Stop the press. Chelsea have finally recorded home Premier League points against Brentford. At the fourth time of asking.
A 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday night may have gone to current form (Blues are now within two points of league leaders Liverpool and play again before the Anfield outfit have their next turn) but it was as close, the second-half especially, as the scoreline suggests.
Thomas Frank can be proud of his players, despite making the short journey home empty-handed after three straight victories in this fixture, as the search for that elusive first away win of the season continues.
The Bees are back home next weekend – when Nottingham Forest, the current surprise package of the top flight, are the visitors – but until then we can reflect on a game which Brentford grew in to before coming unstuck as they chased an equaliser. Marc Cucurella grabbing the opening goal just prior to the interval as the Brentford backline was no longer able to repel the waves of pressure that had been washing over them all half.
The well-disciplined back five with Mads Roerslev coming in on the right and Sepp van den Berg moving inside, keeping everything that could be thrown at them out. Mark Flekken in nets setting the early tone with a fine stop from a powerful Jackson effort and then continuing that form every time the ball came near him. In truth though, it was largely one way traffic and the opener felt almost inevitable as Marc Cucurella headed home a Madueke cross with 43 minutes gone.
A brutal time to concede but at least Thomas Frank granted the relative luxury of being able to get his team back indoors moments later and deliver first hand guidance as to how things could be remedied. The answer, as always, being a simple one – start attacking.
With front foot forwards being the new protocol, accompanied by a raft of substitutions as Bees grew in to the game, the goal felt as though it was coming. Christian Norgaard and then Fabio Carvalho with the clearest of several chances.
The Brentford midfielders denied by a wonderful save from Sanchez and the crossbar respectively. The former, a beautifully struck volley. The later, one of those that perhaps should have gone in when hit from close range.
So, of course, it was Chelsea who scored next. Nicolas Jackson going down the other end and seeming to put the game to bed. Eluding Pinnock and drilling a low shot past Flekken from the edge of the box as he burst clear. It was well hit and, really, that should have been it. 80 minutes gone and Chelsea 2-0 up.
Yet on pushed Brentford. Kevin Schade breaking out of the box and then ending his own run forward with a slide rule pass to free Mbeumo. The Cameroon international timing his run to perfection and, this time, Sanchez was powerless to resist. Bryan with the calmest of finishes to guide it home for 2-1.
The deficit halved. 7 (seven) additional minutes shown on the board. A further roar from the travelling support as everything possible was done to urge the team on. The pressure building again. The equaliser threatening but, sadly, Chelsea simply too smart to get suckered in. Resolute defence combined with expert clock killing seeing that bonus time vanish into the ether and the game end in another reverse.
Correction. Seeing the game end in a red card for Cucurella. His second yellow card of the match, awarded for a petulant shove on Schade, seeing him ejected from the field of play and now missing the trip to Everton where a win would see Blues top the table (even if only for a few hours).
Still, that’s their problem. For Brentford, the question of when that first win on the road will come still hangs heavy in the air. A most irksome albatross around the neck of a side who play completely unfettered at home.
Yet, equally, one has to put it into the perspective of where those away visits have taken Thomas Frank’s team. Ironically the game at Manchester City perhaps one of those which, in retrospective, we’ll feel more frustrated about coming away from empty-handed. Given how things are currently playing out. This one at least saw genuine title contenders ran oh-so close.
For now though, there’s nothing we can do to change things until the post-Christmas visit to Brighton. So instead, time to look at the top five for Brentford. As always, five points being awarded for star player, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game-by-game to find an overall winner for the season.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 16 (vs Chelsea)
1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Christian Norgaard
Quite magnificent from the Captain.
His effort at goal in the second half will be what most observers will likely take away. Rightly so that we talk about it. It was a wonderfully hit ball. Caught so sweetly and seemingly destined for the top corner, until Sanchez did his thing.
C’est la vie – as B*Witched once sang.
For me, though, it was his doing what he normally does that really scoops the top spot. Playing in that holding role in front of the defence.
An evening where, first half especially, it was non-stop kitchen-sinkery from the hosts looking to put the game to bed before it could get going. They had enough attempts to open the scoring before eventually breaching the Brentford backline. That it took so long was as much down to Christian’s heroics.
He was streets ahead in that opening period and only accelerated his efforts as the game progressed. Cole who now? That the danger man didn’t get a look in was down to the captain. Pure and simple.
2nd (4 points) – Mark Flekken
And when the hosts DID get through, there was Mark to do his thing.
That last line of defence. That Dutch Master. Brentford’s number one. Looking ever better game on game on game. A player who, it seems incredible given his standing in our own top five, still only has one clean sheet to his name.
Yet if we’re being totally honest with ourselves, it is Mark who has kept us in games. Who has stopped a single goal becoming a rout. Who has given the team the ability and confidence to push on, knowing that things are on lockdown at the back.
This was one of those. Save followed save followed save in the opening period. He couldn’t do much about the first goal. Perhaps might have stopped the second but let’s be sporting and note just how well it was hit by Jackson.
The simple truth is that without Christian and Mark, this game would have been well out of sight by the time Brentford were able to get going.
3rd (3 points) – Yehor Yarmoliuk
A second top five appearance in as many games for Yehor.
He’s been biding his time from the B-team to the bench and now the opportunity has arisen – through injury to others – he has grasped it with both hands.
One has to remember he’s only 20 years old, such is the maturity and confidence he is playing with. The calibre and reputation of the opposition nothing to him.
This was another where it looked as though he had been part of the team for years, Sitting alongside the skipper one moment – suddenly breaking forwards and looking to build up play the next.
We all thought that once fit, Thomas was going to have problems fitting Jensen, Norgaard, Damsgaard and Janelt in to his starting XI. To that equation you can now add Yarmoliuk.
Certainly, based on these last few showings.
4th (2 points) – Bryan Mbeumo
What a goal from Bryan.
If anything, he had too much time as he called his run so well to then bear down on goal once released by Kevin Schade. Yet there he was with no pressure. No stress. Just dead calm to almost pass it home for the goal that lifts him to clear fourth in the Premier League scorer’s chart. Only Mo Salah, Cole Palmer and Erling Holland have scored more in the top flight this season.
That aside, on an evening where Brentford spent huge patches on the back foot – something reflected by most of our top five – at least Bryan was able to take the game to the opposition.
That he didn’t get a break as Thomas made all five of his substitutions shows, perhaps, just how much effort he was putting in. How much danger he threatened.
5th (1 point) – Nathan Collins
For me, the best of the defence.
I don’t recall him putting a foot wrong (don’t @me) as block and interception followed header and clearance. That precision of passing – not just out of the box but into Chelsea’s, too – was apparent to see.
As always, loitered with intent at the dead balls and on another day may have had a touch more good fortune in the Chelsea box. Still did more than enough to stand out in a game where it was as much about what the hosts did with their dominance and galaxy of stars as anything else.
2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Overall (after Matchweek 16)
All of which means that heading in to the Nottingham Forest game, Mikkel Damsgaard remains clear at the top of our chart although others are catching up…
1st – Mikkel Damsgaard (42 points)
2nd – Mark Flekken (36 points)
3rd – Bryan Mbeumo (30 points)
4th – Keane Lewis-Potter (29 points)
5th – Nathan Collins (25 points)
