The Blues started brightly at Wheatsheaf Park, quickly pinning Brentford deep. Despite creating several early chances, neither side could find a breakthrough before half-time.

The deadlock was broken soon after the restart when substitute Barbour met a precise cross from Reggie Walsh to put Chelsea ahead. The visitors continued to press and were rewarded again late on as Ezenwata doubled our lead with a composed finish into the bottom corner.

Brentford kept fighting until stoppage time, pulling one back through a whipped free-kick from Beau Redknapp. The late goal set up a tense finale, but Chelsea remained resilient to see out the win, securing our place in the fourth round with a disciplined and determined display.

Instant pressure

Chelsea wasted no time asserting themselves in this lively west London derby, starting on the front foot and dominating the early exchanges. Possession was controlled confidently, with the flanks used to full effect as Mathis Eboue and Ibrahim Rabbaj pushed high and wide, stretching Brentford’s back line and keeping the hosts pinned deep.

In the middle, Walsh and Shumaira Mheuka combined intelligently, their quick link-ups threatening an early breakthrough. Chelsea came agonisingly close when Walsh pressed high, stole possession from a Brentford defender and slid a perfectly weighted pass into Ezenwata. His first-time ball across the face of goal found Rabbaj in space, but the winger could not make clean contact, Brentford goalkeeper Felix Lyon scrambling to keep the chance out.

By the 20-minute mark, our grip on the game had tightened further. Territory and possession were almost exclusively ours, yet frustration crept in as repeated attacks broke down inside the penalty area, the decisive touch eluding the Blues.

The first real test for Lyon came when Walsh floated a teasing, looping pass into the box for captain Mheuka. The forward connected cleanly on a close-range volley, but the keeper reacted sharply to push the effort away.

Despite being second best for much of the half, the hosts threatened on the break. Redknapp surged forward from deep and unleashed a thunderous strike from distance that rattled the crossbar, leaving Chelsea keeper Freddy Bernal relieved to see it bounce clear.

We quickly regained control. Lewi Richards threaded a clever pass to Eboue, who drove a low shot from a tight angle that flashed narrowly wide. Moments later, the winger went close again, cutting inside with pace and skill before drilling another low effort - seemingly destined for the corner - only for a desperate Brentford block to deny him once more.

The final chance of a tense first half fell to the hosts. Luka Bentt unleashed a powerful strike from outside the area, but Bernal reacted superbly, diving full stretch to push the effort wide and preserve the clean sheet.

After a breathless opening 45 minutes, Chelsea went into the break goalless. Despite dominating possession and controlling large spells, frustration lingered as the Blues searched for that decisive moment to turn pressure into reward.

Hassan Sulaiman looked to inject fresh energy at the interval, bringing on winger Barbour for Rabbaj, and the substitute wasted no time making an impact. Minutes into the second half, Holland spotted Barbour’s run and played a searching long ball into the channel. The winger used his pace to surge behind the defence and stretch for a close-range finish, but Lyon reacted sharply to smother the effort, keeping the game finely poised.

Chelsea sensed the momentum shifting. Pressure mounted as waves of Blue pushed Brentford deeper. Eboue, a constant threat down the left flank, once again cut inside onto his stronger foot and unleashed a venomous strike that beat Lyon but cannoned back off the inside of the post, Chelsea denied by the slimmest of margins.

Our moment arrives!

When the opening goal arrived, it came from a superb curling ball delivered into the box by Walsh delivered a superb ball into the box. Barbour met it perfectly at the back post, guiding a composed finish past Lyon to finally break the deadlock and give Chelsea a deserved lead.

Sensing an opportunity to put the game beyond reach, Chelsea pressed for more. Moments later, Walsh floated another dangerous delivery into the area. Ezenwata rose highest and powered a thumping header goalwards, only for the effort to clear the crossbar, leaving the striker agonisingly close to adding his name to the score sheet.

As the match entered the final 10 minutes of normal time, Chelsea continued to push for a second goal. Walsh tested Lyon with a driven effort from outside the area, before Eboue went in search of one of his own, unleashing a fierce strike that flew just over the crossbar.

Doubling our advantage

Our determination was rewarded as Ezenwata finally doubled the lead. Collecting a long, looping ball, he drove powerfully upfield before smashing a finish into the bottom corner from inside the penalty area with five minutes of normal time remaining. It was a textbook striker’s finish.

Brentford pushed for a late response during eight minutes of stoppage time, and pulled one back when Redknapp stepped up and whipped a free-kick from a dangerous position past Bernal to make it 2-1.

Despite the late pressure, Chelsea remained composed, defending resolutely to see out a nervy finale. The Blues held on to secure a hard-earned victory, closing out 2025 on a high note with a disciplined and determined display.

What it means

With this positive result, Chelsea continue our journey in the knockout stages and will face Reading away from home in the fourth round of the competition.

What is next

This is the last game of 2025 for the Chelsea Academy, with our Under-21s and Under-18s both returning to action after the winter break, when youth action resumes in January.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Freddy Bernal; Lewi Richards, Dante Waite, Olutayo Subuloye, Landon Emenalo; Charlie Holland, Shumaira Mheuka (c), Reggie Walsh; Ibrahim Rabbaj (Kobe Barbour h-t), Chizaram Ezenwata, Mathis Eboue (Sol Gordon 81)
Unused subs: Isaac Collinson, Calvin Diakite, Riley Ebho, Jacob Hall, Jashyade Greenwood
Scorers: Barbour57, Ezenwata 85

Brentford: Felix Lyon, Josh Zetter-Plummer (Chris Cohalan 55), Nathaniel Ogungbemi, Aidan Golding (c), Isaiah Powis, Otis Honor (Jai Bansoodeb 55), Coran Madden (Jacob Hanson 87), Beau Redknapp, Jai Nwosu (Naeem Giscombe 67), Luka Bentt, Domeiro Bobb-Semple
Unused subs: Layton Nicholls, Staitham Bowen, Josh Oladapo-Gamu
Scorer: Redknapp 90+3
Booked: Zetter-Plummer 40