Alejandro Garnacho made his debut for Chelsea in the game against Brentford. And it was all going well, as the Blues were able to turn around a one-goal deficit into a lead. Unfortunately, they could not hold on to it though, with an added time strike from the home team meaning that the two had to share points.
It does feel like a couple of points dropped rather than one gained though. These are the type of games that Chelsea will need to win if they want to have a serious chance of challenging for the Premier League title. Otherwise, it won't take long for teams like Liverpool and Arsenal to pull away.
Chelsea simply did not manage the game well after taking the lead. They had done so quite impressively towards the end of last season but not this one. The defence does look a bit shaky in the absence of Levi Colwill.
They did give away a few chances to Brentford before eventually conceding that second goal, as they could not handle a long throw into the box. And it was Garnacho who was pointed out as the man who had fallen asleep.
Alejandro Garnacho slammed for what he did on Chelsea debut
As reported by GOAL, Jamie Redknapp said while speaking to Sky Sports after the game:
"Garnacho has got a job to do. He's got to mark Carvalho. That's your job, simple as that. Don't lose him, you're now one of the defensive players in here. If he gets in behind you, it's on you. Everybody in there is trying to win that first contact, it's not easy. Brentford have got some big guys. But Garnacho just falls asleep at the vital moment. The ball comes in from Schade, Garnacho's not concentrating, they get that contact and there he (Carvalho) is at the back post."
Well, these are the little details that can define a performance. Overall, Garnacho had looked excellent after coming on against Brentford.
He gave the Brentford defence problems with his direct and was involved in Moises Caicedo's goal, and very easily could have set up Cole Palmer but the Englishman could not make the most of his chance. So, of course, there are areas to work on, but there is reason to be encouraged as well.
Jamie Gittens simply does not look ready to contribute right now. Do not be surprised if Garnacho is a starter once he is fit enough.