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Player Ratings: Chelsea vs Brentford - Key Performances Analyzed

Liam Rosenior's first Premier League game in charge of Chelsea saw the Blues secure a crucial victory against Brentford, with Robert Sanchez playing a pivotal role. Read on for a detailed analysis of the player ratings from Stamford Bridge.

Player Ratings: Chelsea vs Brentford - Key Performances Analyzed

Liam Rosenior's first Premier League game in charge of Chelsea ended in victory against Brentford, largely thanks to the heroics of the club's much-maligned Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The 28-year-old made a massive save to deny Kevin Schade what looked a certain equaliser in the second half, with Cole Palmer adding to Joao Pedro's first-half thunderbolt to secure a somewhat unconvincing 2-0 win for the Blues.An eventful first half saw Brentford go close after 21 minutes when the dangerous Schade sat Trevoh Chalobah down and laid the ball across, eventually forcing Sanchez into a smart save to stop Tosin Adarabioyo diverting into his own net. The Bees would pay for that missed opportunity soon after, with Joao Pedro smashing a powerful drive high into the net after the ball fortuitously ricocheted into his path.Mathias Jensen then missed a big chance to equalise as he ghosted in behind Marc Cucurella and sliced an effort against the far post, before Alejandro Garnacho somehow failed to make it 2-0 - the Argentine shooting wide with the goal gaping after Pedro Neto's delicious low cross from the right had picked him out.Brentford would again go close soon after half-time as Sanchez thwarted Schade when the German forward raced through one-v-one, before in-form Brazilian striker Igor Thiago headed a presentable chance wide of goal following a corner. And as Keith Andrews' side piled forward and looked likely to force an equaliser, up stepped Palmer to deliver the sucker punch in the 76th minute as he stroked home from the penalty spot following Caoimhin Kelleher's trip on Liam Delap.GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge...Robert Sanchez (8/10):Huge save with his left boot denied Schade a certain goal in the second half. Also did well to stop Tosin inadvertently diverting into his own net in the first period as he emphatically answered his critics.Reece James (6/10):Improved defensively in the second half but wasn't able to get forward and influence things in attacking areas, which is one of his main strengths. Hooked shortly before the end.Trevoh Chalobah (7/10):Settled after the early mishap that saw Schade put him on his backside, almost leading to an own goal. Did some decent defensive work in dealing with the waves of Brentford attacks in the second 45.Tosin Adarabioyo (6/10):Made one or two important clearances and generally dealt well with the threat of 16-goal Thiago before an injury issue saw him replaced in the second half.Marc Cucurella (5/10):All-action as always, hilariously falling to the ground at one point after being shoved by Schade. Wasn't able to do much going forward, though, such was Brentford's overall dominance.Moises Caicedo (6/10):Made a crucial block to deny Yarmolyuk right on half-time and added numbers in central areas to deal with the constant flow of Brentford forays forward.Enzo Fernandez (6/10):Gets the assist for the ricochet that led to Joao Pedro's goal but didn't really happen for him outside of that.Pedro Neto (5/10):Deserved an assist for the arrowed ball across the box that Garnacho made a mess of. That was his best moment in a pretty average display.Cole Palmer (7/10):Clearly he's nowhere near match fit and was pretty anonymous before he settled the Stamford Bridge nerves with a typically assured penalty.Alejandro Garnacho (4/10):Slipped over when racing into the box in the first half and it summed up his day. Shot horribly wide when presented with essentially an open goal and was hooked before the hour mark. Poor.Joao Pedro (7/10):Rocketed in the opener that left Kelleher with no chance, but was ineffective thereafter as Brentford poured forward in the second half. Taken off after 73 minutes.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingAndrey Santos (6/10):Added some steel in midfield as Brentford continued to look a threat in the second half.Wesley Fofana (7/10):Slotted in well alongside Chalobah after replacing the injured Tosin.Liam Delap (7/10):His decisive first involvement after coming on for Joao Pedro saw him capitalise on Kelleher's loose touch to earn the penalty for 2-0.Jorrel Hato (N/A):Brought on for the last minutes of the game.Josh Acheampong (N/A):Replaced James for the final knockings.Liam Rosenior (6/10):Not the convincing performance he would've been hoping for, but he got his first Premier League win against a difficult opponent all the same. Will need to work out how to get the best out of Palmer and Fernandez as it didn't really click here, but he'll be pleased to get all three points to remain in the mix for a top-four finish.

1

Robert Sanchez (8/10)

Sanchez was the standout performer for Chelsea, making a crucial save to deny Schade and answering his critics emphatically.

2

Reece James (6/10)

James showed an improvement defensively in the second half but lacked his usual attacking influence before being substituted.

3

Trevoh Chalobah (7/10)

Chalobah recovered well after an early mishap and put in decent defensive work against Brentford's attacks.

4

Tosin Adarabioyo (6/10)

Adarabioyo made important clearances but had to be replaced in the second half due to an injury issue.

5

Marc Cucurella (5/10)

Cucurella was unable to make much impact going forward and struggled to cope with Brentford's dominance.

6

Moises Caicedo (6/10)

Caicedo made a crucial block and provided additional support in central areas to deal with Brentford's attacking threats.

7

Enzo Fernandez (6/10)

Fernandez provided the assist for Joao Pedro's goal but was otherwise quiet during the game.

8

Pedro Neto (5/10)

Neto had a decent moment with a quality delivery that was not converted, but was otherwise average in his performance.

9

Cole Palmer (7/10)

Palmer, though lacking match fitness, showed composure to convert a penalty and ease the tension at Stamford Bridge.

10

Alejandro Garnacho (4/10)

Garnacho had a frustrating day with missed opportunities and was eventually substituted early in the second half.

11

Joao Pedro (7/10)

Pedro scored a stunning opening goal but faded as the game progressed, eventually being substituted.

12

Andrey Santos (6/10)

Santos added stability in midfield as Brentford continued to threaten in the second half.

13

Wesley Fofana (7/10)

Fofana slotted in well in defense after coming on as a substitute for the injured Adarabioyo.

14

Liam Delap (7/10)

Delap made an impact by winning the penalty for Chelsea's second goal after coming on as a substitute.

15

Liam Rosenior (6/10)

Rosenior secured his first Premier League win as Chelsea manager in a hard-fought match against Brentford, with room for improvement in tactics to unleash the team's potential.

Published on Jan 17, 2026