Chelsea and Brentford played a 0-0 draw in Matchday 31 of the Premier League. Both teams had unfavourable records coming into this game, a record that continues following the goalless draw. Chelsea are now winless in their last 8 away games, while Brentford are without a win in their last eight Premier League games.
Here are five talking points from the match:
1. Chelsea plays better with Jackson.
As far as the natural eyes can see, Jackson offers the team a lot more when he’s on the pitch.
Jackson returned from injury against Tottenham, giving Spurs defenders a run for their money in that fixture. In a surprising run of events, he was dropped from the starting eleven for Nkunku.
The gap between the two Chelsea forwards was very clear. Nkunku offered very little to the team, but when Jackson entered the fray, his impact was felt instantly.
He did miss a couple of chances, but the space and time his marking and ball carrying ability give the team, let alone his runs that make the opposition uncomfortable, make the Blues play a lot better.
2. Caicedo is simply the best.
Where will Chelsea be without Caicedo this season? You can’t mention Chelsea’s top 5 players this season without mentioning Moises Caicedo.
The former Brighton player has made a name for himself in the squad and the league this season. Enzo Maresca called him the best defensive midfielder in the league because he simply is the best.
3. Brentford are great on the counter.
Brentford almost broke the hearts of Chelsea fans with their flurry of counterattacks. Mbuemo was a menace to Chelsea’s defence, getting the better of James a few times.
On the counter, his combination with Wissa proved deadly, resulting in a powerful shot that drew Sanchez into action.
Schade also put his pace to good use against Malo Gusto, beating the Frenchman a few times. Chelsea were lucky to get away with a draw.
4. Nkunku fails to impress again.
Christopher Nkunku failed to provide any excitement for Chelsea as he was included in the starting eleven.
The French Forward was once again very poor in front of goal and was substituted at half time. Nkunku didn’t give the Brentford defence much to worry about, and when the ball fell to him in the box, it got stuck under his feet.
Fans hope that he can get his form back soon enough especially with the Conference League in the knockout phase.
5. Chelsea dropped two crucial points.
Probably the biggest talking point of all. The Blues failed to secure all three points in the race for top 4. They now sit 4th with 53 points, one point above Manchester City, who are 5th and two points above 6th-placed Aston Villa.
With Newcastle (50 points) hot on their heels in seventh place and with two games in hand, Chelsea fans are worried about their top-four hopes. Can they make it? We’ll find out after 8 games.
