Bees drop two vital points as misfiring Chelsea went behind after going 1-0 up but survive thanks to Disasi late equaliser
By Paul Lagan at Gtech Stadium
Brentford 2 v Chelsea 2
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Axel Disasi rescued a point for Chelsea as Brentford came from behind to lead only for the Blues' defender to end a pulsating, thunderous – for the neutral, match at the Gtech stadium with a late equaliser.
The 2-2 draw means nothing to Chelsea but the point could prove vital for the Bees as they try to keep their heads above the relegation zone.
Chelsea good, then very good, terrible and then better, while Brentford, were good throughout.
They deserved the point, but either side could claim to have had the better of the game.
As it stands Brentford remain 15th in the Premier League six points off the bottom three and Chelsea languish in 11th.
The opening stages were of a tepid affair, but from short corner on nine minutes, Chelsea had the first sniff of a goal when Axel Disasi's glancing backwards header looped onto the top netting of Mark Flekken's goal.
Yoane Wissa tried his luck with a long-range, powerful right-footer a couple of minutes later, but the ball zipped well wide of Djordje Petrovic's left upright to safety.
Wissa got a little closer on 24 minutes when a quick break by the Bees on the right inspired by Ivan Toney, saw Wissa appear at the near post and clip Toney's right byline cross into the Chelsea side-netting.
Quite how the visitors didn't score on 30 minutes is anybodies guess. Nicolas Jackson was put through, he rounded Flekken, but going a tad wide to his left, he could only put in a weak almost goal-bound effort but Zanka was on the spot to clear the ball away for a corner.
Jackson is an instinctive footballer – give home time and he panics, but on 35 minutes he got his head to a wonderful deep right-wing cross by Malo Gusto and instinctually buried the ball I to the far corner of the net to put the Blues 1-0 up.
Conor Gallagher was yellow-carded for diving in the penalty area two minutes later.
There were no changes by either side at half-time.
But the Bees were rewarded for their endeavours when they equalised when Mads Roerslev nipped in at close range and smashed the ball home .
Then a minute later on 52 minutes, Vitaly Janelt hit the foot of the upright with a low, left-footer.
A brilliant counter-attacking play by the Blues saw Gusto run half the length of the pitch on the right. He sent sent in a nice low pass to in-running Cole Palmer, who disappointingly, for him and the Chelsea fans, sent a low, left-footer wide of the goal on 62 minutes.
Right up the other end, two minutes later Wissa saw an unchallenged header go wide.
Chelsea completely capitulated when Wissa finally got his just deserts with a spectacular overhead kick on from the penalty spot saw the ball arrow into the back of the net.
Pochettino immediately replaced Enzo with Mykhailo Mudryk in an attempt to rescue at least a point.
The Chelsea fans then decided to chant for Roman Abramovich and had less than appreciative words for co-owner Todd Boehly.
Call for Jose Mourinho was added to the chorus of disapproval emanating from the away end as they also turned their ire on the current head coach.
Raheem Sterling was then brought on or defender Levi Colwill.
A Palmer long-ranger flummoxed Flekken who gave away a corner and from the resultant kick the Blues equalized.
Palmer sent over a regulation cross and Disasi powered home a header at the far post on 84 minutes.
And that was that.
Teams: Brentford: Flekken, Norgaard, Wissa, Reguilon, Zanka, Onyeka, Toney, Ajer, Collins, Janelt, Roerslev
Subs; Strakosha, Maupay, Jensen, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Yarmoliuk, Ji-Soo
Chelsea: Petrovic, Disasi, Enzo, Chalobah, Jackson, Palmer, Chilwell, Gallagher, Caicedo, Colwill, Gusto
Subs: Sanchez, Cucurella, Silva, Sterling, Mudryk, Noni, Casadei, Gilchrist, Tauriainen
Referee: Jarred Gillett
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