Chelsea continued their Premier League resurgence under Enzo Maresca with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brentford at Stamford Bridge. The victory means that the Blues have recorded five consecutive league wins to take them within two points of Premeir League leaders Liverpool.
The opening goal was a rare headed one from Marc Cucurella, who converted Noni Madueke’s precise cross after Chelsea’s dominance for much of the first half, Brentford did have their moments, though, with Christian Nørgaard and Fabio Carvalho testing Robert Sánchez. Bryan Mbeumo’s effort early in the second half also rattled the crossbar.
The hosts’ top scorer, Nicolas Jackson, should have doubled Chelsea’s advantage on the hour mark but ballooned an effort over from close range. The Senegalese forward made amends with 80 minutes played, slotting home after Ethan Pinnock was caught out during a swift Chelsea counterattack.
Despite being under the cosh for most of the game, Brentford pulled one back through Mbeumo, who raced onto a through ball before coolly finishing past Sánchez in the 90th minute. That gave the Bees hope for an equaliser in stoppage time, but Chelsea managed to hold firm and secure the points.
Tempers spilled over at the end when Marc Cucurella got a red card following an exchange of words but Chelsea had already wrapped up the three points to underline their growing credentials as genuine title contenders.
Since May, the Blues have accumulated more wins (15) and goals (51) than any other team, signalling their rapid improvement under Maresca. However, defensive lapses remain a concern, with Brentford generating 1.6 expected goals (xG) from several missed opportunities.
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That leaves Chelsea facing Everton next, three points against whom could take the Londoners top of the league table for a short duration. As for Brentford, the away woes continue as the Bees are yet to taste victory away from their home this season.