Bees find away day at Chelsea to their taste once more as big Ethan secures the points

Chelsea (0) 0

Brentford (0) 2 Pinnock 58, Mbeumo 90+6

A venue that holds no terrors for the Bees these days once again became home from home for Thomas Frank's men.

After taking something of a battering in the opening half, the Bees sprang into life to steal in front in pursuit of a third win in a row at Stamford Bridge.

And once in front, they never looked back, looking stronger with each passing minute.

A throw-in on the right gave Bryan Mbeumo enough space to reach the byline and loft a high ball to the back stick for the towering presence of Ethan Pinnock and his header gave keeper Robert Sanchez no chance.

With only three wins in their previous 15 on home soil, going into the game, the goal preyed further on the nerves of the hosts who are still looking for the sort of team understanding which underpins the Bees these days. Money can't fast-track you everything.

There was bound to be a nervy finish through six minutes of added time, given what happened recently at Old Trafford when two goals were shipped in injury time and the Bees could have done with Mbeumo converting a Neal Maupay cross at the death to seal the deal.

This time, though, it finished with all smiles as they bagged a second in a breakaway deep into injury time - Mbeumo tucking into an empty net after Maupay had led a charge towards a goal vacated by Robert Sanchez, who had come up for a corner.

It was a delicious moment for the away side and their delirious fans.

Brentford's start to the season has not been perfect, by any means, but they have not lost the spirit of togetherness and organisation required to keep heads above water at this level.

The Bees had to make do with scraps during a first-half that the Blues dominated in terms of possession and chances.

The five Frank assembled in midfield often sat deep, inviting Chelsea to try and find a way behind them and the robust rearguard smothered most of those incursions.

That said, they needed a bit of luck to keep the scoreline even, with Noni Madueke slamming a left footer against the angle of crossbar and post, Conor Gallagher forcing Mark Flekken into a dive to his right and Marc Cucurella volleying a cute chip from Cole Palmer into the keeper from close range.

Raheem Sterling had a penalty shout after being bundled to the deck by Mads Roerslev and and winger blazed over from another telling pass from Palmer, who was the pick of the talents on show for the expensively-assembled hosts.

If the plan was to frustrate, it seemed to be paying off as the crowd drifted into a quiet lunchtime slumber. Calls of 'Wake up' could be heard from some irate fans behind Mauricio Pochettino who responded angrily. It would have been music to Frank's ears.

Vitaly Janelt scored twice in the famous 4-1 at the Bridge two seasons ago and almost beat Sanchez soon after the break after sending a Mathias Jensen cutback goalwards.

It was a warning that this was not going to be a home stroll any more than the last two visits from their west London neighbours had been.

Chelsea: (4-2-3-1) Sanchez - Disasi (James 67), Thiago Silva, Colwill, Cucurella (Washington 81) - Gallagher, Caicedo (Ogochukwu 81) - Madueke (Maatsen 67), Palmer, Sterling - Jackson

Bees (3-5-2) Flekken - Ajer, Pinnock, Collins - Roerslev, Jensen (Onyeka 63), Norgaard, Janelt (Yarmolyuk 76), Hickey (Ghoddos 84) - Mbeumo, Wissa (Maupay 76).