It was the home side who initially took the lead against the run of play in the first half through Kevin Schade's deflected shot. However, Enzo Maresca made a flurry of changes at and shortly after half-time, which looked like they had won us the game.

First Cole Palmer, back after missing our last two games, drove in from near the penalty spot after Joao Pedro kept the danger alive from an Enzo Fernandez cross, and then Moises Caicedo smashed a stunning strike into the top corner to put us ahead with five minutes remaining.

Despite a couple of impressive saves from Robert Sanchez, we weren't able to hold on for the win, though. In added time, a bouncing ball eluded everyone in the box, making its way to the back post where Brentford's own a substitute Fabio Carvalho was free to equalise.

The selection

Facundo Buonanotte made his first appearance for the Blues following his transfer deadline day loan move from Brighton & Hove Albion, and lined up alongside Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens in the attacking positions supporting striker Joao Pedro. The midfield remained the same from the win over Fulham before the international break, with Enzo Fernandez captaining the side next to Moises Caicedo.

Robert Sanchez continued in goal, but there were two changes to the defence in front of him. Jorrel Hato came into the team for Marc Cucurella to make his first start, while Wesley Fofana was back in the line-up following injury, replacing Malo Gusto. Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo completed the back line, with Estevao Willian and the injured Liam Delap the other two players to make way.

Easing into the game

Brentford threw the ball straight forward from their kick-off, but it was comfortably dealt with and from there the game began with a long spell of Chelsea possession. That allowed new boys Hato and Buonanotte to get comfortable with some early touches on their first starts.

In fact, it was Buonanotte who created the evening’s first sight of goal. He did well as Chelsea hunted in packs to apply pressure, winning the ball off Michael Kayode in a dangerous position and laying the ball right to Joao Pedro just inside the box, but his effort was blocked.

Brentford responded immediately at the other end, as Igor Thiago managed to pluck a long ball out of the air for his strike partner Kevin Schade, but Tosin stepped in to charge down the shot.

Taking charge

It was a lively start to the game, and Thiago received the game’s first booking inside the opening 10 minutes for a blatant pull on Chalobah. It was a sign of frustration beginning to creep in for the home side already, with Chelsea the ones firmly on the front foot.

That was demonstrated when Tosin met a Neto free-kick to be the first one to test the keeper, but it was too close to Caoimhin Kelleher and wouldn’t have counted anyway, the offside flag going up immediately.

For a long spell our control of the game was effectively unchallenged. We continued to probe patiently for an opening in the Brentford back five, while Tosin and Chalobah mopped up the occasional hopeful long-ball with ease.

Brentford made things a little more even in possession as we passed the half-hour mark, but still neither keeper had needed to deal with anything more threatening than the occasional cross into the penalty area, and even they were few and far between.

Behind against the run of play

However, the first time all game that Brentford’s attempts to play the quick long-ball in behind our defence enjoyed any success, it gave them the opening goal. As we pushed forward down the left looking for a goal of our own, the home side won possession and Jordan Henderson launched it forward immediately.

This time Tosin found himself isolated against one of the Brentford strikers and, when the high ball dropped beyond him, Schade was able to get into the box. Tosin recovered to try and block, but instead the ball ricocheted off the inside of his leg on its way past Robert Sanchez and into the net.

Undeterred, the Blues immediately resumed their pursuit of a goal of our own, dominating possession in the Brentford half for the rest of the first period, and nearly got lucky when Enzo Fernandez hit the post direct from a corner, but it was the home side who went into the break with the advantage.

Looking for a response

Enzo Maresca clearly decided a change was needed, and opted to make three half-time substitutions. Marc Cucurella, Tyrique George and Reece James - taking the captain's armband - were all introduced for the second half, with Hato, Fofana and Buonanotte the three making way.

It took a little time to have an impact, though, as it was Brentford who started the second half looking the livelier, but before long we began to test the opposition. The first to do so was one of those subs, as George was played in from the right and drove a low shot towards goal from an angle, requiring an excellent save by Kelleher to deny us an equaliser.

Cucurella then got involved, although his shot was straight at the keeper, and Palmer soon joined him when Maresca brought on our No10 for our fourth change. We continued to threaten, especially down the right where Neto was combining well with Fernandez, who was now in a more advanced position as we switched to a 4-1-4-1 shape following Cole's introduction.

Cole strikes

When the equaliser arrived, there were no prizes for guessing who scored it. Just five minutes after coming on, having missed our previous two matches due to injury, Palmer made an instant impact on this match. Fernandez crossed deep from the right, Joao Pedro headed it down into danger, where Cole was waiting to sweep a first-time shot into the bottom corner.

It was 1-1, but that parity almost didn't last long, as Schade was able to swivel in the box and scuff a shot, which seemed destined to bounce into the bottom corner until Sanchez brilliantly threw himself full-stretch to turn it around the post with his fingertips.

Brentford were starting to look increasingly uncomfortable as the second half went on, their strong start to the second 45 minutes becoming a distant memory as Neto and Palmer began too look too hot for them to handle, the former being denied a brilliant solo goal by a last-ditch block and Yehor Yarmoliuk being booked for a cyncial foul after being left flailing in Cole's wake.

For a moment, the crowd inside the Gtech Community Stadium thought Palmer had done it again to put Chelsea ahead, following another strong run down the right by Neto. The Portuguese slid the ball across the box for Palmer, but Kelleher did well to smother his driven low shot.

Chelsea's final change saw a second Blues debut of the day, when Alejandro Garnacho came on to replace Joao Pedro with just over 10 minutes remaining, and the visitors now camped out in Brentford's half looking for a winning goal.

Late drama

However, it was a less predictable source which produced a stunning goal to put Chelsea ahead for the first time. A cross from the left wasn't dealt with by the Brentford defence and rolled slowly to Caicedo just outside the box.

The Chelsea fans were screaming for the midfielder to shoot, but the Ecuadorian wouldn't be rushed. Time seemed to stand still as he assessed his options and lined things up, but once he made his mind up it was emphatic. He struck a fierce shot which flew into the top-left corner. This time Kelleher was helpless.

Sanchez produced another good save to maintain our lead, but we weren't able to hold it until the final whistle. Deep into added time, the home side struck back to make it 1-1 at the end, as a ball into our box from the left bounced its way through the bodies, allowing Fabio Carvalho to net from close range at the back post.

What is next

The Blues put domestic matters briefly to one side as our UEFA Champions League campaign begins with a mouthwatering trip to Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening, with kick-off at 8pm UK time. We then return to these shores for another big away trip, this time to Manchester United in the Premier League, at 5.30pm next Saturday.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Fofana (James h-t), Chalobah, Tosin, Hato (Cucurella h-t); Caicedo, Fernandez (c); Neto, Buonanotte (George h-t), Gittens (Palmer 56); Joao Pedro (Garnacho 79)
Unused subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Gusto, Santos
Scorers: Palmer 61, Caicedo 86
Booked: Hato 30, George 90+1

Brentford (5-3-2): Kelleher; Kayode (Hickey 83), Collins (c), Van den Berg, Pinnock (Ajer 83), Lewis-Potter (Carvalho 88); Yarmoliuk, Henderson, Jensen (Henry 73); Schade, Thiago (Ouattara 73)
Unused subs: Valdimarsson, Janelt, Onyeka, Carvalho, Nelson
Scorers: Schade 35, Carvalho 90+4
Booked: Thiago 8, Yarmoliuk 64, Henry 82

Referee: Stuart Attwell

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