- Brentford’s 3-0 win over Chelsea
- Chelsea’s recent run of results
- What the defeat means for Alonso’s side
Brentford produced an impressive second-half performance to beat Chelsea 3-0 in the Premier League on Friday night, leaving Xabi Alonso’s side with plenty to consider during the international break.
The west London derby was goalless at half-time, but Brentford took control after the break. Jaidon Anthony opened the scoring in the 61st minute before Igor Thiago doubled the advantage and Fabio Carvalho completed the victory deep into stoppage time.
The result keeps Brentford unbeaten after five league matches and moves them up to third in the Premier League table with nine points. Chelsea, meanwhile, remain on seven points after suffering their second defeat of the campaign.
Brentford turn the game around after half-time
Chelsea had some promising moments during the opening 45 minutes, with Pedro Neto forcing a save from Caoimhin Kelleher and Morgan Rogers seeing an effort blocked.
However, Brentford looked much more dangerous after the interval.
The hosts broke the deadlock just after the hour mark from a well-worked set piece. Mikkel Damsgaard delivered a dangerous corner towards the far post, Jannik Schuster headed the ball back across goal and Jaidon Anthony was left with a simple close-range header.
Chelsea pushed forward looking for an equaliser, but that created space for Brentford to attack on the counter.
Kevin Schade raced through on goal and saw his effort saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Igor Thiago reacted quickest to the rebound and finished from close range to make it 2-0.
Brentford then added a third in stoppage time. Schade’s low delivery found Fabio Carvalho at the far post, with the substitute making no mistake to complete the scoring.
Chelsea’s defensive problems continue
The defeat highlighted an issue that has followed Chelsea during the early stages of Alonso’s reign: defensive consistency.
Chelsea have now conceded 12 goals in their first five Premier League matches, while they are still waiting for their first league clean sheet of the season.
The Blues also struggled to create a sustained attacking threat after falling behind. With Joao Pedro unavailable through injury, Chelsea found it difficult to turn possession into clear chances, while Brentford remained organised and dangerous on the counter.
Alonso admitted afterwards that his team had not maintained the required level throughout the match.
What the result means
Brentford move to third in the Premier League with nine points from five matches, maintaining their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Chelsea remain on seven points and have now gone three league matches without a win.
For Brentford, the victory provides further evidence of their strong start under Andrews. For Chelsea, the international break arrives at a useful time, giving Alonso and his coaching staff an opportunity to work on the defensive and tactical problems exposed at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The next few weeks will give Chelsea time to regroup, while Brentford will look to carry their unbeaten momentum into the next phase of the Premier League season.
