Chelsea missed the chance to go top of the Premier League as Fabio Carvalho’s 93rd minute equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Brentford in Saturday’s west London derby.
The world champions paid for Enzo Maresca’s experimental team selection as Kevin Schade fired Brentford into a first-half lead.
Substitute Cole Palmer led the Chelsea revival on his return from injury to equalise before Moises Caicedo’s thunderous strike looked to have snatched all three points for the Blues.
But Brentford’s persistent threat from long throw-ins got its reward at the death when Carvalho was left unmarked to tap in from close range.
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Chelsea remain unbeaten this season but sit only fifth, one point behind the leading quartet of Arsenal, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Liverpool.
Maresca will wonder what might have been had he not seemingly had one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Bayern Munich.
Jorrel Hato struggled on his full Premier League debut, while Wesley Fofana only lasted 45 minutes on his first start of the season.
Facundo Buonanotte and Jamie Gittens were unimpressive in attacking areas as Chelsea were made to pay for wasting 45 minutes.
“We knew that it was a tough game,” Maresca told Sky Sports.
“In the first half, we struggled to find solutions, the space, because they were defending very good. I think second half we were much better. It’s a shame because we conceded in 93rd minute and we could manage better that moment.
“You have to be able to avoid transitions and set pieces – they scored from transitions and set pieces. It’s something we deal quite well with during the game but in the end, we concede and it’s a shame.”
Brentford's Fabio Carvalho. Bradley Collyer/PA via AP
Brentford's Fabio Carvalho. Bradley Collyer/PA via APSource: AP
Brentford saw Yoane Wissa join Bryan Mbeumo in leaving the club this week, stripping to Bees of a combined 39 Premier League goals last season.
The onus is on Schade to step into void left by the departed duo. The German delivered with his first of the season on 35 minutes.
Jordan Henderson’s through ball picked out Schade’s run and he cut inside Tosin Adarabioyo before firing into the bottom corner.
Maresca wasted no time in showing his dissatisfaction with a flat first 45 minutes.
Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Tyrique George replaced Hato, Fofana and Buonanotte at the break.
George forced Caoimhín Kelleher into a fine save, but the game truly turned on the introduction of Palmer on 56 minutes.
The England international missed the Blues previous two games through injury but showed no signs of rustiness to level five minutes after his arrival.
Joao Pedro did well to head down Enzo Fernandez’s cross and Palmer pounced for his first non-penalty Premier League goal since January.
Schade nearly restored Brentford’s lead straight away as Robert Sanchez got down smartly to his right to save.
Palmer should have doubled his tally when he fired too close to Kelleher with just the goalkeeper to beat after an electric burst from Pedro Neto.
But it was a more irregular source of goals who put Chelsea in front. Another Chelsea debutant Alejandro Garnacho’s cross was cleared to the edge of the box, where Caicedo was lurking and, after steadying himself, took aim to smash into the top corner.
Garnacho, though, undid his good work by switching off deep into stoppage time and allowing Carvalho to turn in Kristoffer Ajer’s flick-on.
Chelsea's English midfielder Cole Palmer.
Chelsea's English midfielder Cole Palmer.Source: AFP
Brentford boss Keith Andrews was promoted from the club’s set-piece coach after Thomas Frank left to take charge of Tottenham and said there has been too much “snobbery” around utilising long-throws.
“It’s not new to us,” said Andrews.
“I felt there’s a little bit of snobbery in the game around scenarios like that, but if the big boys do it then it seems to be accepted.”
A draw edges Brentford up to 12th with four points from their first four games.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth moved up to third thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s winner from the penalty spot to beat Brighton 2-1.
Kaoru Mitoma had cancelled out Alex Scott’s early strike for the Cherries.
Aston Villa remain without a goal this season but did succeed in blunting the threat of their former star Jack Grealish in a 0-0 draw away to a rejuvenated Everton.
Leeds were undone by a 94th minute own goal by Gabriel Gudmundsson to lose 1-0 at Fulham.
Sunderland’s strong start back in the Premier League continued by holding Crystal Palace in a 0-0 stalemate at Selhurst Park.
Lastly, Arsenal ruined Ange Postecoglou’s first game in charge of Nottingham Forest as Martin Zubimendi’s double sealed a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.