Chelsea was beaten by Brentford for the first time since 1939 on Saturday in what was an utterly embarrassing showing from the home side. The combination of the off-field noise, international break and inspired underdog opponents proved too much for Thomas Tuchel’s side as they dropped just their fifth game of the season in all competitions. The game had the same feel as last season’s puzzling defeat to West Bromwich Albion as the Stamford Bridge faithful were left speechless. It was a horrendous outing from everyone in blue. Simply put, there are no excuses for the all-around flat performance.
The Blues took the lead via an Antonio Rudiger screamer early in the second half after a sluggish (at best) first half showing. Nevertheless, the Bees hit back with three goals in quick succession to stun the reigning Champions of Europe. Former Tottenham standout Christian Eriksen was pulling all of the strings in the middle of the park for Brentford as he came back to haunt his old foes. Tuchel’s men squandered every good opportunity they had on the day as they conceded more than three goals for the second time under the German manager. Suffice it to say, it was a day to forget in SW6.
Want your voice heard? Join the The Pride Of London team!
Here are three lessons we learnt in Chelsea’s 4-1 loss to Brentford:
1. Antonio Rudiger can’t do everything
If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, Rudiger is an absolute madman. The German centerhalf has been taking long-range shots for as long as Chelsea fans can remember. His efforts each match are the equivalent to the free space in the center of a bingo card and these curlers have been a staple of almost every Blues contest this campaign. There isn’t a Chelsea supporter on the planet who hasn’t said—at least once—there would come a time where Rudiger found the back of the net this season.
That day was Saturday.
The game in which Rudiger would finally score a worldie was supposed to be one filled with joy. However, things began to spiral downhill faster than anyone could fathom once the 29-year-old defied the laws of physics and beat David Raya to give the Blues a 1-0 advantage.
It’s common knowledge amongst football fans that the most dangerous time to concede is immediately following one’s team scoring a goal. Thus, it’s understandable that Rudiger was still over the moon and his mind was elsewhere after he scored on a shot with a 0.01 xG value. Brentford responded to his screamer just minutes later on a passage of play Rudiger surely could’ve done better on. But it’s the events that transpired after that shocked spectators. Rudiger and the rest of the Chelsea back line seemingly switched off for the entire second half. They were uncharacteristically bad as they let a relegation-scrapping side (probably a little harsh on the Bees, but as of a few weeks ago, this was the case) find the back of the net four times on the day.
Saturday’s performance showed that Rudiger upset the balance in the universe when his stunner rattled the back of the net. The German is an elite central defender, higher powers are just preventing him from becoming too strong by adding an attacking output to his game. Rudiger’s abysmal defensive showing against Brentford just goes to show that he cannot do everything at once. I think I speak for all Chelsea fans when I say I’d prefer he stick to his defensive duties and leave the goalscoring to the others. If not, the football deities could punish the Blues once more.
2. The deadwood
Chelsea is going to have a lot of tough decisions to make come this summer. Assuming the takeover is complete and the new owners have settled in by the end of the campaign, there is going to be another round of squad turnover come July 1. Tuchel, his staff and the club’s hierarchy will have to come to a couple tough conclusions regarding the futures of players like N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, who are coming into the last year of their current deals. All of that being said, there were a few players who cemented their status for the summer transfer window against Brentford.
The first of these individuals is Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Loftus-Cheek has undoubtedly been one of the unluckiest footballers in recent memory with the injuries he’s suffered over the years. The once-promising young prospect has now turned into a mediocre midfielder who still seems too unsure of himself to really add anything to a side. He shows flashes of brilliance, but at 26, consistency is key if he wants to remain at a top club like Chelsea.
The fact of the matter is he’s been poor in recent weeks. Loftus-Cheek came out of the gate against the Bees giving the ball away numerous times and committing a reckless challenge; all in the game’s opening 60 seconds. These miscues set the tone for the remainder of the match as he displayed all of the worst qualities that fans harp on Jorginho for regularly, without offering much else. Loftus-Cheek seldom got onto the ball, turned and charged forward, which was upsetting considering his ability to make these darting runs was the sole reason he was in the starting XI. The Englishman’s performance against Brentford likely represents the final nail in the coffin of his underwhelming—for reasons beyond his control—Chelsea career. He’s got to go in the summer.
The other atrocious performance put on by a Blues player on Saturday came from Timo Werner. The German forward has struggled immensely since coming over from RB Leipzig. He wasn’t the only one to face challenges while transitioning into the Premier League as Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech had growing pains, as well. However, Havertz and Ziyech have settled in and really established themselves as some of Chelsea’s most important players over the last few months. They’ve left Werner in the dust as he continues to look as skillful as a wet napkin on the ball.
Werner wasted chance after chance, breaking down nearly every attack he was involved in on Saturday. He made some promising runs throughout his 65 minutes on the pitch, but nearly every one of them was followed up by a poor touch or a skewed shot. I still believe there is a talented football hidden deep inside Werner somewhere, it just seems as if he’ll never be able to find that within himself while in west London. It’s time to bid farewell to the hard-working forward as it’s in the best interest of both the Blues and the player himself.
3. One of those days
On the back of the last slide, it goes without saying there were no good performances against Brentford. Thomas Frank’s high press irritated Chelsea from the opening whistle and the home side was never able to settle into the match. It was largely thought to be a near-full strength starting XI from Tuchel as he kept one eye on Real Madrid, who comes to London on Wednesday. The positions he opted to rotate in exposed the flaws within the Blues’ game though.
There are going to be a lot of negative reactions from the Chelsea faithful following this contest. It’s easy to get upset about football, and while I didn’t like what I saw from Tuchel’s team on Saturday, it’s not something to sweat over. There has been a precedent set by the Blues following this type of performance. Last season, they were beaten 5-2 at home by soon-to-be relegated West Brom. What did the team do afterward? Chelsea went on to secure top four, reach an FA Cup final and win the bloody Champions League.
The reality of the situation is that these things happen in sports. It feels unfair to call this contest a fluke because Brentford genuinely played an excellent match, but that’s what it was for all intents and purposes. This match was one of those where the Blues should simply slap the Benny Hill theme music on the game film and watch it back sped up before turning their attention to the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal contest.
As odd as it sounds, it’s almost a blessing that Chelsea was humbled at home by Brentford following a lengthy unbeaten run. The Club World Cup Champions were bound to lose at some point. The defeat puts pressure on the team as Arsenal can now move within two points of third with a win on Monday, sure, that’s where the Blues thrive though. Tuchel and his squad will be well aware that they still control their own destiny with games against the Gunners and Manchester United upcoming. Furthermore, a win on Wednesday over Carlo Ancelotti and visiting Los Blancos will see fans forget about this loss without a second thought.
At the end of the day, it just wasn’t Chelsea’s day. There is nothing wrong with admitting that either, so long as the Blues right their wrongs during the remainder of the month with wins in a handful of massive fixtures.
What are three lessons you learnt in the Blues’ embarrassing defeat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!