Highlights, report and reaction: Chelsea 2 Brentford 1

Chelsea Edges Brentford 2-1 In Premier League Clash

Brentford implemented two substitutions from their 4-2 victory against Newcastle United last weekend. Mads Roerslev and Mikkel Damsgaard took the places of Fábio Carvalho and Igor Thiago, while Thomas Frank opted for a 3-5-2 formation.

Jackson created the first two opportunities of the match within the first 10 minutes at Stamford Bridge. His initial chance occurred when Malo Gusto delivered a threatening cross into the box. Positioned centrally and slightly beyond the six-yard line, the Chelsea forward managed to head the ball over the bar.

Jackson's second attempt happened when Moisés Caicedo sent a ball over the Bees' defense. The forward reacted quickly, striking it with a strong half-volley, but goalkeeper Mark Flekken managed to deflect it away from his near post.

Flekken faced another challenge shortly after when Cole Palmer tried his luck from the top of the box, but once more, the Brentford goalkeeper managed to deflect the ball to safety.

Enzo Fernández was the next to make an attempt after Noni Madueke set him up in the penalty area. However, his shot from a narrow angle was expertly deflected around the post by Flekken's feet.

Brentford got their first opportunity in the match just before the 30-minute mark. Mbeumo made a run down the right side and spotted Roerslev making an overlapping run. Roerslev delivered a low cross to his teammate, Damsgaard, but Levi Colwill made a fantastic block to deny the midfielder a second goal in quick succession.

As the halftime mark approached, a careless pass from the backline was intercepted by Madueke. He charged towards the Brentford defense, making his way into the penalty area. However, his attempt aimed at the far post was thwarted by Flekken's extended leg.

Chelsea's relentless efforts paid off just before halftime when Madueke delivered a curling cross. Cucurella rushed into the penalty area and connected with a powerful header, sending the ball into the back of the net for the Bees.

The second half began calmly, as both teams took turns controlling the ball.

The first significant opportunity of the second half arrived at the 60-minute mark. Fernández sprinted down the left side and sent a cross into the box, aiming for the far post. Jackson was in position to connect, but he failed to redirect his attempt into the open goal, sending the ball over the crossbar instead.

Chelsea almost scored again when Palmer set up Jadon Sancho. After getting past Flekken, Sancho found himself at a sharp angle and chose to send a cross into the box. However, Ethan Pinnock was in the right place to clear the ball with a header.

Robert Sanchez made an astonishing save to keep the home team in the lead. Chelsea partially cleared a corner, and after Nathan Collins sent the ball to the far post, Christian Nørgaard unleashed a remarkable volley that Sanchez managed to deflect over the bar with a fingertip touch.

Once again, the Bees faced disappointment, this time thanks to the crossbar. Two of the players off the bench worked together when Kristoffer Ajer sprinted down the right side and delivered a low cross into the penalty area. Carvalho was there to meet it, and although his shot got past Sanchez, it hit the woodwork and dropped down onto the line. Kevin Schade then tried an overhead kick, but it sailed over the goal.

Even though the visitors were striving to level the score and putting Chelsea under a lot of pressure, the Blues managed to extend their lead with just 10 minutes remaining. Palmer found some room in the attacking zone and passed the ball to Jackson, who made his way into the box and blasted it into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Mbeumo nearly scored for Brentford when Vitaly Janelt sent a ball across the box. After it was overlooked by nearly everyone, the forward managed to reach the pass but was quickly closed down by Sanchez.

Mbeumo found the back of the net right as the match hit the 90-minute mark. Schade made an impressive run, cutting through the Chelsea midfield and sending a perfect pass to Mbeumo. With his speed, Mbeumo outpaced the Chelsea defenders, sliding his shot beneath the goalkeeper and into the goal.

Even with this and a few late attempts from Brentford during set-pieces, the away team couldn't manage to level the score. As a result, the home team celebrated their first victory in the Premier League against the Bees at their own ground.

After the final whistle, referee Peter Bankes issued a red card to Chelsea's initial goalscorer, Cucurella.

Brentford's lineup featured Flekken in goal, with a defensive line composed of Van den Berg, Collins, and Pinnock. Roerslev was substituted by Ajer in the 75th minute, while Yarmoliuk was replaced by Carvalho at the same time. Nørgaard and Damsgaard were on the midfield, with Damsgaard making way for Janelt in the 63rd minute. Lewis-Potter came off for Meghoma in the 86th minute. Up front, Wissa was substituted by Schade in the 75th minute, and Mbeumo played as well.

Substitutes who did not get playing time: Valdimarsson, Mee, Konak, Trevitt.

Chelsea lineup: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson (substituted for Nkunku in the 83rd minute).

Unused substitutes: Jørgensen, Disasi, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Acheampong, Guiu, Veiga, Rak-Sakyi.

Frank: We Were Unlucky To Miss A Point

Brentford's manager, Thomas Frank, expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance, stating they showed great effort in facing a strong Chelsea side on Sunday, even though they ended up losing 2-1.

"All in all, I was pleased with how things turned out," Frank remarked.

In the first half, we did well defensively against a strong opponent. However, I would have preferred us to maintain possession better and apply more pressure higher up the pitch at certain moments.

I was quite happy with the second half. I felt that we played with more intensity, our ball control improved, and we managed to navigate some challenging moments more effectively. We also showed better organization on the field.

I believe we were unfortunate not to earn a point. We had a significant opportunity with Fábio, and Norgaard also had a great chance, coming very close to scoring.

"I was really impressed by how we held our own against such a strong team."

Van Den Berg Talks About Chelsea's Frustrating Loss

Brentford's defender Sepp van den Berg talked about the team's loss at Stamford Bridge, pointing out both the good and bad aspects of the Bees' performance on Sunday.

“In the first half, they played better, to be fair,” Van den Berg remarked. “We weren’t putting enough pressure on the ball and were sitting back in our defense, which is necessary at times, but we had a hard time advancing up the field.”

In the second half, we performed much better. We applied a lot of high pressure and maintained possession of the ball much more effectively.

"It's really disappointing. If the score had been 2-2, it might have felt more justified, but we faced a challenging opponent today."

He mentioned, "It's all about the small details, but that's what the Premier League is like."