A fairly drab first half of action was only occasionally brought to life by a promising performance from N'Golo Kante as the Frenchman continues to return to form following a lengthy injury absence.

However, after almost 40 minutes which rarely promised a goal, Brentford took a lucky lead before half-time, when Zanka's header from a corner bounced off Cesar Azpilicueta and went in for an own goal.

A change in system at the break saw Chelsea come out for the second half much improved and Kante fizzed a low drive narrowly wide, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's header looped just over and then the striker had three opportunities to test goalkeeper David Raya, but was unable to truly trouble the Spaniard despite finding the target on each occasion.

But, when a Brentford counter-attack 10 minutes from the finish ended with Bryan Mbeumo's shot deflecting in off Thiago Silva at the near post, Chelsea's chances of getting anything from the game came to a close.

The selection

Frank Lampard made three changes to his team, all of them forced upon him by injury. They included Kai Havertz, who missed the game after picking up a knee problem and was replaced in attack by Raheem Sterling. Behind him, Conor Gallagher and N’Golo Kante both retained their places.

The other two alterations to the line-up came on the wings, where Reece James had been ruled out for the rest of the season by suffering a hamstring injury, making way for the return of Cesar Azpilicueta to skipper the side on his first appearance since going off with a head injury against Southampton more than two months ago. Ben Chilwell came in for Marc Cucurella on the left in third change due to injury.

Enzo Fernandez and Mateo Kovacic continued in midfield, while the back three of Wesley Fofana, Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah ahead of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga were also unchanged.

Slow start

It was an even opening, but with Brentford marginally the more dangerous of the two teams, primarily due to the problems they were causing with their high press. We were a little fortunate to escape one instance, when Brentford tried to counter after Kepa’s clearance, under pressure from Ivan Toney, was picked up by a red and white shirt in space on the halfway line.

Chalobah then did well to snuff out dangerous openings for Brentford three times in quick succession, first using his strength to turn away from Frank Onyeka after receiving an under-hit pass from Enzo, then doing similarly to control an awkward ball from Kepa under pressure in the corner of the pitch, before he slid in to intercept a through-ball destined for Yoane Wissa in the box.

In addition to removing the Brentford threat, the last of those interventions also led to Chelsea’s most promising attack of the opening exchanges, as Chilwell exchanged passes with Gallagher on the left to launch a counter-attack of our own and charge into the penalty area, but his low pass across goal was cleared by a sliding Ben Mee before it could reach Sterling at the far post.

It was the sign that we were starting to match the threat Brentford had been posing, with Thiago Silva then heading Kante’s cross straight at Raya to draw the first save of the game shortly after the 20-minute mark. In truth, as we made it to a third of the game gone, it was far from a classic with little sign that an opening goal could be in the offing at either end of the pitch.

The one bright spark so far had been the lively Kante, who was continuing to look closer to his best after missing most of the season through injury. Indeed, it was his willingness to run at the Brentford defenders and put them on the back-foot, not for the first time in the match, which allowed Enzo to force a slightly more strenuous save from Raya with a curling effort from range, but again it was a stop you would expect the Spaniard to make comfortably.

Behind at the break

Chelsea seemed to grow slightly in confidence after that, with Sterling close to getting on the end of a clever quick free-kick lifted over the Brentford defence by Enzo, but then before half-time we went behind in unfortunate fashion.

It came from a set-piece, as Brentford floated a hanging corner towards the penalty spot from their left. Zanka got up highest towards the front of the queue to get a slight flick on it with his head. The ball was still heading across goal, but Azpilicueta was close behind and had already jumped expecting a better contact from the Bees player, meaning he couldn't react and move his body as the slight change to the flight caused the ball to strike him on his side rather than his head, and bounce inside the far post for an own goal.

Chelsea respond

Lampard clearly felt that called for changes in the second half, responding with a double substitution and a change of formation during the break. Azpilicueta and Gallagher both made way, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mykhailo Mudryk joining Sterling in a three-man attack as we took on a 4-3-3 shape.

It nearly paid off within minutes. We instantly started the second half with a much greater level of control, keeping the ball and moving it around while starting to find pockets of space out wide. That nearly produced a quick equaliser, as Chalobah’s cross was only headed out as far as Kante, who controlled and spun to drill a low shot across goal on the bounce, but it fizzed wide of the right-hand post.

We started to increase the pressure, Kante continuing to be at the centre of things, and then some of those inside Stamford Bridge thought one of our half-time introductions had levelled the scores. Thiago Silva faded a lovely pass towards Sterling at the back post and the winger rose well to get his head on it above the defender. Aubameyang was alert and beat the goalkeeper to the dropping ball, but stretching to reach it with Raya’s fist flying out he couldn’t get above the ball, with his header dropping just beyond the crossbar onto the roof of the net.

The tempo of the game had definitely increased since half-time, too, which seemed to favour the Blues more than our west London neighbours, and Aubameyang found the target with two more openings for Chelsea, but was unable to truly test Raya with either of them as his finishes seemed to lack power and conviction.

Chance gone

However, Brentford managed to get their composure back. While Chelsea remained undeniably in the ascendancy, we weren’t really threatening to create chances and find a way back level like we had earlier in the half.

Instead, it was Brentford who extended their lead on the counter-attack. A quick exchange of passes in their own half allowed them to release Mbeumo down the right channel. Last man Fofana stuck with him and slowed him down to allow back-up to arrive as the substitute charged forward, but he was still able to cut inside through the crowd of Blues defenders and get a shot away, which deflected off Thiago Silva's heel and up over the dive of Kepa at the near post.

It was another slice of luck for Brentford as it looked as though the Blues keeper may well have kept it out if it weren't for that deflection, but as harsh as it seemed for a Chelsea side who had restricted the Bees to a single shot on target all evening, that made it 2-0 and ended our chances of salvaging a point from the game.

What's next?

Chelsea have another free weekend without a fixture coming up, meaning our next match isn't until Tuesday 2 May, when we travel across London to face Arsenal in the Premier League, with kick-off at 8pm.

Chelsea (3-5-2): Kepa; W. Fofana, Thiago Silva, Chalobah; Azpilicueta (c) (Mudryk h-t), Kante, Enzo (Joao Felix 79), Kovacic, Chilwell; Sterling (Madueke 79), Gallagher (Aubameyang h-t)
Unused subs: Mendy, Badiashile, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic, Ziyech
Booked: W. Fofana 72

Brentford (3-5-2): Raya; Pinnock, Zanka, Mee; Roerslev, Jensen (Baptiste 62), Onyeka (Damsgaard 62), Janelt, Henry (Hickey 90+1); Toney (c) (Schade 82), Wissa (Mbeumo 62)
Unused subs: Cox, Stevens, Dasilva, Ghoddos
Scorers: Azpilicueta og 37, Mbeumo 78
Booked: Jensen 46, Henry 72

Referee: Andy Madley

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