Brentford vs Chelsea result

The match ended 0-0 and it will be Brentford counting more missed opportunities than their local visitors from Stamford Bridge, whose best attempts at goal were a shot in the second half that was kept out fairly comfortably, and a more difficult one to stop at the very end from Carney Chukwuemeka.

The home side certainly had the better of the first half without scoring. Again the Blues were grateful for Kepa’s current form when the Spaniard kept out two Bees’ headers, with threats at the other end few and far between.

Substitutions in the second half did give the Chelsea attacking play more impetus, with young Chukwuemeka in particular looking sharp on the ball, but still shots-on-target proved scarce until the very end and as a result, for the first time in a game under Potter we could not hit the net.

The selection

Graham Potter handing Armando Broja his first Blues start was the big news when the team sheets were handed in, the Albanian international’s selection one of five changes from the win at Villa Park at the weekend. Also coming into the starting line-up were half-time subs at the weekendThough the Blues came on stronger towards the end of the match than at any point earlier, Brentford had matched us for shots on target and provided an aerial threat to our goal, something the Chelsea head coach acknowledged after the final whistle.

‘Over the course of the game a point was fair,’ Potter said.

‘They had chances, we had chances, we pushed to the end and probably were more likely at the end to score but at the same time, over the course of the game, a point was about right.

‘Brentford make it very difficult for you to control. They do what they do really well, use the front two, use set pieces, long throws, long balls into the box that you have to deal with and make it unstable.

‘So not easy but the positives are a clean sheet and a point. That's four points in two away matches, which is positive and when we did control it, we did it quite well. It's a point and we have to move on.’

The coach started 21-year-old Armando Broja at the spearhead of the attack and brought 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka on among his second-half subs…

‘We saw with two or three actions in the first half what Armando’s about,’ Potter said, ‘which is he can attack space when there's big space behind, he can give you that possibility. Brentford press high and they leave space behind so we could use him.

‘We did it two or three times, we wanted to do it a little bit more than we did but I thought he did okay for his first start. Because it’s his first, we thought 60 minutes is about the maximum for him. Overall we are happy with him.

‘If you look at Carney’s attributes he is a big powerful boy that can run, and run away from people.

‘In a game like Brentford you're often in duels and you need physicality and he and Christian Pulisic did well when they came on, they affected the game.

‘Carney's a young player but he's got exciting attributes. We just need to help him reach his potential which is exciting.’

Potter explained why Conor Gallagher come off only 15 minutes into the game…

‘He just felt ill, like he was going be sick. We saw that he wasn't quite himself. Hopefully it's just a 24-hour thing but it affected him,’ and , plus and .

Chelsea came into this game with momentum – five wins on the spin leading up to this, the most recent four with clean sheets too.

Our west London rivals’ results had been up and down, but they beat Graham Potter’s former side Brighton last time out and after getting off to a good start in this game, were on the front foot for a lot of the first half.

Potter asked his side to play with a back three tonight, with and Marc Cucurella the wing-backs, and the defence were kept busy by the Bees in the early minutes. Kepa was forced to tip over a header from Ivan Toney – an inform goalkeeper denying an in-form centre-forward - and although that was the most clear-cut chance of the half, it was not the only pressure on our goal.

The home side had appeals for a penalty waved away when Bryan Mbeumo went down with Loftus-Cheek behind him. VAR agreed with the referee.

Early change

There was a further difficulty for Chelsea when Conor Gallagher was forced off with illness only 15 minutes played. was the replacement.

Cucurella made an important and strong challenge on Mbeumo to snuff out another Brentford attack and it took until half the first half had been played for Chelsea’s first real breakout moment – Broja not far at all from getting his forehead to an Azpilicueta cross.

The home side responded immediately but did not play their hand well when Frank Onyeka escaped behind Koulibaly. The Nigerian failed to pick out a team-mate in the middle to the Blues’ relief.

Kepa then again needed to be sharp to push the ball over when Onyeka was first to it after a free-kick had skimmed off the head of Loftus-Cheek towards goal.

Opening emerges

Chelsea did find a way to threaten Brentford before the break, when a Kovacic pass and Broja’s pace found Ben Mee lacking. However our young striker did not take an early opportunity to shoot and when he eventually flashed the ball across goal, Havertz could not react in time.

It would need a step-up from the team in the second half to repeat our two wins on our first visits to this stadium last season.

Unlike at Aston Villa, there were no changes made by Potter at half-time, but it was a more controlled start by us than the first half – at least that was until Brentford did not make the most of another two heading chances – the first directed tamely at Kepa by Mbeumo who was unmarked and very well placed, the second sent wide by Toney.

Time for change

With an hour played and with the Blues having not added to our first-half tally of one shot on target, three new players were brought on together – , Carney Chukwuemeka and Raheem Sterling given the task of making more happen.

Chukwuemeka almost instantly embarked on a forceful run with the ball from his own half to the Bees penalty area.

That was later followed by a flash of Havertz at his best when he moved the ball and shot quickly, properly testing David Raya in the Brentford goal.

Chukwuemeka’s ability to dribble at speed again threatened to make something happen but then home-side substitute Yoane Wissa had sight of the Chelsea goal before firing into the side-netting.

The game opened up in the later stages, and Kepa blocked a shot from Toney who had been forced wide, while at the other end Brentford threw bodies in the way of promising Chelsea attacks too.

Another substitute, , did dirty Raya’s gloves with a shot from distance, as did Pulisic.

In the closing moments a ball broke Chukwuemeka’s way and he forced a sharp near-post save from the Bees’ goalie. To have snatched it that way at the death would have been harsh on our opponents.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Kepa; Azpilicueta (c), Chalobah, Koulibaly; Loftus-Cheek, Gallagher (Kovacic 15), Jorginho, Cucurella (Pulisic 62); Havertz (Aubameyang 80), Mount (Chukwuemeka 62); Broja (Sterling 62).

Unused subs Mendy, Thiago Silva, Zakaria, Ziyech.

Brentford (3-5-2): Raya; Zanka, Mee, Pinnock; Roerslev, Onyeka (Baptiste 60), Janelt (Ghoddos 90+2), Jensen (Dasilva 72), Henry; Toney (c), Mbeumo (Wissa 72).

Unused subs Cox, Ajer, Damsgaard, Canos, Lewis-Potter.

Referee Jarred Gillett

Brentford vs Chelsea match stats and xG

Brentford vs Chelsea Premier League table

See the standings after today's game

What time are Brentford vs Chelsea highlights available?

Match highlights from this game will be available from 11.30pm UK time on matchday on chelseafc.com and The 5th Stand app. Extended highlights and the full match can be watched from midnight on Friday

Chelsea fixtures - what's next?

After two away fixtures it is back to the Bridge on Saturday for the hosting of Manchester United - always a big game!

Next fixture: Chelsea vs Man United

• Date: Saturday 22 October 2022

• Kick-off time: 5.30pm UK time

• Location: Stamford Bridge