Frank Lampard still seeks his first non-defeat as interim Chelsea manager after the Blues were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
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Fives games into Lampard’s return, and Chelsea have lost five straight (three in the Premier League, two in Champions League).
Wednesday’s defeat leaves Chelsea (39 points) in 11th place, still six back of yet another west London side, Fulham, above them in the top half. Brentford (47 points) are the other, in 9th.
WATCH CHELSEA vs BRENTFORD FULL MATCH REPLAY
Cesar Azpilicueta was charged with the opening goal — and own goal — in the 37th minute after Mathias Jensen’s corner kick was flicked on, hit his arm and snuck inside the far post to hand the Bees a 1-0 lead.
Bryan Mbeumo doubled Brentford’s advantage on 78 minutes. Mbuemo cut in from the right wing, beat one defender and fired a shot off the outstretched leg of Thiago Silva. Kepa Arrizabalaga was rooted to the ground as the ball rolled inside the near post to send the Bees home happy.
Stars of the show
What’s next?
Brentford will be back in action again on Saturday (10 am ET), when they host relegation-battling Nottingham Forest in west London. Chelsea will head to north London to face Premier League leaders (for now) Arsenal on Tuesday (3 pm ET).
Chelsea vs Brentford, live score: 0-1
37th minute - Cesar Azpilicueta redirects ball into his own net
78th minute - Bryan Mbeumo makes it 2-0 thanks to Thiago Silva deflection
How to watch Chelsea vs Brentford live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 2:45pm ET, Wednesday (April 26)TV Channel: PeacockOnline: Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & in-form players to watch
Can Chelsea salvage any pride from this season? Probably not. With seven games to go the best they can do is win all seven and hope to finish in seventh or eighth. That seems very unlikely for a team which is 20 points off fourth place. Chelsea have not finished outside the top 10 of the Premier League in 27 years. What a sorry state they’re in after spending record amounts of money on new players.
Brentford’s main man is Ivan Toney and he has scored 19 goals in the Premier League this season, only behind Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. Yes, the Bees have struggled in recent weeks but if they finish the campaign well they could sneak into the European places. They haven’t won since Mar. 15, so they are desperate for a victory. And of course bragging rights in west London as they aim to finish above both Chelsea and Fulham.
Chelsea team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Armando Broja (knee), Kalidou Koulibaly (thigh), Reece James (hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvic)
Your Chelsea side tonight! 🔵@ParimatchGlobal | #CheBre pic.twitter.com/QacJUb9bmD
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2023
Brentford team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Keane Lewis-Potter (knee), Kristoffer Ajer (calf), Pontus Jansson (thigh), Christian Norgaard (achilles)
🐝 Your Bees for tonight's derby#CHEBRE | #BrentfordFC | @BlueJeansNet
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 26, 2023