Palmer’s penalty seals derby win for Chelsea
Chelsea 2Joao Pedro (26′)
Palmer (pen, 76′)
Brentford 0
Cole Palmer’s penalty sealed a derby win for Chelsea in Liam Rosenior’s first league match as Blues boss.
Brentford caused Chelsea problems before and after Joao Pedro’s first-half opener.
But there was no way back for the visitors once Palmer scored from the spot after keeper Caoimhin Kelleher got into a terrible mess and brought down Liam Delap.
It was Brentford’s first league defeat in seven matches and the result took Chelsea above them in the table.
Rosenior’s side went ahead with a thumping finish by Joao Pedro after 26 minutes.
After Enzo Fernandez had won the ball near the edge of the Brentford penalty area, Joao Pedro turned and fired home. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but a VAR check established that Joao Pedro had been played onside by Michael Kayode.
The goal came after the visitors should have taken the lead when Kevin Schade, having got the better of Trevoh Chalobah, had just keeper Robert Sanchez to beat but, rather than shoot, inexplicably tried to pass to Mikkel Damsgaard.
That pass was met by the stretching Tosin Adarabioyo – and Sanchez did superbly to prevent an own goal by the Chelsea defender.
Brentford threatened again after going behind, with Mathias Jensen missing a good chance when he shot against the outside of the post, before sending a volley into the arms of Sanchez.
And at the other end, Alejandro Garnacho should have made it 2-0 just before half-time but missed a sitter, failing to hit the target from close range after being set up by Pedro Neto.
Chelsea came under real pressure in the second half as Brentford created more chances, with Sanchez denying Schade and Igor Thiago heading wide from Damsgaard’s cross.
But the all-important second goal arrived after Kelleher was played into trouble by Nathan Collins’ back-pass and ended up taking out Delap, who had just come on as a substitute.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James (Acheampon 85), Chalobah, Adarabioyo (Fofana 58), Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez (Hato 85); Neto, Palmer, Garnacho (Andrey Santos 58); Joao Pedro (Delap 74).
Subs not used: Jorgensen, Badiashile, George, Guiu.
Brentford: Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Henry (Hickey 82); Janelt, Yarmoliuk (Donovan 90+4), Jensen; Damsgaard (Ouattara 77), Thiago, Schade (Lewis-Potter 82).
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Van den Berg, Nelson, Furo.
