Chelsea beat Brentford as João Pedro and Cole Palmer settle west London derby

Chelsea secured a 2-0 win over Brentford in the west London derby as João Pedro scored in the 26th minute and Cole Palmer converted a penalty with 14 minutes remaining, giving manager Liam Rosenior his first three Premier League points.

Palmer’s spot-kick followed a foul on substitute Liam Delap by Caoimhín Kelleher, while João Pedro’s opener came after Michael Kayode’s clearance deflected to the Brazilian, whose goal survived a VAR offside check; the 24-year-old claimed his eighth goal of the season.

The game was largely controlled by Brentford early on, who missed a series of chances, and Chelsea looked vulnerable at times. Rosenior praised his players’ willingness to fight, saying that attitude won the game, and noted several players had been affected by a virus that ruled Estêvão Willian out; Marc Cucurella and Tosin Adarabioyo featured, with Adarabioyo later withdrawn with a hamstring problem.

The victory was Chelsea’s first in six Premier League matches and was described as needed to keep them on Manchester United’s heels after United’s win against City. Despite the result, the subdued atmosphere suggested many fans remain to be convinced by Rosenior’s methods.

Key Topics

Sports, Chelsea, Brentford, Premier League, Liam Rosenior, Cole Palmer