Chelsea vs Brentford

Player ratings for Chelsea vs. Brentford: Unstoppable Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo both shine in the hard-fought victory as Nicolas Jackson pulls the Blues to within two points of the Premier League summit. 

After overcoming a fierce fight from the Bees, the Senegalese forward assisted Enzo Maresca's team in closing the distance to top of the table Liverpool.

After a fierce 2-1 victory over Brentford, Chelsea pulled within two points of leaders Liverpool thanks to Nicolas Jackson's ninth goal of the Premier League season. Early on, the prolific scorer came close twice before Bees keeper Mark Flekken denied attempts from Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, and Enzo Fernandez.

Two minutes before halftime, Marc Cucurella headed home Madueke's risky cross, giving the homteam their first real advantage. As the second half went on, the Bees got better. Christian Norgaard made a fantastic stop against Robert Sanchez, and then replacement Fabio Carvalho struck the crossbar from six yards out.

With ten minutes left, Jackson's brilliant goal on the counterattack punished Chelsea, who were pulling away from Thomas Frank's team.After Bryan Mbeumo scored past Sanchez in the 90th minute, Brentford set up a nerve-wracking finish, but Chelsea prevailed in the end and joyfully celebrated at the end of the game.

The drama did not finish there, though, as Cucurella was given a second yellow card for a collision with Cavalho following the final whistle. This slightly spoiled the Spaniard's excellent performance.

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge players are rated by GOAL.The Spaniard had excellent area control at a time when many people thought Filip Jorgensen should start in goal. Despite making a spectacular stop to deflect Norgaard's volleyed attempt, he was unable to maintain a clean sheet.

Malo Gusto (7/10): The full-back advanced well and gave the west London team a normally strong performance.Adarabioyo Tosin (6/10):wasn't fast enough to stop Mbeumo for Brentford's goal, but he was as strong in the air as one could expect from someone 6' 5".Colwill, Levi (8/10):

The defender typically scooped up most of the danger that came his way and produced a fantastic stop to keep away a Mikkel Damsgaard attempt.was a menace down the left wing the entire time and skillfully scored his first goal in the Premier League since May 2022 for Brighton. In an incredible performance, he created opportunities, overlapped, inverted, underlapped, and scored. After the game, he petulantly dismissed some of his excellent efforts.

Moises Caicedo (9/10): Chelsea spent a British-record £115 million (€147 million) for the Ecuadorian international because of performances like these. strong, unrelenting, and brimming with self-assurance.
Enzo Fernandez (7/10): The Argentine was not playing at his best after a recent period of success as Brentford harassed and harassed the midfield player. did, however, secure a vital assist.

Cole Palmer (6/10): Although the England international was free to move around and contribute to his team, he was a little more reserved than normal in front of his home crowd.Noni Madueke (7/10): Cucurella's opening goal was a superb delivery from him, and if some of his crosses weren't very good, they were crucial. had several instances of outperforming Brentford's defense.

Nicolas Jackson (8/10): The striker's performance was erratic, as he missed a few golden opportunities but scored his ninth goal of the season well and was a continuous danger.Jadon Sancho (7/10): Was mostly quiet during the game, although occasionally came alive with strong rushes into the box. When sent through, he may have scored a goal of his own.

Christopher Nkunku (6/10): His side had to defend when he entered, thus he didn't have many opportunities to show himself.Enzo Maresca (7/10): Although his team dominated for extended stretches, they were vulnerable in the closing minutes as Brentford attempted to tie the score. Maybe more could have been done with the bench.