was left to rue another wasteful performance from his forwards, admitting after the game his side does not possess enough goalscorers.
This contest was remarkably similar to the Bees' two previous trips to play their west London rivals, with Chelsea dominating possession, missing several presentable chances and then allowing the visitors to punish their sloppiness, with an unmarked Ethan Pinnock heading the opener just before the hour.
Chelsea lacked both the creativity and quality to break down Brentford, who were happy to soak up the pressure before sealing the win through Bryan Mbeumo's breakaway goal deep into stoppage time.
Pochettino’s face at full-time said more than any words could. His face a blend of anger, frustration and disbelief, the manager was no doubt wondering how his side had fallen into the same trap against a Brentford side that have their number.
Chelsea came flying out of the blocks, hitting the bar through a curling Noni Madueke effort before Marc Cucurella and Raheem Sterling squandered big chances.
But it didn’t feel too concerning at that point for Chelsea, with it seeming like a case of when, and not if, they would take the lead.
But Brentford know what it takes to win at Stamford Bridge and began to stem the flow of chances before going in front against the run of play, with Axel Disasi somehow losing Pinnock at the far post.
After earning 4-1 and 2-0 victories here in recent seasons, Thomas Frank’s side backed themselves to sit deep and once again frustrate their hosts, who become increasingly vulnerable to the counter-attack.
Chelsea barely created a chance in the final half hour, while Robert Sanchez was forced to deny Mbeumo and Yegor Yarmolyuk in the closing minutes.
But Brentford would not be denied their clincher and it came in farcical scenes, with Sanchez vainly giving chase to Neal Maupay after coming up for a corner before stumbling to the ground as Mbeumo tapped the ball into the empty net.
Most Chelsea supporters were long gone by the time the final whistle finally sounded, but those that remained unleashed a chorus of boos, with Pochettino silently taking it all in.
Pochettino said Chelsea had to take the blame for their eighth home defeat in the Premier League in 2023, saying: "The analysis is clear. In the first half, we should score and we didn't score.
"We dominated, created chances and the opponent didn't cross the halfway line. We need to blame ourselves because we were not nasty or clinical.
"In the second half, we cannot concede these types of goals and this is our mistake."
Chelsea drew a blank for the third time in their last four league games at Stamford Bridge and when asked whether there are enough goalscorers in his squad, Pochettino admitted: "At the moment, no.
"[Christopher] Nkunku proved he can score in the big leagues but was injured in the last pre-season game.
"We need to recover [Armando] Broja. Jackson is young and needs time to adapt.
"In your analysis, I think on some points we agree."
Sky Sports' Joe Shread at Stamford Bridge:
Pochettino has cut a calm figure since joining Chelsea, refusing to get too low after troubling defeats and keeping his feet on the ground amid talk of a corner being turned in recent weeks.
But he was unusually tetchy from an early stage against Brentford, even shouting down an overly vocal home fan when they saw fit to offer Jackson some unprompted advice from behind the dugout.
This was a big game for Chelsea, a chance not just to end their neighbours’ dominance of this fixture but also continue the momentum generated by the seven points picked up from the last three games.
Instead, Pochettino’s side must face up to reality. No ever-present Premier League team has won fewer home games than their two since the start of February, while they have now failed to win 11 of their last 13 London derbies.
Having once ruled the roost in the capital, Chelsea are not even the best team in west London anymore.
Frank was delighted with the way Brentford improved in the second half, saying: "I think actually our first half was a little less than average.
"At half-time, I said to my players they needed to believe. On the ball, I don’t think we were cool enough.
"Our defending was so much better [in the second half] and the goal changed the dynamic."
Despite seeing Brentford move above them in the Premier League, Frank praised Pochettino's work at Chelsea, saying: "It’s clear what they want to achieve.
"They won three in a row and then drew against Arsenal - that’s a clear improvement.
"First half, you could see they came with a lot of confidence and they troubled us. I would take a lot of positives out of the first half."
Chelsea host Championship side Blackburn in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday - kick-off 7.45pm.
The Blues then return to Premier League action with a Monday Night Football trip to Tottenham on November 6 - kick-off 8pm.
Brentford's next game is at home to West Ham on Saturday - kick-off 3pm.
