Chelsea Edge Brentford Despite Late Drama at Stamford Bridge
Enzo Maresca praised Chelsea’s resilience after their 2-1 victory over Brentford, despite a tense finish to the match. The Blues took the lead just before halftime when Marc Cucurella, the full-back, scored with a header after sustained pressure on Brentford’s defense.
Chelsea seemed to be in control of the game until Nicolas Jackson missed a golden opportunity by failing to score from close range. However, Jackson redeemed himself in the 80th minute, finishing a through ball from Enzo Fernandez with precision.
The game took a dramatic turn late on when Cucurella’s error allowed Brentford to gain possession, leading to Bryan Mbeumo’s composed finish past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Chelsea was then forced to play with 10 men after Cucurella received a red card, but they held on to secure the win, much to Maresca’s relief.
Player Ratings: Cucurella 8, Palmer 5.5 – Chelsea Players in Brentford Win
- Cucurella – 8: Strong defensively, scored the opening goal, and was sent off after the final whistle.
- Caicedo – 7.5: Won the ball that started the attack leading to the second goal, but was tackled in the build-up to Brentford’s lone goal.
- Madueke – 7: An inconsistent performance, but still caused problems for the opposition. Delivered a brilliant cross for Cucurella’s goal.
- Jackson – 7: Missed an open-net chance but later scored a great goal. Substituted later in the game.
- Palmer – 5.5: Played a quiet game, possibly due to limping early on.
The rest:
- Sanchez – 7
- Gusto – 6.5
- Tosin – 6.5
- Colwill – 7
- Fernandez – 7
- Sancho – 6
- Nkunku – n/a
