Player ratings as late Disasi header earns draw for Blues

Chelsea needed a late header from Axel Disasi to snatch a 2-2 draw with Brentford on Saturday.

The Blues were comfortable in the first half and were good value for the lead handed to them by Nicolas Jackson’s header, but Brentford upped their performance after the break as goals from Mads Roerslev and Yoane Wissa turned the game on its head.

With the clock ticking down, Disasi popped up with a powerful header to save Chelsea from another disappointing defeat.

How the game unfolded

Ivan Toney saw a close-range volley blocked early on, before Wissa’s strike from the edge of the box looked threatening but was always curling wide of Djordje Petrovic’s far post.

Chelsea had their odd moments of quality but were often let down by a sloppy pass in the opening stages, with a speculative looping header from Disasi as close as the Blues came inside the first 20 minutes, despite boasting over 75% possession.

Wissa struck the side netting from a tight angle before Jackson rounded Mark Flekken but saw his slow effort cleared off the line by Mathias Jorgensen.

There would be no denying Jackson on the 35-minute mark, however, The Senegal striker rose highest to meet a cross from Malo Gusto and steered his header perfectly into the bottom corner.

The goal clearly knocked Brentford’s confidence as Chelsea began to flex their quality. The Blues had plenty of half-chances but had to make do with their slender advantage at the break.

Brentford responded perfectly to start the second half. Toney’s looping cross found Sergio Reguilon but the Spaniard’s shot was deflected into the path of Roerslev for a simple tap-in.

Vitaly Janelt struck the post just moments later, before Cole Palmer missed a great chance on the counter when Chelsea really needed something to help ease the pressure Brentford’s wave of momentum had created.

The Bees kept coming and got the second goal their performance deserved with 20 minutes to go. Frank Onyeka sent the ball soaring into the air where Wissa went to meet it with a glorious overhead kick that crashed into the back of the net.

Reguilon hit the post with a header as Chelsea continued to flounder in the air, but there were no such problems at the other end of the pitch as Palmer’s cross was crashed into the back of the net by Disasi to set up an intriguing final five minutes.

Both sides pushed for a winning goal, but a draw was a fair result when all was said and done.

GK: Mark Flekken -…