Chelsea came from 2-1 down to draw with Brentford but pressure is continuing to mount on boss Mauricio Pochettino with fans in attendance at the Gtech Community Stadium calling for his exit.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi ensured the Blues came from behind to salvage a point against their west London rivals but they remain 11th in the Premier League. Brentford, meanwhile, move up to 15th place with what could be a crucial point in their battle for survival.
Here are five things we learned from the match…
Nicolas Jackson bags again
Thirty minutes into Chelsea’s match against Brentford, Nicolas Jackson looked destined to put the Blues ahead when he rounded Mark Flekken in the Bees net. But somehow, through lack of conviction and a block from Mathias Jorgensen, the score remained goalless. Fortunately for the Senegalese international, the wait for the opening goal would not be much longer as he headed in the opening goal of the match, dispatching Malo Gusto’s cross with ease to atone for his earlier miss and give Chelsea the lead. That took Jackson to eight Premier League goals, with the striker having now scored 11 goals in all competitions after his second strike in four days.
Conor Gallagher is undroppable
When Mauricio Pochettino pronounced his love for Conor Gallagher earlier this week, it was easy to understand why. The 23-year-old has been a mainstay in the Chelsea side all season, contributing massively with his tireless running, availability and now goals and assists. He secured his side’s place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a last minute winner against Leeds during the week and no Brentford player was able to deal with his impact on the game. But the Englishman was not helped by his teammates as the Blues could only manage a draw.
Sorry Brentford deep in a rut
Brentford are in big trouble. The Bees have been on horrific form in the Premier League this season, sitting in 15th place and only six points ahead of Luton in the relegation zone. They spent half the campaign without talisman Ivan Toney, but even his return to the side has failed to bring Thomas Frank’s men much more to cheer about since the turn of the year. Coming into their match against Chelsea, the west Londoners had lost 12 of their last 15 matches. It has been an alarming drop from one of the Premier League’s most difficult sides to play and despite the positive draw to Chelsea, much is left to do to ensure the Bees remain in the top flight.
Clean sheets still an issue for Chelsea
When Mads Roerslev equalised for Brentford at the start of the second half, that ensured Chelsea extended their run of league matches without a clean sheet to six matches. The Blues have only kept two clean sheets in their last 19 matches, hardly a good enough record for a team which is looking to progress into competing for a European spot. Injuries and a lack of stability at the back have contributed to the Blues’s poor defensive record, with only five league clean sheets all season, and Pochettino will need a tighter backline if Chelsea are to put their woes behind them.
Chelsea fans lose patience with Pochettino
It is pretty damning for a manager when your own fans are calling for you to leave the club. That is exactly what Chelsea fans were doing to Pochettino after Yoane Wissa had given Brentford the lead with a fantastic overhead kick. It was a kick in the teeth for the Argentine, who had seen his side dominate the early stages of the match before caving in to the pressure from the hosts. Blues fans were also heard chanting former manager Jose Mourinho’s name as well as former owner Roman Abramovich. The fans have seemingly lost patience with a lack of success since the new owners arrived.
