Chelsea recorded their fifth consecutive loss in all competitions after a Cesar Azpilicueta own goal led to a 2-0 defeat against Brentford in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
It was a relatively uneventful first half with both teams struggling to create quality attacking chances.
After Chelsea’s best spell of the match, Brentford won a corner which saw Mathias Jensen’s cross flicked goalwards by Zanka. The ball then hit Azpilicueta and went past Kepa Arrizabalaga to give the visitors the lead.
Frank Lampard opted to make some changes at half-time bringing on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mykhailo Mudryk, and opting to revert to a back-four.
Chelsea came out after the break a completely different side, with several chances falling to Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling, and Aubameyang, whose looping header in the 55th minute beat David Raya and landed on top of the goal.
The hosts though were unable to take any of their chances, and after a triple change from Thomas Frank, Brentford rediscovered their defensive stability and were able to match Chelsea’s intensity.
The visitors were patient without the ball, and reaped the rewards by scoring their second in the 78th minute after Bryan Mbeumo carried the ball from the half-way line before cutting inside past Wesley Fofana and firing the ball into the back of the net, with a deflection leaving Arrizabalaga stranded.
Up next for Chelsea will be another London derby as they take on Arsenal at the Emirates while Brentford will look to build on their win against Nottingham Forest.
TALKING POINT: CHELSEA CONTINUE THEIR WOES
The brief spell early in the second-half was a rare positive for Chelsea, but overall they were once again outclassed overall by their opponent.
It was a strange starting line-up made by Lampard, which saw N’Golo Kante and Conor Gallagher start up front alongside Raheem Sterling, who was deployed as a number nine.
From before the first whistle, it was clear that the attacking formation would not work, and with Chelsea already struggling to score this season, it made little sense for Lampard to overload the team with midfielders.
Once he brought on attacking changes, it was an improvement, but it wasn’t sustained, and there was no adaptability to Chelsea’s game once Brentford made their tweaks.
All in all, the loss is yet another reminder that Chelsea will need a lot of coaching to get back to competing for Europe next season. The decision to appoint Lampard also looks to make less sense as the days go on with the former Chelsea midfielder sacked from Everton earlier this season after a poor losing streak.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: ETHAN PINNOCK
It wasn’t Brentford’s best display this season, but after six matches without a win, they won’t care.
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It certainly wasn’t the best attacking performance, but defensive stability ensured the clean sheet and the win. Pinnock’s ten clearances, one interception, and one tackle ensured that Chelsea’s forward players remained at bay, and alongside David Raya, who made four saves, and Ben Mee, who contributed three clearances and three tackles, they’ve become a core part of an underrated Premier League defence.
