Chelsea took advantage of their rivals' mistakes to move two points off the top of the Premier League but made good work of a narrow 2-1 win over Brentford.
Match report
The Blues did not make the same mistake as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, who all played at home earlier in the weekend, but did everything they could to beat Brentford who had only taken one away point all season.
They took a deserved lead into half-time when Marc Cucurella nodded in his first Premier League goal for the Blues just minutes before half-time, having dominated the first half without creating many clear-cut chances.
Nicolas Jackson should have ended the game on the hour mark when he headed over the influential Jadon Sancho's cross from six yards out, and without it the Blues' slim lead always remained precarious.
Brentford came so close to making them pay when the momentum began to shift and Christian Norgaard pulled a superb fingertip stop from Robert Sanchez, before Fabio Carvalho's sliding effort bounced off the crossbar, no more than inches from crossing the line .
Enzo Maresca's celebrations, which greeted Jackson's thunderous second after a quick counter-attack, summed up the relief around Stamford Bridge with ten minutes remaining as Chelsea finally gave themselves a buffer to defend.
But even then, a hospital pass from a throw from Cucurella to Moises Caicedo saw a Brentford counter stylishly finished off by Bryan Mbeumo, forcing the Blues to wait seven minutes of extra time before they could finally celebrate stealing a march on their title . rivals with the victory.
Competition events
0' The match is about to start!
3'A chance for Chelsea to score!
11' Fleken reacts brilliantly to keep Jackson's SHOT out of the net!!
14' Nice shot from Palmer
18 'What kind of nonsense is that from Sánchez
21 'Madueke's disease is back to defend for opponents
27' Palmer puts Jackson through for GOAL, but Pinnock issues Red Alert to block the SHOT!!
32' Sancho's shot wide
40' Flokken gives the ball away but Chelsea cannot capitalize through Madueke!!!
43' Cucurella opens the score for Chelsea!! Chelsea 1-0 Brentford
55' Cucurella is eliminated in the penalty area!
60' Jackson misses a golden opportunity
65' Madueke fires another DANGEROUS shot
68' Great OPPORTUNITY for Chelsea to make it two nil, but Brentford somehow escape!!
74' Brentford almost made it 1-1, but SANCHEZ makes an outrageous save!!!
75' Jackson's shot wide
77' Highlight of Chelsea vs Brentford
80' Nicolas Jackson has doubled the lead! Chelsea 2-0 Brentford
83' match event for Chelsea vs Brentford
Setups
Chelsea XI: T.Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, Sancho, Robert Sánchez, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, Nicolas Jackson
Subs: Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jørgensen, Sam Rak-Sakyi, Josh Acheampong, Tyrique George, Renato Veiga, Marc Guiu
Brentford
Subs: Mee, Kristoffer Ajer, Janelt, Hákon Rafn Valdimarsson, Fabio Carvalho, Kevin Schade, Ryan Trevitt, Jayden Meghoma, Yunus Emre Konak
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