Here are my five key points from our 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford on October 17, 2021 at Brentford Community Stadium.
1. Chilwell continues his momentum with a super strike
It wasn’t that long ago that there was a lot of talk in the Chelsea community about when England international and left-back / left-back Ben Chilwell would return to the squad.
For the most part, fans accepted that Marcos Alonso was playing reasonably well to start the campaign, but given his last performances in which he was showing signs of fatigue, this presented an opportunity for Ben to try and regain the strong form of the team. last season. .
To his credit, since returning to the squad he has improved every time, including scoring an important goal before the international break against Southampton, being called up for England and then scoring another first-time goal. plan in the first half with a thunderous strike that will prove to be the winner.
The supposed mental weight that was holding Ben appears to be lifted and with that Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea fans see the rising star they used to see. If he manages to maintain that momentum, he could be a central figure in the Blues’ title charge.
2. Mendy the man mountain in inspired form
Earlier in the week, Liverpool striker Sadio Mane publicly expressed his disbelief and disappointment that Edouard (Ed) Mendy was not on the Ballon D’or list of candidates. While I’m definitely not a Reds fan, I 100% agree with the star striker in this regard.
It is truly baffling that someone who consistently produces high quality performances and is such an influential figure for their team is somehow overlooked for this year’s major individual award.
His heroic display against a fiery Brentford side, especially in the final 20 minutes, was nothing short of inspiring. Not only did the great Ed aka “Spider Mendy” acrobatically perform to make eye-catching and mind-blowing saves, he constantly put his body on the line without any concern for self-preservation for the sake of the cause.
Make no mistake, he made the difference and made sure that the Blues walk away with 3 extremely important points against a team which has shown that it can mix with the greats this season.
Ed may not have made the final cup for the Ballon D’or (one way or another), but those who watch top-level football know he is among the best goalkeepers right now. . For now, we Blues fans are grateful for what Mendy does and brings to the team with every game.
Photo de Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images
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3. Reuben’s Rise Cannot Be Ignored
The continued re-emergence of Ruben Loftus-Cheek is starting to become a true season-long wellness story for Blues fans. Ruben is a player Chelsea fans have admired since he was young and wanted him to fulfill his potential given his high ceiling.
Thanks to a combination of very unfortunate injuries and constant changes at the club in recent seasons, the real opportunities for Ruben to impress have been extremely limited.
This season, many believed that Loftus-Cheek would continue their loan trend given the plethora of midfielders available to the Blues. However, no estrangement from Stamford Bridge occurred and as a result the physically gifted specimen slowly began to gain Tuchel’s trust and his performances during his selection were impressive to say the least.
Against Brentford, especially in the first half, the 25-year-old Englishman was scintillating. Often in deep areas when receiving the ball, Ruben would use his strength to hold back an opponent or two, calmly pass the ball to a teammate, or when the opportunity arises, dribble past his marker and set off on a fascinating run.
The way he overtakes the opponent and moves around the park makes Ruben a truly unique and valuable player. He has gone from a peripheral figure to one of the fittest players who has a real opportunity in the next round of matches to consolidate his place more steadily.
Ps, it’s also worth mentioning that his midfielder partners Kanté and Kovacic were also very strong for the first hour or so and so maybe it’s a midfield trio that we can get used to seeing more regularly. throughout the season.
4. Sarr a star in his Premier League debut
When Thomas Tuchel confirmed that Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger will be out for this game, it is safe to say that there was a bit of collective angst within the Blues community. Considering the experience, form, aggressiveness and leadership of Silva and Rudiger that would be lacking, this was always going to be a severe test for those selected against a physically demanding Brentford.
As it turned out, the trio of Christensen, Azpilicueta and Sarr held their own after the onslaught of the Bees and gave their all to help the Blues secure yet another victory in the London Derby (their 7th consecutive away win of the London derby, new English record by Opta Joe).
In particular, Premier League debutant Malang Sarr was exceptional. During the clash, Malang posted a record 10 clearances and 6 interceptions, and was also third in tackles (3) and possession gained (10) departments.
While Rudiger and Silva have earned their regular starting spots, it’s heartwarming to know that Tuchel has real depth and quality in a crucial position. Perhaps we will see more of Malang in the coming weeks to test ourselves further given the relatively more favorable timing of this period.
5. Brentford will sting many opponents this season
It must be said that Brentford was very fiery, courageous and showed a lot of ambition to try to make their way into the game when others may have just returned to damage control. Another day, and against a human Guardian, the headlines could very well have been different.
While the Blues took a deserved first-half lead, similar to parts of last season and the season before, the Blues’ lack of cruelty in front of goal would give their opponents the belief they could spawn. a path. . Despite being largely in control for the first hour, Chelsea didn’t capitalize on this overall dominance and they almost paid the ultimate price.
As noted above, the last 20 minutes at Brentford Community Stadium saw wave after wave of attacks from the home side. Driven by the very loud and passionate Bees fans, it felt like a tying goal would come at some point. Luckily for the Blues, they were saved by Mendy’s superhuman efforts and also by a heroic last-ditch defense to give them a truly contested 1-0 victory,
The Bees have already stung from renowned opponents at Arsenal and West Ham, and have also managed to hold Premier League title hopes Liverpool 3-3 and rising villains 1-1, to demonstrate they are a team to be respected. and to fear.
Like many, I can’t wait to follow their progress closely this season under the leadership of Thomas Frank who is doing wonderful things with Brentford.
Final comments
To be Premier League champion, it is not always about playing good football, but ensuring the right result. In other words, the end result will always trump performance. In general, play well should means winning, but it’s the ability to get a win when you’re not playing your best that is a classic indicator for any title contender.
In that game, Chelsea showed real quality with the ball in stages during the first 60-70 minutes, but then had to rely on their defensive skills to help them cross the finish line.
Thomas Tuchel was open in his post-match assessment and acknowledged that his team were both good and also had a bit of luck and with that I imagine he will work tirelessly to help improve the offensive elements of his team given that this game should have been put to bed before the start of the Brentford attack.
The key to this question is how to get the most out of Romelu Lukaku and more broadly, which front three will be the most powerful in the all-around besides supporting the Belgian star.
For now, getting an extremely important result without Silva, Rudiger and Pulisic, and only a freshly returned Reece James, will hopefully give the Blues confidence for the next round of matches before the next international break.
Until then, bring Malmö!
Go the Blues!
Twitter: @RJ_Goodthings
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