Photo: ©️ Capital Football
Photo: ©️ Capital Football
Brentford (1) 2 v Chelsea (0) 2
Premier League
Matchweek 4
Talking Points
By Kaz Mochlinski at the Brentford Community Stadium
A lap of honour by the players and coaching staff after a home draw, just four games into the new season, may seem a little bit excessive, but Brentford’s 93rd minute equaliser against Chelsea had prompted a totally justifiable mood of celebration.
Maybe it was due to the rare added joy, unique to modern day top level football, of the 95th minute VAR review not ruling out the goal. Or simply the delight of getting a result against the rich neighbours and supposedly the biggest club in West London.
This was the fourth consecutive time that Brentford have managed to draw at home with Chelsea, who have now not succeeded in winning there since 2021. The sequence of scores has very neatly been 0-0, 2-2, 0-0, 2-2.
But this time it felt different and more significant. Brentford’s team was eviserated over the summer, losing their goalkeeper, their most experienced defender, their central midfielder and captain, plus both of their two leading scorers in attack.
The departures of Mark Flekken, Ben Mee, Christian Nørgaard, Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa were greatly exacerbated by head coach Thomas Frank also leaving, resulting in the club having to try and replace the apparently irreplaceable.
Keith Andrews may not have been the most widely-known candidate to take over from Frank, but he has instantly impressed everyone who has had contact with him during his initial transition period from Brentford’s set-piece coach to head coach.
Photo: ©️ Capital Football
Photo: ©️ Capital Football
A clear communicator, lucid and eloquent, Andrews provides continuity in being very similar to Frank in his positivity and enthusiasm, although he is a little more reserved and self-possessed in contrast to his popular predecessor’s openly-passionate nature.
Andrews was at the heart of the post-match lap of honour, which would have been akin to an unexpected bonus present on his 45th birthday. From the football perspective, he deserved it for the substitution and set-piece that produced the equalising goal.
Cole Palmer had scored Chelsea’s own earlier leveller just five minutes after being brought on from the bench. Fábio Carvalho managed his late intervention even more quickly, as it took him only four minutes from coming on to grab a point for his side.
The best statistic so far this season might be that each of Carvalho’s last four goals in the Premier League have been scored in the 89th minute or later, including all three which he has got for Brentford, partly as that is the time when he is most often used.
Chelsea may have been feeling cursed by the sign of four when they left Brentford. Carvalho’s fourth consecutive late league goal. The Blues’ fourth away game in a row against the Bees without a win. Four dropped points already in this campaign.
The end of a sequence of four London derbies starting off Chelsea’s season. And the start of four away games in just 10 days, against Brentford, Bayern München in the Champions League, Manchester United, and Lincoln City in the League Cup.
Chelsea will do well in this series to match their results to date in 2025-26 of two victories, two draws, and no defeats.
Photo: ©️ Capital Football
Photo: ©️ Capital Football