Brentford boss Keith Andrews praised Fabio Carvalho for showing patience after the midfielder came off the bench to score a late equaliser against Chelsea.
The former Fulham man has been a substitute in Premier League matches since starting the opening-day defeat by Nottingham Forest.
Carvalho has only made four league starts for Brentford since signing from Liverpool in the summer of 2024, but he had a vital impact to rescue a point after being introduced as a late substitute in the derby.
Andrews said: “If you look at last season there were some attacking players in the building who did pretty well.
“It was difficult. We had a front four that were sensational and it was pretty consistent. He had to bide his time.
“I think naturally sometimes when you’re a player and you feel like you have to gatecrash yourself into the team, you feel an extra layer of pressure to produce when you come onto the pitch and that correlates to a performance that’s not natural.
“I think I’ve got a really good relationship with Fabio where he trusts me and knows that I believe in him.
“I think the key with players is that you’ve got to be constantly in communication with them whether they’re playing or not.
“When they’re not playing it’s obviously a bit more difficult, but you still have to communicate with them and speak to them about the game.
“With Fabio I’ve just asked for a little bit of patience because I truly believe he will be a big player for this club.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Enzo Marescadefended his team selection for the game.
Get the latest direct to your phone – follow West London Sport’s WhatsApp channel
Follow