Three takeaways from the Chelsea-Brentford draw

The Super Sunday tie between League One side Brentford FC and Chelsea was the perfect small town David versus the cash-rich Goliath story, almost tailored for the Monday papers. But what many thought would be the ideal chance for the Blues to bounce back from their mid-week disaster where Eden Hazard couldn’t control his frustration, turned out to be more of an even affair. Rafa Benitez hasn’t yet qualified for the adoration of Chelsea fans, and almost every decision he takes is met with a collective shaking of heads. He recently went on record to say that he would love to stay at the club for at least another year to effectively impose his stamp on the thought process and make a decent attempt at silverware. Even though Benitez did step it up a notch, the result left a lot to be desired, just like the turf. Here are three things we can take away from the fixture.

1. Last piece of domestic silverware

Chelsea have had a horrid season till now. They were ejected from the Capital One Cup by Swansea, are lying in third spot, 11 points behind leaders Manchester United and have also missed out on the Champions League round of 16. Their only domestic hope is now the FA Cup, and the effort displayed against Brentford didn’t represent the desperation or the urgency felt in the ranks. Also, if Benitez wants to cement a spot at the helm and drop the ‘interim’ from the designation, he will certainly have to bring something home to account for the season, and nothing will top the FA Cup, certainly not the Europa.

2. Brentford will regret the replay

Of course, Brentford almost pipped the Premier league side, and could have won it if it wasn’t for Torres’ certain curled finish. What would have been a famous win turned in to a replay away from home for the underdogs, who will not relish the game at Stamford Bridge. Just before the half, Marcello Trotta put the Bees in front before Oscar toe-poked one in at 55 minutes. Tom Adeyemi charged at the Chelsea goal when Ross Turnbull pulled him down to hand the home side a huge favor. Harry Forrester made no mistake, and put the Bees ahead for the second time; before Torres converted a Ba lay off. An incident which seemed a tad unfair was the referee’s hesitance to award the Blues a penalty in the dying minutes, when Juan Mata’s cross met an outstretched hand of Harlee Dean. Finally, the game closed at 2 each, paving the way for another match. Stamford Bridge will be a completely different deal for Brentford and it doesn’t look very bright with the barrage of hostility that awaits them. If only they could have held on for a bit longer.

3. Chelsea left a lot to be desired

Now before we head into what Chelsea didn’t do, we have to understand what they did do. We are talking about the top flight Premier League side who won the UEFA Champions League last season. Chelsea has been valued by Forbes as the seventh most valuable football club in the world. Their ranks involve top international players who have won several accolades with various countries, and their current interim manager, Rafa Benitez, is as decorated as they come.

Moving on, Chelsea were not even close to finishing the game off at any point in time. At the start, a strong Chelsea was fielded, except maybe the stand in goalkeeper, Ross Turnbull. The bright spot was probably Branislav Ivanovic whose crosses troubled the Brentford defense line. Other than that, maybe a Marko Marin run stood out, which clearly didn’t stand up for long, as Juan Mata cam on after the break. Chelsea were lacking in quality, against a squad that wouldn’t otherwise stand a chance. Who will the buck be passed to is a good question, but one which doesn’t have an answer. Benitez would be an easy escape, and Abramovich cannot look to switch so late in the season. Or can he?