EPL

Chelsea 1-4 Brentford: Janelt at the double and Eriksen on target as briliant Bees stun Blues

By Sports Desk April 02, 2022

Vitaly Janelt scored a classy double and Christian Eriksen opened his Brentford account in a sensational 4-1 derby win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Bees were the better side in the first half, but it was the Blues who took the lead just after the break through an Antonio Rudiger thunderbolt from long range.

Magnificent Brentford responded to that blow by scoring three times in the space of 10 minutes, Janelt on target with two brilliant strikes either side of Eriksen's clinical finish at the end of a devastating counter-attack.

Yoane Wissa added a late fourth goal as the Bees ran riot in a first victory over Chelsea since 1939, ending their London rivals' six-match winning run to move 11 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Edouard Mendy was fortunate to get away with a terrible pass just five minutes in, with Ivan Toney letting the stranded Blues goalkeeper off the hook when his lob floated over the crossbar.

Toney had a shot palmed wide by Mendy and the wasteful striker headed off target from close range in an impressive start from Brentford.

Chelsea looked short of ideas, but Hakim Ziyech finally called David Raya into action with a rasping left-foot drive after he was picked out by Mason Mount in the penalty area.

Rudiger produced a moment of quality that the Blues had been so badly lacking to open the scoring three minutes into the second half, letting fly with venomous right-foot strike from 35 yards that flashed past Raya.

Chelsea's joy was short-lived, though, as Janelt rounded off a well-worked move by drilling Brentford level with his left foot two minutes later.

The Bees ripped the Blues apart with a brilliant counter-attack to take the lead four minutes after that equaliser, Eriksen applying the finish with his left foot after Bryan Mbeumo spotted his surging run into the box.

Thomas Frank's side continued to knock the ball around with a swagger and they were rewarded with a brilliant third goal on the hour-mark, Toney threading a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Janelt, who coolly dinked the ball over Mendy and into the back of the net with his left foot.

Wissa added insult to injury just after coming on, rifling home with his right foot after a mix-up between Rudiger and Thiago Silva with Chelsea all at sea.

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