The cross came in from Noni Madueke and this time, it <br>
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did not fly over the Cucu's nest. Marc Cucurella met it perfectly <br>
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for his first Premier League goal in Chelsea colours, Enzo Maresca's plan to pummel Brentford's box with balls finally earning them the breakthrough.<br>
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It set them on their way to moving within two points of <br>
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Liverpool at the top of the table, Nicolas Jackson scoring <br>
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their second goal to give enough daylight that Bryan Mbeumo's late strike was nothing more <br>
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than a nuisance by the end.<br>
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Chelsea can temporarily overtake their rivals next <br>
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weekend, by virtue of their trip to Everton being played before Liverpool take on Tottenham.<br>
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December 3, 2021 was the last time this club <br>
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topped the table and when they weren't chanting <br>
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Maresca's name, you could hear the home supporters at Stamford Bridge were <br>
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singing: ‘We've got our Chelsea back.'<br>
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Maresca maintains there is nothing to see here,<br>
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mind. Just as actors will not speak the name ‘Macbeth' for fear it will bring a hex upon their <br>
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heads, neither will you catch Chelsea talking of <br>
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the title, their head coach reiterating here: ‘I don't think we are ready <br>
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to compete.' And yet, Liverpool sense something wicked is coming their way, even if they have a game in hand.<br>
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It is a team, managed expertly by Maresca, that <br>
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took full advantage on a weekend when every other result went their way.<br>
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Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, they all faltered.<br>
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But Chelsea did not, even if Mbeumo did set up the nervy ending.<br>
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The only downside to this victory was in stoppage time, Cucurella <br>
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was shown a yellow card for a crunching challenge and at full-time, he was <br>
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handed another, with a one-match suspension incoming.<br>
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‘I asked the referee and he said the second yellow <br>
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card was for a "bad attitude",' Maresca confirmed. <br>
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Chelsea moved two points off the Premier League top spot <br>
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after beating Brentford 2-1<br>
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Marc Cucurella stooped to head home the Blues' opening goal before half-time<br>
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Nicolas Jackson wrapped up a crucial victory after firing beyond goalkeeper Mark Flekken<br>
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Brentford boss Thomas Frank was unhappy with Cucurella <br>
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for dropping down holding his face to win a free-kick in stoppage time, accusing him of being a faker <br>
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as he added: ‘I will say it to Cucurella because I respect him massively.'<br>
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Cucurella's sponsors Puma partook of some damage limitation after his two slips in their brand <br>
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new boots led to Tottenham goals last weekend, launching a campaign with the <br>
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tagline: ‘It's not how you slip, it's how you bounce back.' <br>
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As clever as that marketing stunt was in midweek, Cucurella <br>
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was not wearing the offending footwear here, which arguably said more.<br>
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Back in a version he hoped would keep him vertical, Chelsea's defenders refused to become the latest team to let Brentford break through within minutes, as Manchester City, Tottenham and others did.<br>
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Instead, the best two chances of this spell fell to <br>
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Jackson.<br>
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First, Malo Gusto's cross led to a header which floated wide.<br>
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Then, Moises Caicedo's long ball in behind found Jackson, who blasted the ball directly <br>
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at Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.<br>
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Brentford's best opportunity of the first half came after 29 <br>
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minutes as Mikkel Damsgaard seemed destined to score, only for Levi Colwill to produce a lunging block, à la <br>
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John Terry. Chelsea's players gathered to congratulate Colwill before arranging themselves for the corner.<br>
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Chances came and went for Jadon Sancho and Madueke, <br>
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who pounced on Flekken's loose pass but was denied when Brentford's goalkeeper made himself big.<br>
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Yet as per Chelsea's crossing plan, it was in the 43rd minute when they struck.<br>
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The ball from Madueke was perfect, right into Cucurella's <br>
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path. The man with the curly mop gladly accepted the gift as he headed beyond Flekken, his first <br>
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Premier League goal after 60 games. It is quite the <br>
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redemption arc, as the left back previously booed at Stamford Bridge for being a £63million waste.<br>
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Cucurella's effort set Enzo Maresca's side on their way against the <br>
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battling Bees<br>
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His header bounced into the turf and found the far corner, leaving Flekken helpless<br>
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Jackson raced away to celebrate in front of supporters <br>
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after scoring Chelsea's second<br>
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Robert Sanchez tipped over an effort from Christian Norgaard as late nerves set in<br>
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The most crosses managed by Chelsea in a Premier League match this season were their 23 versus Nottingham Forest. <br>
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The next nearest total was 15 against Manchester City.<br>
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In the first half alone here, the statistics said they fired 17 balls into Brentford's box.<br>
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Though Madueke had provided the peach of a ball for Cucurella's opener, he was having an otherwise frustrating night, too often surrendering possession. Pedro <br>
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Neto was here watching from the substitutes' bench, but suspended <br>
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after picking up five yellow cards.<br>
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When Madueke won a corner, Chelsea hoped for <br>
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a penalty given Brentford's box resembled a WWE ring.<br>
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The refereeing team decided it was six of one and half a dozen the other.<br>
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In the 60th minute, Chelsea should have been two-up when Sancho cut the ball back into the six-yard box. <br>
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Jackson was waiting on its edge, the goal entirely open. Yet he ballooned what should have been a tap-in, a real head-in-hands moment <br>
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which Chelsea fans feared they might be lamenting on their <br>
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journeys home. <br>
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Sancho then tried to walk the ball into the goal in the 67th minute,<br>
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even rounding Flekken with fast feet, but he took too long with <br>
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the chance.<br>
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Brentford began to push for the leveller and in the <br>
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73rd minute, Christian Norgaard thought he had it. <br>
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Fabio Carvalho rattled the crossbar from just several yards out with his first touch<br>
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Jadon Sancho rounded the keeper but was unable to squeeze his effort into the empty net<br>
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Yoane Wissa denied Yoane Wissa from close range minutes before Jackson swept home<br>
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Cucurella was shown his second yellow card and was sent off after a <br>
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final whistle scrap<br>
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However, his volley was tipped over superbly by Robert Sanchez.<br>
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As nervous as Chelsea's goalkeeper makes fans with his <br>
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feet, his hands are safe.<br>
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After 75 minutes, Jackson tried to seal the win, Flekken tipping wide.<br>
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Brentford went up the other end and with <br>
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a cross of their own, Fabio Carvalho crashed the ball into the crossbar.<br>
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But in the 80th minute, Jackson broke behind on to Enzo Fernandez's <br>
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bending pass. With Pinnock trying in vain to <br>
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stop him, he found the bottom corner for 2-0.<br>
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Brentford made it 2-1 in the 90th minute, Mbeumo finishing a <br>
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one-v-one. Chelsea survived the late onslaught, though Cucurella was shown his two yellows amid the chaos to slightly dampen spirits.<br>
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The cross came in from Noni