Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Chelsea - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - March 2, 2024 Chelsea's Raheem Sterling in action with Brentford's Mads Roerslev and Yehor Yarmoliuk Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
LONDON (Reuters) -Chelsea fought back with a late Axel Disasi equaliser in the closing minutes to salvage a point at Brentford in a 2-2 draw on Saturday, as the Blues inconsistent form in the Premier League kept them stuck in the bottom half of the table.
Chelsea took the lead with a glanced header by Nicolas Jackson from an inch-perfect Malo Gusto cross in the 35th minute.
But Brentford battled back and looked like they were heading for a comeback win after Mads Roerslev pounced on a loose ball in the 50th minute and Yoane Wissa then smashed a shot into the net with an acrobatic scissor kick in the 69th minute.
Chelsea - looking tired after losing the League Cup final in extra time to Liverpool last Sunday and then beating Leeds United with a last-gasp winner in a 3-2 thriller in the FA Cup on Wednesday - pushed again and Cole Palmer crossed for Disasi to level in the 83rd minute in the West London derby.
The draw left the expensively assembled Chelsea 11th in the table, in what has been a tough first season at Stamford Bridge for coach Mauricio Pochettino who celebrated his 52nd birthday on Saturday.
FRUSTRATED FANS
Many Chelsea fans voiced their frustration with Pochettino and the club's American owners when their side was 2-1 down.
"I think it's the frustration. We need to understand that fans are emotional," the Argentine said, adding he had not heard the chants himself.
"I am fighting with all my sense to try to provide the team with the best tools to work and improve and to play in the best way... We're going to fight."
The Blues' inconsistent form has secured only 10 wins from their 26 league games so far this season.
Brentford, who have suffered a string of injuries particularly in defence, are six points above the relegation zone although Luton Town, in the highest of the drop spots, were playing in a late kick-off against Aston Villa.
The draw extended Brentford's unbeaten run against Chelsea to five matches with the draw following two 2-0 wins in the preceding two meetings.
At a meeting on Tuesday following a 4-2 defeat by West Ham United on Monday, some players spoke about wanting to do better and resolved to stick together, Brentford coach Thomas Frank said. "(We) Adjusted a few things, a tiny bit, so big credit to them," he said.
Boos were also heard from Brentford fans after Chelsea went ahead in the first half. But as the hosts fought back in what Frank deemed an impressive second half, the fans were brilliant, he added.
"I don't think there's any fans that don't want the best for the team," the Dane said.
(Editing by Ed Osmond, Pritha Sarkar and Christian Radnedge)
