Chilwell rocket stuns Bees and sends Chelsea to the summit
NOW he has started scoring again, Ben Chilwell cannot stop. And once he decided he was not going to let Brentford through, there was no beating Edouard Mendy either.
For the third game running for club and country, left-back Chilwell scored, his latest effort proving the match-winner against Brentford and returning Chelsea to the top of the Premier League.
Following a disappointing Euro 2020 campaign with England that left him ‘mentally tired’ in the words of manager Thomas Tuchel, Chilwell seems keen to make up for lost time.
After he struck on the stroke of half-time, Chelsea owed this incredibly hard-fought victory to how the brilliant, defiant Mendy and his backline after they somehow repelled intense second-half pressure.
Five Chelsea players were included on the 30-man list for the prestigious Ballon d’Or gong this week but Mendy was not among them.
Asked if his goalkeeper merited inclusion, Tuchel replied: ‘Yes. But I’m happy. And it’s more important that he performs like this as he did today than that he’s on any list.
‘We relied on him heavily again today, he’s the guy who performs so well for us and that we’re so happy for. So everything is good.’
Getting anything at Brentford is not easy, as beaten Arsenal and held Liverpool would have testified before Chelsea arrived at their London rivals. They now have their own experience but managed to survive it and leave with three points.
Malang Sarr’s was the standout selection when the line-ups dropped, Tuchel handing the French defender his Premier League debut in the absence of Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.
After an opening that was largely uneventful, other than for a solid beginning from Sarr and some classy contributions from Ruben LoftusCheek, a first burst of real action arrived midway through the half.
From Sergi Canos’s hanging cross, Ethan Pinnock and Christian Norgaard kept the ball alive before Bryan Mbeumo bounced an effort into the ground and off the post.
Following that escape, Chelsea went up the other end and Romelu Lukaku beat David Raya with a side-footed finish on the run.
He thought he had scored his first Chelsea goal since mid-September but the assistant referee had other ideas, raising his flag.
It was far from one-way traffic but Chelsea looked the more likely scorers. And Brentford were unable to hold out with Chelsea breaking through just before the break.
After Pontus Jansson got a crucial touch to divert Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross away from Lukaku, the ball ran perfectly for Chilwell.
The 24-year-old displayed his impressive ball-striking technique to smash a volley past a helpless Raya.
On the balance of play, it was a goal Chelsea probably deserved.
And the visitors remained relatively comfortable at the start of the second half. But sometimes it does not take much for the momentum in a game to shift.
A misplaced header from Sarr first gave the home fans encouragement and then a proper tussle for the ball between Ivan Toney and Trevoh Chalobah brought them well and truly back to life.
Lukaku was then perfectly placed at the backpost to head away Canos’ cross, with Pinnock waiting behind him to pounce.
And, with Brentford in the ascendancy, when Azpilicueta went over during a break in play to help goalkeeper Mendy adjust his boots, it was hard not to wonder if it was a wily stalling tactic from Chelsea’s experienced captain.
In truth, it made little difference. Mendy had to react to push away Toney’s effort before Mbeumo hit the post again and Chelsea scrambled the danger away.
Brentford then thought they had a penalty when Chalobah pulled back Toney but the assistant flagged again.
As the game entered the final 10 minutes, Chelsea were defending deeper and desperately.
Mendy’s brilliant, brave saves from Saman Ghoddos and Jansson, Chalobah’s goal-line clearance to deny Norgaard and more vital contributions from Sarr and Azpilicueta were needed.
Thomas Frank could not believe his team were unable to find a way through, turning to the crowd with his head in his hands and a look of bewilderment on his face. But Mendy had not finished frustrating Frank and Brentford, saving his very best for last a stunning reaction save to tip Norgaard’s overhead kick onto the bar and over.
Frank said: ‘Mendy was absolutely world class. I just said to him it was a little bit annoying that he was so good today. So I just praised him.’ BRENTFORD (3-5-2): Raya; Jorgensen, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos (Ghoddos 72), Jensen, Norgaard, Onyeka (Forss 67), Henry; Toney, Mbuemo. Subs (not used): Fernandez, Thompson, Goode, Ajer, Bidstrup, Roerslev, Maghoma. Canos.
CHELSEA (3-5-2): Mendy; Chalobah, Christensen, Sarr; Azpilicueta (James 89), Kante, Kovacic (Mount 65), Loftus-Cheek, Chilwell; Lukaku (Havertz 77), Werner. Kovacic. used): Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Jorginho, Saul, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi. Booked: