Premier League: Brentford ease past Chelsea as unbeaten run continues

Chelsea fell to a convincing defeat at the Gtech Stadium on Friday as Brentford continued their unbeaten start to the season.

It was a frustrating afternoon for the Blues, who struggled to create clear opportunities during a difficult first half.

Brentford turned up the pressure in the second half, eventually making it count on the 61st minute when Jaidon Anthony headed in a corner to poke the Bees in front. 

Chelsea pushed for an equaliser but were punished on the counter attack.

Kevin Schade broke forward before his effort took a deflection and fell kindly to Igor Thiago, who made no mistake from close range to double Brentford’s advantage.

Fabio Carvalho added a third in stoppage time to complete a comprehensive victory and maintain Brentford’s unbeaten start to the campaign – a result that highlighted the contrasting fortunes of the two sides.

While Brentford continue to build momentum, Chelsea’s recent run of results is becoming increasingly concerning.

After winning their opening two games of the season, and looking impressive in both, Chelsea have now failed to win any of their last three, losing two and drawing one.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Bournemouth vs Liverpool preview: Reds’ squad depth faces another test on the south coast

Concerns for Chelsea

Chelsea’s defensive performances are becoming a major concern.

Since the start of the season, the Blues have conceded 15 goals in all competitions, including 12 in the Premier League.

At the time of writing, that is the highest total in the division, although Chelsea have played one more league game than most of their rivals.

Chelsea were able to compensate for their defensive vulnerabilities by outscoring Fulham and Brighton in their opening two matches.

However, relying on their attacking output to consistently bail them out is unlikely to be sustainable over the course of a season.

Their attacking numbers remain encouraging, with Chelsea having scored 10 goals with a potent attacking line of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and Joao Pedro.

The issue is that there will inevitably be games in which the attack does not click, making defensive solidity just as important.

Manager Xabi Alonso was keen to emphasise that Chelsea had let themselves down at Brentford.

“This is not enough to compete in the Premier League,” he said.

“We were not able to maintain our level for the full 90 minutes and that’s why we were punished today. It’s about everything. It’s about the mentality, the football and the tactical things that we need to keep improving. We can do much better.”

Before the season began, Chelsea were viewed as outside contenders for the Premier League title, particularly with no European competition to juggle alongside their domestic commitments.

However, their early-season defensive problems suggest there is still plenty of work to do before they can seriously challenge at the top end of the table with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.

Keith Andrews’ buzzing Bees

Brentford’s victory was thoroughly deserved, with the Bees recording 2.65 expected goals compared with Chelsea’s 0.85, limiting the Blues to 12 low-quality efforts at their goal.

The underlying numbers reflected what was seen on the pitch, with Brentford creating the clearer and more dangerous opportunities.

After just five games, it is important not to get carried away, but Brentford’s start has been highly encouraging, with the Bees sitting third in the table.

Speaking after the game, head coach Keith Andrews said:

“It’s amazing the way one game dictates if it’s an okay start or a really good start, but yeah, it’s been a good start.

“We have been competitive, we have had to dig deep, we have had to show loads of different traits in the opening weeks of the season, which is what you always have to do in this league.”

The commanding victory was the latest positive result since Andrews took charge at Brentford.

The Bees have already demonstrated several of the qualities required to compete consistently in the Premier League: They are dangerous from set pieces, capable of hurting teams on the counterattack and difficult to break down thanks to a compact, physical defensive structure.

There is also plenty of reason for optimism in attack.

Igor Thiago has now opened his account for the season, and Brentford will hope their star striker can rediscover the form that saw him score 22 goals last season and led them to a ninth-place finish.

For now, as the league heads into its first international break of the season, Brentford can enjoy their encouraging unbeaten start, while Chelsea are left to ponder how they can resolve their significant defensive conundrum.

READ NEXT: Cricket news: Harry Brook lauds ‘clinical’ England as Sri Lanka tumble to Cardiff defeat