As were my apprehensions for a new look Brentford side, the start for the Bees this season was fairly identical. Of the 3 matches played before the International break, the London club had a win, a draw and a loss, totaling 3 points from as many games. Their 4th encounter was against their city rivals, Chelsea, who were unbeaten and looking good, going into Match Day 4 of EPL 25-26.
The Gtech Community Stadium, home to Brentford, had an expectant look on Sunday night as the fans gathered in hordes to back their side to the hilt.
A good contest ensued, and the hosts got off to a great start, scoring the first goal in a brilliant move from the bees. 23-year-old German Kevin Schade displayed tremendous finishing skills to get past Robert Sanchez. Brentford could have scored earlier, too, but Schade missed a couple of opportunities from similar positions.
Cole Palmer came in the second half and, without delays, got Chelsea on level terms, and then Moises Caicedo struck a ripper to help Chelsea take the lead in the 85th minute. It was a strike to remember from the Ecuadorian. The ball was struck with tremendous power. Caolim Kelleher, who had done well to keep Chelsea at bay, had simply no chance.
Chelsea wrapped up the match, most people believed. But there was a twist in the tale as Brentford just refused to go down and kept on attacking the Chelsea goal with long balls into the box. Eventually, one such pass clicked in the 93rd minute. The ball looped into the Chelsea box, the defenders made a mess of it, and Fabio Carvalho, the super sub, waiting in front of goal, just headed into the net from a point-blank range.
The goal set up the celebrations as the fans erupted in joy. The Bees had stung the Blues and forced a draw. Brentford’s determination had paid rich dividends, much like their attitude since making it to the Premier League.
The performance from Brentford gave me a lot of heart. The Bees are not done yet. Chelsea, who played their 4th straight game in London, will rue the result. But it was a fair one in the end.
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