Brentford vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight
The Blues consolidated their place at the top of the table as the high-flying Bees came close to pulling off another shock
Chelsea held off a late onslaught from Brentford to achieve a narrow away victory on Saturday and consolidate their place at the top of the Premier League table.
Thomas Tuchel’s side had emerged as early frontrunners for the title, with confidence clearly flowing after their Champions League triumph in the spring, but they recently suffered back-to-back defeats against top teams in Man City and Juventus to somewhat lose momentum. The Blues have now responded with two straight wins, however, this victory over a spirited Brentford outfit earning Chelsea three invaluable points.
Left-back Ben Chilwell, making just his second league start of the season, fired the visitors ahead on the cusp of half-time, blasting a superb half-volley past David Raya for his third goal in as many games for club and country. Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was equally important here, however, making a string of superb saves late in the game to help his side survive the swarming Bees. The best of the lot was a stop with his face to deny Pontus Jansson, though the Senegal international then also crucially tipped over a Christian Norgaard overhead kick from close range to secure the win.
Follow all the fallout from the top-flight meeting:
Leicester 0 - 0 Man Utd
Kick off: Manchester United get the game underway with Bruno Fernandes passing the ball to Victor Lindelof. He flicks it out to Luke shaw who’s pressed by Kelechi Iheanacho and has to put the ball out for a Leicester throw in.
Leicester vs Man Utd
The teams make their way out onto the pitch at the King Power stadium. Harry Maguire is back to lead the visitors and Marcus Rashford is on the bench for Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t press for Manchester United - but does that matter?
Cristiano Ronaldo does not press. That is not meant as a criticism of Manchester United’s No 7, only as a statement of fact. Three-and-a-bit games into his Premier League return, Ronaldo has pressed less than any other player in his position.
Last season at Juventus, he was among the bottom 1 per cent among forwards for pressing in Europe’s major five leagues. The question is: does that matter?
Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t press but does that matter?
Ronaldo’s reluctance to press is part of a tactical gamble by United that is yet to pay off
Mohamed Salah hits wonder goal as five-star Liverpool demolish Watford
Claudio Ranieri may be much-loved for his unshakable optimism, but even he will fail to glean any positives from the carcass of this wretched return to English football.
The Italian was a helpless bystander as he watched his new Watford side ravaged, ruthlessly and resoundingly, by Liverpool at Vicarage Road on Saturday, and the eventual scoreline of 5-0 was if anything lenient.
Mohamed Salah hits wonder goal as five-star Liverpool demolish Watford
Watford 0-5 Liverpool: Roberto Firmino grabbed a hat-trick and Sadio Mane scored one as Jurgen Klopp’s side ran riot at Vicarage Road
Watford 0 - 5 Liverpool
Reaction from a happy Jurgen Klopp who told BT Sport:
It was good! I cannot say differently. After international break it is hard to find the rhythm after playing different systems, but the boys were so good despite only having one session before today. I think Watford had ideas, but we didn’t let them play. The goals were really brilliant, there was great attitude, energy and character.
“His [Mo Salah] performance was massive today. The pass for the first goal was great and the second goal was special. He is top. We all see it. Who is better than him? We don’t have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and their dominance. But right now, he is the best.”
Leicester vs Man Utd
Manchester United are on an English league record unbeaten away run of 29 games since a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool in January 2020 with 19 wins and 10 draws during that time.
34 of the 67 away points amassed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side during this period have been won from a losing position.
The Red Devils haven’t conceded more than once in any of their last 15 away league fixtures, keeping eight clean sheets, However, Manchester United’s sole clean sheet in their last 18 matches in all competitions came in the league at Wolves in August.
Leicester vs Man Utd
Leicester’s current four-match winless league run is their joint-longest under Brendan Rodgers. They haven’t fared worse since only taking one point from Claude Puel’s final six league games in charge in early 2019.
The Foxes have lost eight of their 16 Premier League fixtures since the beginning of April. Only Burnley, with 11 defeats, and Wolves, with nine, have been beaten more often during that time.
Their solitary clean sheet in the last 13 league matches came against Wolves on the opening weekend of this season.
Leicester’s struggles show the price of sustainable football in the modern hyper-competitive Premier League
When the takeover of Newcastle United by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, PIF, was completed, there was sizeable unease at Leicester City.
Naturally, the expectation was Steve Bruce’s time is up and Brendan Rodgers would be handed the keys to the castle and whatever he desired to become manager of the world’s richest football club.
That was not rooted in paranoia, with the Northern Irishman already distancing himself from the latest state-owned sportswashing project – forget whatever you’re fed about “legally binding assurances” regarding separation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its savings account to diversify the economy.
No such exists. No such can or ever will exist.
Leicester’s struggles show the price of sustainability in the modern Premier League
Newcastle’s new riches and the visit of Manchester United remind Leicester of how taxing it is to be sustainable disruptors in the highly competitive Premier League
Marcus Rashford back in Manchester United squad for trip to Leiceste
Marcus Rashford could make his first appearance of the season for Manchester United on Saturday in their Premier League game at Leicester.
Rashford, who had surgery in August to repair his damaged shoulder, will be included in United’s squad, boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed.
Marcus Rashford back in Manchester United squad for trip to Leicester
The forward has not featured yet this season due to injury
Watford 0 - 5 Liverpool
Claudio Ranieri suffered his biggest ever Premier League defeat, while no manager whose first game with a club in the competition came at home has suffered a bigger margin of defeat (also Alan Smith with Crystal Palace vs Liverpool in August 1994, when they lost
1-6).
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