Chelsea had to work hard to beat Brentford’s tough resistance for 90 minutes. The Blues secured three points with a score of 2-1, but the match was clearly not easy.
On Sunday, December 15, 2024, Chelsea faced Brentford at Stamford Bridge in the 16th week of the 2024/2025 Premier League. Enzo Maresca’s team was favored to win, but the visitors fought back well.
This time Chelsea took a two-goal lead through Marc Cucurella (43′) and Nicolas Jackson (80′). Brentford managed to reply through Bryan Mbeumo at the end of the match (90′).
The additional three points maintain Chelsea’s position in second place in the Premier League standings, getting closer to Liverpool at the top.
Chelsea started the match with confidence, controlling the ball and creating opportunities from dead ball situations. They recorded six corner kicks in the first half, compared to Brentford’s two. The first chance came from Cole Palmer, but his shot from outside the penalty box was saved by Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
A controversial incident occurred when Marc Cucurella was brought down in the penalty box by a Brentford defender who seemed to be more focused on the player than the ball. However, after a VAR review, no penalty was given, leaving Chelsea’s coaching staff and the crowd confused.
Cucurella finally got his sweet moment in the 43rd minute. He scored the opener with a header utilizing Noni Madueke’s cross from the right, putting Chelsea 1-0 up before half-time.
Chelsea almost doubled their lead in the 60th minute through Nicolas Jackson. After receiving a pull pass from Jadon Sancho, Jackson had a golden opportunity to score into an empty net. However, his left-footed shot from six yards out actually soared over the crossbar, leaving Stamford Bridge speechless.
Sancho, who appeared more prominent in the second half, continued to pose a threat. His actions past Brentford defenders with individual skills often created dangerous opportunities for the Blues.
Even so, Brentford did not remain silent. Their golden chance fell to Christian Norgaard, but a superb save from Robert Sanchez denied him with a header. Fabio Carvalho came close to equalising shortly afterwards, but his close-range effort hit the crossbar.
Chelsea finally extended their lead on the break in the 85th minute. Moises Caicedo cut out a Brentford attack and laid the ball back to Enzo Fernandez, who found Nicolas Jackson. This time, Jackson made no mistake, firing a low shot into the right corner to put Chelsea 2-0 up.
Brentford were not to be deterred, however. Bryan Mbeumo grabbed a late consolation after glancing past Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo. The goal ensured Mbeumo scored at Stamford Bridge for the third successive season.
