Good afternoon, I’m here today to cover this all London affair as Brentford host Chelsea at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Brentford fans and players alike will no doubt be relishing another big game as they look to continue their impressive start to their first-ever Premier League season. A win for The Bees would see them move up to 3rd in the table, a start their fans would have snapped your hand off for before the season started.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will be determined to reclaim their place at the top of the table after Liverpool’s victory over Watford earlier today.
We’re all expecting a brilliant game of football with kick off coming at 5:30pm.
15 minutes until kick off here’s the team news:
Here come the teams! The Brentford Community Stadium is packed and full of noise in anticipation for what will hopefully be an exciting game.
1 min: Timo Werner gets us underway here after all players have taken the knee. There’s no room for racism.
3 min: Chelsea seeing more of the ball in the opening minutes as we might have expected. Today’s game is the first time these two teams have met in the league since 1947.
7 min: Positionally both teams are set up similarly with a flat midfield 3 with 2 strikers. Werner and Mbeumo have both looked to spin off into the channels to receive the ball in the early exchanges.
10 min: Onyeka is down and receiving some treatment after a coming together with Loftus-Cheek. There didn’t look too much in it but it has obviously brought some discomfort to Onyeka and it looks like there could be a possible change.
13 min: Fortunately Onyeka is back on the field and play resumes.
16 min: Chelsea have a freekick about 25 yards from the Brentford goal after Onyeka trips Kovacic.
17 min: Lukaku steps up but his effort hasn’t curled anywhere near as much as he would like and it’s far wide of the left-hand post.
22 min: Off the post! A cross from deep into the Chelsea box bounces around a number of times before ending up at the feet of Mbeumo who’s bouncing effort loops over Mendy but it comes back off the post and Chelsea scramble it clear.
22 min: Offside! Chelsea break on the counter attack from Mbeumo’s chance and Werners low cross from the left flank is swept home by Lukaku, but the linesman’s flag goes up. Many fantasy players would have been really hoping that was given. This game has suddenly burst into life.
27 min: A freekick from distance by Kovacic is deflected up by the wall and comes looping back down onto the roof of the net. I’m sure that certainly had a few Brentford hearts in mouths for a second.
33 min: Brentford have numbers in the box and Mbeumo has the chance to cross but it’s straight down the throat of Mendy. Chelsea continue to complain to the referee as they believe there was a foul on the edge of the box. Didn’t look like they had much of a case to me.
37 min: A long pass over the top of Brentford’s defence is headed down to Lukaku by Chilwell, who lays it off for Werner on the edge of the box but he fails to compose himself and puts too much on the strike. Chelsea’s best chance of the first half.
41 min: Into the final 5 minutes of the first half, been a fairly even affair thus far.
45 min: GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Chelsea (Chilwell) There’s the opening goal and it’s Ben Chilwell who continues his great run of form in front of goal. He scored for England over the international break and he’s scored here again for Chelsea. Azpilicueta’s cross is headed out by a Brentford defender but only as far as Chilwell on the edge of the box who rifles in a beautifully struck half-volley into the top left-hand corner. A wonderful strike to give Chelsea the lead.
Half Time: Brentford 0-1 Chelsea. Ben Chilwell’s strike late in the first half is the difference between the two sides. Chelsea don’t concede many and if they can secure another clean sheet through the second half they’ll return to the top of the table.
46 min: Brentford get the second half underway.
51 min: A slow start to the second half with Chelsea in calm control of possession. 80% of the possession to be exact.
57 min: Brentford are starting to get a little bit more of the ball now. A corner from the right was followed by another two crosses back into the box, however, all found the head of a Chelsea defender.
60 min: Loftus-Cheek has been very calm under pressure in the heart of the Chelsea midfield so far today. Resisting the Brentford press numerous times and driving forward with the ball.
64 min: Possible changes for both sides as Mount and Ghoddos appear to be readying themselves.
65 min: Speaking of which, Chelsea act first and Mason Mount replaces Mateo Kovacic. Followed by Marcus Forss replacing Frank Onyeka.
68 min: Space looks to have opened up for Toney on the edge of the box but everyone in the ground is stunned as he opts for a backheel that ends up at the feet of a Chelsea defender. He should have shot.
70 min: The linesman’s flag has saved Lukaku’s blushes there. A glorious chance for the Belgian is blazed over the bar from close range.
74 min: Mendy is being forced into a lot more action now, much better from the home side. First, he has to stop a bouncing volley from Toney before having to rush out his goal to clear a through ball aimed at Forss.
75 min: Off the post again! Mbeumo must be starting the wonder how many goals he’d win the golden boot by if the goal was a foot taller and wider. This time his left-footed effort comes off the foot of the right-hand post.
76 min: Toney is down in the box with big shouts from the Brentford players and fans for a penalty. It certainly did look like one to me but Toney was offside when the ball was played. All Brentford at the minute.
83 min: Mendy saves Chelsea again. He’s quick off his line to close down and stop a powerful, low strike. Norgaard’s rebounded effort is hooked off the line by Chalobah. Chelsea are really having to hang on now.
86 min: Mendy again! This one was even better. Jansson looked destined to score with a volley on the six-yard box but it is saved miraculously by the flying hand of Edouard Mendy.
88 min: Mendy now receiving treatment from the medical staff. Upon replay, it turned out he saved Jansson’s volley with his face. Talk about putting your body on the line. Chelsea will be very thankful for his display and this current respite from the relentless Brentford attack.
90 min: 4 minutes of added time here, 4 more minutes for Chelsea to hold out.
93 min: Mendy with another brilliant save to deny a tremendous Norgaard bicycle kick. The Chelsea goalkeeper has just been awarded man of the match, I’m not sure anyone can really argue with that.
Full Time: Brentford 0-1 Chelsea. Chelsea return to the top of the table but it certainly wasn’t easy. Brentford threw everything they possibly could have at the Chelsea goal but Edouard Mendy was in unbeatable form to ensure Ben Chilwell’s brilliant volley brought all 3 points back to Stamford Bridge. A brilliant game for the neutrals.
