Relive Daily Mail Sport's coverage as Brentford smashed Chelsea in the west London derby in the Premier League .

By HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER
Updated: 23:38 BST, 18 September 2026
Relive Daily Mail Sport's coverage as Brentford smashed Chelsea in the west London derby in the Premier League.
You're getting mauled by the... wait, I'm sorry. Let me start again. You've just been stung by the Bees, stung by the Beeeees.
I'm sorry, that's just been in my head all night.
Chelsea weren't just stung once tonight, but three times by a Brentford side who were miles better than them in the second half. I mean, it wasn't even close.
It reminded me of when I went on holiday in Alicante as a 13-year-old, and there was a swarm of bees at the villa. That's what it must have felt like for those Chelsea players out there. I was stung six times in one week on that holiday, by the way...
Anyways, enough of the Alicante files. Three goals from Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago, and the returning Fabio Carvalho got the job done tonight for Keith Andrews's side.
Xabi Alonso's team are a long way from challenging for that title, it seems.
Right then, I'm going to hit the hay now. Thanks for joining, and we will see you all soon.
Tara!
Gary Cahill, former Chelsea defender, on Sky Sports:
It doesn't happen overnight. I think with what you're saying he will be judged in the next five, six, seven weeks to get this right because you will have that time on the training ground and then we should start to see his methods coming through because we've seen him in an attacking senseWe've seen him in a fluidity in terms of the way that they play, the way that they attack, sometimes the way they press. Defensively now is an area that really needs to be worked on throughout the whole team.
Levi Colwill, Chelsea defender, on Sky Sports:
It was tough. First of all, seeing the set piece, obviously we weren't the best. We tried to push and maybe overexpose ourselves, play some passes we shouldn't have and forced it.They hit us on the counter, which they're so good at, and got the second goal. The third goal really hit home and hurt. In the second half, we weren't good enough, obviously. We've got a lot to work on over the international break.
We have not been good enough, at times we have been bullied and we need to improve at that, but we trust in out set-piece coach, we are still adjusting to new things, but we do need to improve as a team.
2026 has just not been Chelsea's year.
When the Blues fans look back on the last 10 years, this will be one of the few they will want to shift from their memory bank.
Chelsea have now lost more Premier League matches in 2026 (11) than they did in the entirety of 2025 (10).
There are still over three months to go...
Who saw that coming?
Certainly not the statisticians; that's for sure. Everything about tonight upset the statistical odds.
Prior to this game, Chelsea had the highest shot conversion in the Premier League, with 22.73 per cent.
Their 4.75 average goals in their matches played was the highest in the Premier League. Their 2.5 goals scored per game was the 2nd highest in the league.
And yet, they weren't even close to scoring tonight.
Tonight’s first half was also the 23rd goalless half of the Premier League season, with the first goalless half Chelsea have played out this season, and only the second goalless half Brentford have had this season.
The goalless first half means that Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are the only two teams in the league to yet play out a bore-draw in any half of Premier League football so far this season.
Hows stat?
Stats courtesy of online casino nz
Speaking of Fabio Carvalho, shall we take a look at his goal?
What a moment it was for him, after all the pain and problems he has suffered over the past year.
To return from an ACL injury and score in the Premier League again after being out for so long must be such a special feeling.
Just look at the celebrations.
Keith Andrews, Brentford boss, on Sky Sports:
I just don’t have too many concerns about him (Igor Thiago). I speak to him most days; pretty special relationship with him. It’s an amazing goal. It’s a calm finish considering he hasn’t notched in the league yet. His overall game tonight was sensational.In this day and age you have to be able to deal with every phase of the game, there’s a lot made of us around set pieces. I thought they were very respecting in the way they set up against us, they didn’t want to give Thiago any space, we had to earn the right to play, we had to be disciplined without the ball given the amount of talent they have and I thought we were very good tonight.
On Fabio Carvalho's goalscoring return after injury:
We’ve all been there with that [ACL] injury, it’s dark days. He’s just a special soul. He’s a brilliant story. The way he sniffs out goals – he’s a goalscorer; he feels it. I’m so happy for him because he’s work so hard to get back into a good rhythm. I think you should enjoy it. There’s so many tough times and you have to enjoy the moments.I felt like there was something bubbling towards tonight and I have this unbelievable calm around our team because I trust them. I see a humility and hunger within the group and we can challenge each other. We have to continue to getting better in this league, the money teams are spending on players but that’s just on paper, what we do every day in training is pushing boundaries, be open with each other and continue to go on this journey and I’m loving the journey.
Xabi Alonso, Chelsea manager:
We dropped our consistency and competitive mentality needed in the second half. The small details can be decisive. It’s about 90 minutes and we have not been able to keep our level throughout the few games at the start of the season. We need to do better.It’s not just set-pieces, in defensive duels, in the build-up. We conceded the first goal and then we lost shape and conceded on a transition. To be able to understand the game and know what it takes to compete until the end. It's a process. We knew it was a process, it's five games. In a competitive Premier League, every game is going to be hard.
Jannik Schuster, Brentford defender, speaking to Sky Sports:
I think when the second half began we played it more directly forward and we scored after that so I’m just happy.I don’t care about my performance. I just want to help the team, get the clean sheet and the three points. Hopefully I get many more minutes.
On his assist:
They always tell me I have a potential on set pieces but there wasn’t a lot of outcome on this until now. Hopefully I can score next time.
Need I write anything? This is what scoring your first Premier League goal of the season means.
That top was straight off.
Come for the goal, stay for the celebration.
Igor Thiago showed just how much a first Premier League goal of the season meant to him, ripping his top off after scoring Brentford's second.
For a man who has started this season slowly, that was one hell of a smart finish on the rebound.
Back on track.
A quick word for Keith Andrews.
I sometimes think that Andrews doesn't get the credit he deserves for the job he has done at Brentford.
Let's be real, I think we all thought his tenure would be short-lived after he took over from club legend Thomas Frank. Honestly, I thought he would be toast after a few months.
But here we are, in his second season, and he has Brentford playing better than ever and in the best shape we have ever seen them. Yep, even better than when Frank was at the wheel.
They almost managed to qualify for Europe last season, and going by how they have started this campaign, it feels like they may well make up for their final-day disappointment this term.
Andrews has the Bees flying higher than ever.
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