Brentford 0-0 Chelsea
by Dom Smith
at Brentford Community Stadium

WHAT a rare sight it was to see both managers laughing and joking as they spoke to the TV broadcaster pitch-side ahead of kick-off. Graham Potter and Thomas Frank are kind, honest men as well as stylish, modern managers. The difference between them right now of course is that Frank has held the reins at Brentford for four years. Potter has barely been at Chelsea four weeks. For the first time, it showed.

Potter paid the price for resting a number of his key players for Saturday’s home match against Manchester United as the Bees held his Blues to a goalless draw. In the early stages at the Brentford Community Stadium, they simply couldn’t get the ball out from under their feet. Bit-part players Conor Gallagher and Armando Broja failed to make the most of rare starts. And it got worse for Gallagher, whose 15 minute’s poor showing came to an end as an injury forced him to be replaced by Mateo Kovacic.

Brentford, meanwhile, were supercharged by their fervent home support and encouraged towards Kepa Arrizabalaga’s goal every time they crossed the halfway line. Mads Roerslev’s cross brought them their first chance to beat the resurgent Spaniard who parried well from Ivan Toney’s header.

Soon Bryan Mbeumo was tearing away down the right wing, sizing up the big Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly. The Brentford forward won, turning him inside out before chucking him in the wash.

Chelsea improved as the half wore on, but not sufficiently. They looked a shadow of their recent selves. It was like Thomas Tuchel was coaching through an earpiece — Chelsea had so much control but so little incision.

Their sustained attacks inevitably bred impatience. Cesar Azpilicueta struck from range to force David Raya into a strong diving save. But Ruben Loftus-Cheek couldn’t even do that — hammering the ball way over the bar. Brentford’s fans had paid for the football and been given Chelsea circus.

It really was that bad from Chelsea. By 62 minutes Potter had thrown Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic and Carney Chukwuemeka on in a desperate attempt for attacking cohesion. But besides a single firm short from Kai Havertz which Raya pushed away, the attacking cohesion remained the hosts’, not the visitors’.

Roerslev was a handy attacking outlet on the right flank all evening and crossed for another headed chance, but Mbeumo nodded straight into the grateful gut of Kepa. At least he was at the races for the Blues. He is proving his doubters wrong and Potter’s trust in him right in an impressive case of bouncebackability.

Gareth Southgate submitted his 55-man preliminary World Cup squad to Fifa today. 55 is a considerable number that Toney is guaranteed to be in. The real question is whether Brentford’s No 17 might even make it into the final 26-man squad announced in three weeks. One thing is for sure: he is a striker brimming with unbridled confidence at the moment.

With no other obvious options and with understandable close attention from Chelsea’s entire defence, he looked up and tried to lob Kepa from the halfway line. The fact that the goalkeeper saved with ease almost wasn’t the point.

Mason Mount and late sub Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stung the gloves of Raya as the Premier League’s fifth-placed side pushed for a late winner. But their hopes of three points had fallen through the cracks in their fingers long ago. This was a far cry from Chelsea’s midweek nights of late.