Chelsea claimed a hard-fought home victory over Brentford as Liam Rosenior won his first Premier League match as head coach, despite his side being second best for long spells.
Goals from Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer secured a 2-0 win that lifted Chelsea above their west London rivals into sixth place, but the scoreline scarcely reflected a contest in which Brentford dominated possession and created the clearer chances.
The visitors began sharply, with Kevin Schade testing Chelsea’s resolve early on and then opting to pass to Mikkel Damsgaard when a shooting opportunity opened up. Brentford’s bright start briefly unsettled the hosts, who struggled to impose themselves in midfield.
Chelsea’s response was measured rather than fluent. Palmer curled a shot over the bar and Joao Pedro saw a penalty appeal waved away before the Brazilian broke the deadlock in the 26th minute.
Enzo Fernandez pressed aggressively on the edge of the Brentford area, forcing a mistake from Michael Kayode, and the loose ball fell kindly for Joao Pedro, who smashed an emphatic finish past Caoimhin Kelleher.
Brentford rallied impressively. Damsgaard, Schade and Mathias Jensen all went close, with Jensen striking the post, while at the other end, Alejandro Garnacho somehow failed to convert from six yards when well placed.
Early in the second half, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez produced a superb one-on-one save to deny Schade as Brentford continued to probe.
Rosenior responded by sacrificing Garnacho for Andrey Santos in a defensive reshuffle, a move that only invited further pressure.
Igor Thiago, so prolific this season, then missed a golden opportunity when he headed wide from close range.
Chelsea capitalised moments later. A loose pass from Nathan Collins and slow reactions from Kelleher allowed substitute Liam Delap to nip in, with the goalkeeper bringing him down inside the area.
