Chelsea’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brentford not only marked their fifth consecutive Premier League win but also brought them within two points of Liverpool at the top of the table. The Blues dominated the first half, with relentless pressure and a flurry of crosses testing Brentford’s defense before Marc Cucurella broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute, heading in a perfectly placed ball from Noni Madueke. Despite continuing their dominance early in the second half, the Blues struggled to secure a decisive second goal, allowing Brentford to grow into the game. After missing a key opportunity to double the lead, Nicolas Jackson redeemed himself with a clinical finish ten minutes from time. Although Bryan Mbeumo’s late strike gave the visitors a glimmer of hope, Chelsea’s resilience ensured the three points stayed at Stamford Bridge, solidifying their growing momentum in the title race.
What it means for the Blues going forward
The win felt like a statement—not just for the three points, but for what it means moving forward. With Liverpool dropping points to Fulham in a 2-2 draw, Arsenal stalling in a 0-0 against Everton, and Manchester City losing the Manchester Derby 2-1, this was a golden opportunity for Enzo Maresca’s side to close the gap—and they delivered.
Now just two points behind Liverpool at the top, the Blues are finally looking like a team with purpose and belief under Maresca. It wasn’t perfect—Bryan Mbeumo’s late goal gave everyone a scare, even Thiago Silva who was in attendance—but Chelsea got the job done. Wins like this, gritty and hard-fought, are what title contenders are made of. With Everton next, who just frustrated Arsenal, it’s another chance for the Blues to show they can handle the pressure and keep pace at the top. December is coming, and it’s about to get real.
Beautiful memories @ChelseaFC 💙🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Z7YG1lAVZw
— Thiago Silva (@tsilva3) December 15, 2024
CFC’s win had plenty of positives, but the aftermath left a sour note as Marc Cucurella saw red after the final whistle. The Spaniard, who had opened the scoring with a brilliant header, got himself caught up in a heated scuffle with Kevin Schade, earning a second yellow after the whistle.
The dismissal means Cucurella will miss Chelsea’s trip to Goodison Park next weekend—a blow for Maresca’s side given his growing influence in recent weeks. The Blues will now need to adjust their plans against Everton, whether it means Renato Veiga steps in or not. For a team riding high on momentum, it’s an unnecessary setback, but manageable.
What today proved is that this Chelsea side isn’t the finished product yet, but grinding out results like this is what separates good teams from great ones. Champions are built on nights like these—not just the dominant displays, but the gritty performances where you fight, scrap, and still find a way to win.
At the same time, it’s clear there’s still work to do. Missing big chances, especially against the top teams, is a habit that will cost us in the long run. The best sides don’t let you off the hook, and we’ve seen it before—they’ll make you pay. But you can see the growth. This group is young and still inexperienced, but they’re learning, improving, and finding ways to win tough games.
It’s early days, and no one’s handing out trophies yet, but Chelsea are putting themselves in the conversation. If we can sharpen up in those decisive moments, we’ll be a real problem for anyone. For now, though, being in the mix is exactly where we need to be.
"I've told you many times I would love the pressure to compete for titles but we are not ready for many reasons; one of the reasons why is because we cannot concede the goal we conceded, open the game and give them the chance to take a point here."
Enzo Maresca on the title race
Two horses and a little horse
This season’s main goal isn’t necessarily to win the title, but to lay the groundwork for future success—a philosophy that echoes what José Mourinho said in 2013-14. That season, Chelsea was right in the thick of the title race, battling with Liverpool and Man City until the very end. Despite doing the double over the eventual champions and second-place Liverpool, they ultimately fell short due to dropping points in matches they should have won against weaker opposition. Mourinho’s approach then was clear: that season was about evolution, and while Chelsea wasn’t quite ready to claim the title, they were building toward a stronger future. He stated that the following season, they would be ready, mature, and solid enough to truly challenge for the league, i.e., a nice little horse. Fast forward the following season, Chelsea wins the 2014-15 title.
Fast forward to today, and Chelsea’s situation feels somewhat similar, but in reverse. This season, the Blues have been efficient in getting the job done against teams they should be beating, showing growth and consistency. However, when it comes to the bigger challenges, such as Liverpool and Arsenal, they’ve struggled to get results. It’s a clear sign that while the team is improving, they’re not yet at the level needed to compete with the top contenders consistently.
Enzo Maresca’s words echo this sentiment. While Chelsea is clearly moving in the right direction, he’s under no illusion that they’re in the title race just yet. Like Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2013-14, this season is about laying the foundation—building maturity, solidifying the team’s core, and learning from these tests against the league’s best. The real goal is to position the team to be ready to fight for the title in the near future, when they’re truly capable of handling both the big challenges and the routine wins that come with a championship run. For now, time will tell if this season’s progress will be enough to put CFC in that conversation sooner rather than later.