In the 22nd round of the Premier League, Chelsea clinched a solid 2-0 victory against Brentford at Stamford Bridge. João Pedro opened the scoring in the 25th minute, breaking the deadlock, while Cole Palmer sealed the win with a penalty in the 75th minute of the second half.
Brentford’s Mathias Jensen came close to equalizing in the first half, hitting the post in the 37th minute, but ultimately could not find the net. Despite several opportunities, Brentford struggled with accuracy, managing only 10 shots on target out of 15 attempts, with one hitting the woodwork and four going wide.
The standout performer of the match was Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana, who made critical defensive contributions, clearing five dangerous balls. Meanwhile, João Pedro, who played a pivotal role in the attack, not only scored but also managed 16 accurate passes and took two shots at goal.
Coach Liam Rosenior set up Chelsea in a 4-3-3 formation with Robert Sánchez as goalkeeper; Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Marc Cucurella in defence; Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, and Cole Palmer in midfield; and Pedro Neto, João Pedro, and Alejandro Garnacho in a forward line.
Brentford, under the guidance of Keith Andrews, adopted a 4-5-1 strategy with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal; Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Ajer, Nathan Collins, and Rico Henry in defence; Yegor Yarmolyuk, Vitaly Janelt, Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen, and Kevin Schade in midfield; and Igor Thiago leading the line.
The referee for the match was John Brooks.
Following this match, Chelsea will visit Crystal Palace in the next round, while Brentford will host Nottingham Forest at Griffin Park. Chelsea currently sits in sixth place with 34 points, while Brentford follows closely in seventh with 33 points.
Substitutions for Chelsea
56’ 2H – Alejandro Garnacho came off for Andrey Santos and Tosin Adarabioyo was replaced by Wesley Fofana. 73’ 2H – João Pedro was substituted by Liam Delap. 84’ 2H – Enzo Fernández left the pitch for Jorrel Hato and Reece James was substituted by Joshua Acheampong.
Yellow Cards for Chelsea
21’ 2H – Marc Cucurella (unsportsmanlike conduct), 37’ 2H – Wesley Fofana (arguing with an opponent), and 46’ 2H – Cole Palmer (insulting or disagreeing with the referee).
Substitutions for Brentford
76’ 2H – Mikkel Damsgaard was replaced by Dango Ouattara. 81’ 2H – Rico Henry and Kevin Schade came off for Aaron Hickey and Keane Lewis-Potter respectively. 93’ 2H – Yegor Yarmolyuk left the field for Romelle Donovan.
Yellow Cards for Brentford
35’ 1H – Kevin Schade (arguing with an opponent) and 48’ 1H – Vitaly Janelt (unsportsmanlike conduct).