Chelsea start their Liam Rosenior’s Premier league tenure with an important win at home against Brentford in a local derby as they broke their winless streak in a 2-0 victory to ease pressure on their new coach in a very tensed and high demanding job which excited the passionate fanbase who have been making recent protests against the club hierarchy as recent as today.
The game was one of physicality and intensity with questions being asked of the Chelsea players by Keith Andrews men which the Chelsea team responding well to be ready enough for the contest. The opener came just after the half-hour mark when João Pedro latched onto an inviting pass and rifled a low strike beyond Brentford keeper Mark Flekken. which was ruled for an offside but after been reviewed by VAR was cleared to be a valid goal for Chelsea which gave the Blues a platform to step the game up a notch as the Blues’ intensity climbed from there, with the midfield trio of Palmer, Enzo and Caicedo controlling territory and tempo of the game
The game showed the tactical soundness of Liam Rosenior who constantly dropped notes and called his players to the touchline to give several tactical instructions in game which was clear on the pitch with constant running, physicality and fast plays alongside ball movements with combinations. He also made early substitutions in the second half introducing Andrey Santos to help resist the constant attacking pressure of the Brentford side.
Brentford responded with organization, particularly through Christian Nørgaard, but their defensive shape was finally broken in the 76th minute when Cole Palmer coolly converted a penalty after substituted Liam Delap forced a penalty kick after an erratic pass from the Brentford goalkeeper, Kelleher who clipped the striker in the box forced the referee’s decision which gave the Blues an important 2-0 lead.
Chelsea’s energy in transition was a hallmark of the win with quick releases from midfield found space out wide for Palmer and Pedro Neto, whose direct runs unsettled Brentford’s back line. At the other end, centre-back Wesley Fofana who replaced Tosin anchored Chelsea’s defense with key interventions that stifled Brentford’s efforts to bounce back.
This result lifts Chelsea’s spirits and points tally, as they look to build consistency in a tightly packed mid-table battle
