Brentford 0-1 Chelsea – Five Key Takeaways – Talk Chelsea

The below were my five key takeaways from our 1-0 Premier League win against Brentford on 17 October 2021 at Brentford Community Stadium.

1. Chilwell continues hot streak with super strike

Not so long ago there was a lot of chatter in the Chelsea community about when would England international and rising left back / left wing-back Ben Chilwell make his way back into the squad.

For the most part, fans were accepting that Marcos Alonso has been playing reasonably well to commence the campaign, but given his latter performances whereby he was showing signs of fatigue, this represented an opportunity for Ben to try and recapture the strong form from last season.

To his credit, since being reintegrated back into the squad, he has improved each time out including scoring an important goal before the international break against Southampton, getting called back up for England, and then scoring another top-shelf goal in the first half with a thunderous strike that would prove to be the winner.

The supposed mental weight that was thought to be holding Ben down appears to be lifted and with that, Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea fans are seeing the rising star that they had been accustomed to seeing. If he can maintain this momentum, he could be a pivotal figure for the Blues’ title charge.

2. Mendy the man mountain in inspired form

Earlier in the week Liverpool striker Sadio Mane publicly expressed his disbelief and disappointment that Edouard (Ed) Mendy did not make the Ballon D’or candidates list. While I am certainly not a fan of the Reds, I concur 100% with the star striker in this regard.

It is truly baffling that someone who produces consistently high-quality performances and is such an influential figure for his team is somehow overlooked for this year’s major individual award.

His heroic display against a spirited Brentford side, particularly in the final 20 minutes, was nothing short of inspirational. Not only did big Ed aka ‘Spider Mendy’ throw himself about acrobatically to make some eye-catching and jaw-dropping saves, but he constantly put his body on the line with no regard for self-preservation for the good of the cause.

Make no mistake, he was the difference and ensure that the Blues walked away with a hugely important 3 points against a team who has shown they can mix it with the big boys this season.

Ed might not have made the Ballon D’or final cut (somehow), but those that watch top flight football know he is right up there in terms of the best goalkeepers going around at present. For now, us Blues fans are grateful for what Mendy does and brings to the team each game.

3. Ruben’s rise cannot be ignored

The continued re-emergence of Ruben Loftus-Cheek is starting to become a genuine feel-good story of the season for Blues fans. Ruben has been a player that Chelsea fans have been in awe of since he was a young lad and have wanted him to fulfil his potential given how high his ceiling is.

Through a combination of both highly unfortunate injuries and constant change at the club in recent seasons, genuine opportunities for Ruben to impress have been extremely limited.

This season many thought Loftus-Cheek would continue his trend of going out on loan given the plethora of midfielders at the Blues’ disposal. However, a move away from Stamford Bridge did not occur and consequently the physically gifted specimen has slowly started gaining the trust of Tuchel and his performances when picked have been impressive to say the least.

Against Brentford, particularly in the first half, the 25-year-old Englishman was scintillating. Often in deep areas when receiving the ball, Ruben would either use his strength to hold-off an opponent or two, calmly pass the ball to a team mate, or when the opportunity presented itself, dribble past his marker and go on a mesmerising run.

The way he glides past the opposition and moves around the park makes Ruben a truly unique and valuable player. He has gone from peripheral figure to one of the most in-form players who has a real opportunity over the next set of fixtures to cement his spot on a more regular basis.

P.s. it is also worth mentioning that his midfield partners Kanté and Kovacic were also very strong during the first hour or so and therefore this may be a midfield trio we may get used to seeing more regularly throughout the season.

4. Sarr a star in Premier League debut

When Thomas Tuchel confirmed that both Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger would be out for this fixture, it is safe to say that there was a bit of a collective angst amongst the Blues community. Given the experience, form, aggression and leadership of Silva and Rudiger that would be missed, this was always going to be a stern test for those selected against a physically demanding Brentford.

As it turned out, the trio of Christensen, Azpilicueta and Sarr stood firm following an onslaught from the Bees and gave their all to help ensure the Blues would secure yet another London derby win (their 7th consecutive away London derby win, new English record per OptaJoe).

In particular, the Premier League debutant Malang Sarr was exceptional. During the clash, Malang made a game-high 10 clearances and 6 interceptions, and also was third in the tackle count (3) and possession won (10) departments.

While Rudiger and Silva have earned their regular starting spot, it is comforting to know that Tuchel has genuine depth and quality at his disposal in a crucial position. Perhaps we will see more of Malang in the coming weeks to test himself more given the relatively more favourable set of fixtures in this period.

5. Brentford will sting many opponents this season

It must be said that Brentford were highly spirited, brave and showed plenty of ambition to try and fight their way back into the match when others may have simply reverted to damage control. On another day, and against a human goalkeeper, the headlines could have very well been different.

While the Blues took a deserved lead in the first half, similar to some parts of last season and the season before that, the Blues lack of ruthlessness in front of goal would given their opponents self-belief that they could claw their way back into it. Despite being largely in control for the first hour, Chelsea did not capitalise on this general dominance and they almost paid the ultimate price.

As noted above, the final 20 minutes at Brentford Community Stadium saw wave after wave of attack from the home side. Pushed on by the highly vocal and passionate Bees fans, one got the sense that an equalising goal would come at some point. Fortunately for the Blues they were saved by the superhuman efforts of Mendy and also some heroic last-ditch defending to give them a truly hard-fought 1-0 victory,

The Bees have already stung some big name opponents in Arsenal and West Ham, and also managed to hold Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool 3-3 and the rising Villains 1-1, to demonstrate that they are a team to be both respected and feared.

Like many, I look forward to closely monitoring their progress this season under Thomas Frank who is doing some wonderful things with Brentford.

Final Comments

To be a Premier League champion, it’s not always about playing beautiful football, but ensuring the right outcome reached. In other words, the end result will always trump performance. Generally speaking, playing good should mean winning, but, it’s the ability to grind out a win when not playing your best that is a classic indicator for any aspiring title contender.

In this match, Chelsea showed some real quality with the ball in stages in the first 60-70 minutes but then had to rely on their defensive skills to help carry them across the finish line.

Thomas Tuchel was open in his post-match assessment and acknowledged that his side was both good at times and also relied on some luck and with that, I imagine he will be working tirelessly to help improve his side’s attacking elements given this game should have been put to bed before the Brentford onslaught began.

Key to this issue is how to extract the maximum from Romelu Lukaku and more broadly, which front three will be the most potent all-round in addition to supporting the star Belgian.

For now, securing a hugely-important result without the likes of Silva, Rudiger and Pulisic, and only a freshly returned Reece James, will hopefully give the Blues confidence for the next run of matches before the next international break.

Until then, bring on Malmo!

Come on you Blues!

Twitter: @RJ_Goodthings